Culture

Dorothy Porter never went anywhere without a volume of poetry. Whether to the local coffee shop or to Antarctica, a book of poems – often several – travelled with her. Reading poetry was among her greatest pleasures and her greatest blessings. It was also one of her great passions. Dorothy lived with passion; she believed it to be an essential component of a rich and creative life. And the greatest of human passions was love. From her first collection of poetry, Little Hoodlum, published when she was just 21, love presented itself as an irresistible topic.

Leonard Bernstein’s virtuosity as a musician and composer – and his courage – was an early model for Mark Isaacs.

The latest staging of two short Caryl Churchill plays is an example of the artform at its best, offering moments of exquisite theatre.

Belvoir St Theatre’s adaptation of Charlotte Wood’s novel The Weekend is a thrilling representation of the heartbreaking mess of living.

Zoe Leonard’s exhibition Al río / To the River asks uncomfortable questions about borders – between nations, people and art forms.

At first her thoughts carried her along – where would they go for dinner? But soon they grew quiet, as if she were nodding and smiling while slowly slipping out of a dinner party and into another, quieter, room. Time began to slow, the past and future folding themselves into the present. She was letting go of something that anchored her, but she felt no loss.