R G Johnson essays and compositions
Why write? To quote English fiction writer and essayist Edward Morgan Forster, ‘How do I know what I think until I see what I say?’ This may have been the driving force for Ross’s early work – his Credo, for example – but as he’s matured into writing contemplative memoirs, it’s clear he knows exactly what he thinks, which can’t be said of all octogenarians.
This website attempts to organise and make accessible most of the material that Ross has generated since his retirement from surgery almost a quarter century ago. Much of it is personal, some of it opinionated. And why not?
Ross’s writing career kicked off with his painstakingly researched story of forebear Sam Johnson, a victim of Oldham’s Bankside Riot of 1834. Soon to be released is the story of Princess Maria Volkonsky, a commentary on the first Russian revolution, the Decembrist uprising of 1825. Mixed through these compositions, and in between, are personal recollections and anecdotes spanning much of the twentieth century and a fair bit of the next.
Most recent work
Come to Church Papa
[Not a recent work but recently revisited] Description: A surgeon dissects down to the heart of our origins and the part played by orthodox Christianity and in doing so unearths some surprising anomalies. Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of the state of being human. Viktor e. frankl1 This small essay follows an…
Surgeons I Have Known
Preface I have returned to edit this essay some ten years since it was originally written in order to paste it on to my website. Some modifications will be added and alterations made. I note that a physician has found his way to be among surgeons. This physician, Norrie Robson, made such an impression on…
Letters, Papers and Poems of John Clement Pfitzner
John Clement Pfitzner 1942 – 2013 For Diana, Martin, David and Emily Preface John Pfitzner died unexpectedly on 29th January, 2013 at the age of 70 years. He had an unafraid and questioning mind which he exercised in the pursuit of truth, unbound by orthodoxy. Gentle but always uncompromising, he left a legacy of clear…
Surgical reflections
Growing up in post-war South Australia, Ross’s path to a surgical career followed a typical pattern of seeking qualifications and experience overseas. Returning to Australia in the sixties, Ross’s career spanned the most technologically innovative period in medical history. Written primarily for family and friends, this collection outlines his experiences and observations on the rapid…
Maria Volkonsky: a Russian vignette
Travelling from an Australian summer to the winter spectacle of Siberia was breathtaking in itself. But what was impossible to shake off on this 21st century journey was the image of a young Russian noblewoman who, in 1826, chose exile and hardship over the wealth and comfort of urban St Petersburg; who left behind a…
Golf: Poetry in motion
Cover notes: He watches me hit some balls and says,’We have to throw off the shackles.’He gets me to loosen my grip and to let go through the swing,not trying so hardto do everything right.I chortle with amazementas the 7-iron connects,and the ball, shot after shot,follows its long, high arcdown the fairway…John Pfitzner, 2008 From…
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
RG Johnson 