Lisa,
Some interesting thoughts you have there about the article and your expansion of it.
That song, “Half the Perfect World”, which Anjani sang was firstly a poem Leonard called “Half The World” in his Book of Longing poetry book; one of writing about time and place and people. Both her album and his book were released/ published in 2006. If I recall correctly from ‘somewhere’, the lines of Half the (Perfect) World were about Hydra but I don’t know about whom.
EDIT: Lisa, you reminded me about that song and I've now listened to “Blue Alert in Warsaw”.
Just after Anjani sings Half the Perfect World she says:
“Leonard wrote that when he was living on Hydra. Can’t you tell, it’s so tropical, so hot!”
Yes, that’s the ‘somewhere’ I recall it from
~~~~~
Hydroit,
I had to read My Brother Jack, the first book in the Meredith trilogy, whether I liked it or not! It was assigned compulsory reading in Australia when I went back to college to extend my education many years ago. The second book in the trilogy, Clean Straw For Nothing was optional reading then and I did read it as well. Unfortunately, I can’t recall it clearly (too long ago!) so no answer from me for you there. But it seems I should have kept those books as they have increased so much in value, ha!
I haven’t read the third book in the trilogy, A Cartload of Clay. Actually, thinking about George’s character, David Meredith in those three novels, versions of him were firstly featured in two earlier ones, The Far Road and Closer To The Sun. I haven’t read those either but maybe there could be a clue to what you say in them.