Public Things Newsletter | Matthew Lamb | Substack

On literacy, the value of reading, and the free circulation of written materials

A brief talk given at the State Library New South Wales, August 2025

Oct 20, 2025 • Matthew Lamb

read

On Frank Moorhouse: Strange Paths

Reflections of an accidental biographer

Sep 12, 2023 • Matthew Lamb

Northrop Frye’s Four Levels of Literary Meaning

Or, the nuts and bolts of reading

May 17, 2023 • Matthew Lamb

On reading Camus’ “The Stranger” in its Algerian context

Or, ‘The sense of honour among Algerians’ (Part 2 of 2)

Feb 7, 2022 • Matthew Lamb

On reading Camus’ “The Stranger” in its Algerian context

Or, ‘The sense of honour among Algerians’ (Part 1 of 2)

Jan 31, 2022 • Matthew Lamb

1. Interesting times

An introduction to reading Albert Camus' The Plague during COVID, climate change, and various political crises

Aug 9, 2021 • Matthew Lamb

Recent posts

Gogol v Melville

An explanatory note

Sep 29, 2025 • Matthew Lamb

Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener

Sep 19, 2025 • Matthew Lamb

Gogol's The Overcoat

Sep 19, 2025 • Matthew Lamb

On Literary Effort

Or, the Hidden Injuries of the Writing Life

Aug 5, 2025 • Matthew Lamb

“A Ramble Through the Mind of An Adolescent” (Part 2)

On Frank Moorhouse’s Juvenilia

Apr 27, 2025 • Matthew Lamb

“A Ramble Through the Mind of An Adolescent” (Part 1)

On Frank Moorhouse’s Juvenilia

Apr 27, 2025 • Matthew Lamb

Public Things Newsletter

Broad discussions about ideas and intellectual history regarding literary culture and democracy - these public things.

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