Books published by Spinifex Press

An anomalous kiss. A white turtle ferrying the dreams of the dead. A working siesta in a five-star hotel. A woman's twelve-metre hair trawling corpses from a river. Or a queue of longings in Darlinghurst. These enigmatic tales are stories of chance and hope. Alternately mythic, wistful or quirky, Merlinda Bobis' tales resonate with an original and confident storytelling voice. Published as The Kissing in the United States.

Naryshkin Park is a place where lovers once walked. On 2 October 1941, it became the site of a mass grave. Rose Zwi deftly weaves together clues from survivors' accounts, old photographs, official documents and archival research to form a many-layered account of the proud history and tragic destruction of the Jews of Lithuania.

Dale Spender examines the multimedia boom and its implications in the areas of class, race and gender. She asks: "Will the Internet create virtual sisterhood and how can we use it for good?"

An award-winning joint volume of poetry, Sandy Jeffs invites the reader into the world of schizophrenia, while Deborah Staines evokes the mythic past and the technological future.

Senior Detective Margot Gorman has been assigned to watch over a raving woman in an asylum. What could a madwoman know? And Peter, the sportsman, can he become a warrior in Vietnam? With a deft hand, the author challenges the traditional stereotypes of a crime novel with questions of politics, patriarchy, sanity and murder. First published in 1991, Still Murder was widely praised by reviewers for being a 'cross-over' novel, bringing together literary and crime styles of writing and narrative. This feminist classic edition has an introduction by Marion Campbell and an Afterword by the author.

Zest for Life draws on lesbians' experiences of menopause to highlight how lesbians, particularly at midlife, are invisibilised in society at large. Many writers and researchers have critically analysed the medical construction of menopause, yet even they fail to ask whether the issues are the same for lesbians. Zest for Life includes the voices of lesbians who tell us that despite lesbian invisibility and homophobia, many are resisting current standards that exclude them. The experiences of these women challenge negative, stereotypical views of menopause and add a new positive dimension to the presently narrow and medicalised view of women at midlife. An important uplifting book both for lesbians and heterosexual women as well as health professionals which shows that menopause need not be a time of despair.

This celebration of the enduring relationship between a woman and her feline includes more than 80 stories, poems, and reflections by women from around the world. Writings from such American authors as Marge Piercy, Dahlia Levy, and Terry Wolverton shed light on the historical tradition of the cat goddess as well as real-life encounters with heroic and troublesome cats. A cat who walked through plaster on shore clomps on board a sailing ship for three weeks; a cat who protected a family travels 100 miles to find her owners; and the cats who survive 9/11 are among the felines profiled in this amusing and enjoyable collection.

Following her escape from her horrific life with an abusive husband, Patricia Hughes tells her personal story of abuse--and how she left--in this inspiring and moving story. Stuck in an abusive relationship and convinced that she was responsible, the author discusses how she struggled and finally freed herself of her abusive partner and of abusive relationships forever. Drawing from the lessons she learned, the author provides a seven-step program that includes identifying abusive behavior, recognizing abusers, preparing for emergencies, getting help after a crisis, making the decision to stay or leave, learning to heal, and remaining abuse free, providing women with the inspirational and practical advice they need to understand the effects and complexities of abuse and supporting them during a difficult time.

One afternoon, a twelve-year-old girl goes missing near her village. The local police tell her mother and the villagers she has been taken by a wild animal. Five years later, young government employee Amantle Bokaa finds a box bearing the label ''Neo Kakang; CRB 45/94''. It contains evidence of human involvement in the affair. So begins an illegal and undercover struggle for justice and retribution. Botswanan High Court Judge Unity Dow''s second novel is a gripping story of how groups of ''little people'' come together to identify the prime suspects'' the ''big men'' who are beneath contempt, but above the law.

A novel in two voices, ''Parachute Silk'' consists of letters between two women friends who discuss in depth their feelings and share their lives by corresponding. They send poems, letters and long explanations and stories of their lives. This is a beautifully written novel with a deft touch. The language sings, even as the women come to grips with issues around sexuality, children and the exigencies of an unplanned life.