After Bathing at Baxter's: Essays and Notebooks

After Bathing at Baxter's is a personal exploration of-and homage to-some of the important New Zealand poets and painters of the 20th century, beginning-as the title suggests-with James K. Baxter. This collection is filled with anecdotes and personal observation. Alongside Baxter, the book includes major pieces on writers Kendrick Smithyman, Janet Frame, and Ruth Dallas. Following a sequence of autobiographical stories, O'Brien shifts his gaze to the visual arts, taking the reader on a tour of Ralph Hotere, Colin McCahon, Rosalie Gascoigne, and Denis O'Connor.