As the NSW Premier will soon announce all citizens of the state who have both shots of a vaccine will be given more freedom, surely now is the time for the lifesaving meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to be regarded as essential services, at least for those who have had both jabs. It strikes me as extremely wrongheaded for liquor outlets and for psychologists running group therapy sessions to be regarded as essential services, yet actual meetings of AA and NA are not. Meeting on Zoom is no …

Monash University News Snippets by Michael Headbury, 20 August 2021

Greetings all,

Ross Fitzgerald’s latest book “50 years Sober: An Alcoholic’s Journey” (Hybrid Publishers: Melbourne).

Ross began his stint as an undergraduate in 1962. Obviously a very bright lad who topped every subject in his first two years. He has written 42 books including “My name Is Ross”; fiction (rather naughty) featuring the character Grafton Everest; and many notable non-fiction historical texts which established him as a leading Australian Historian.

His latest book is scary and focusses on his challenges from Melbourne High days …

I need to correct Byam Wight (Letters, 1 August).

The award-winning biography of Alan Reid which I co-authored with Stephen Holt in 2010 provides a documented account of how the 36 Faceless Men photographs were taken at the Hotel Kingston in 1963. Our account shows how Reid got his friend and fellow angler Val Paral to take and process the photographs.

All of this happened outside of regular office hours. None of Paral’s colleagues at the John Curtin School of Medical Research were aware of what was going on.
Professor Ross Fitzgerald AM, Redfern, …