he will be returning to Australia and would no longer be writing for The Age. This led to the publication in August 2007 of a book, American Notebook, sub-titled A Personal and Political Journey, about American politics and rationalising his support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Rocky and Gawenda Gawenda's canine companion inspired him to join the blog revolution to escape from the stresses and frustration of journalism. The blog ran on the Crikey website from February to November 2009. The posts from February to June were collected in a volume titled Rocky & Gawenda ''. The book, published by Melbourne University Press, is composed of short essays, observations and recollections, mostly reflecting on aspects of his own life: family, especially his two children; dogs; blogging; the pleasure he finds in food; friends and funerals. Leo Meo The birth of his first grandchild inspired Gawenda to write a poem every two weeks for the first year of Leo's life. In 2017 he published the book of poetry Leo Meo - songs to my grandson containing these and other poems he had written. The Powerbroker Mark Leibler, an Australian Jewish Life An unauthorized biography of Australian lawyer Mark Leibler. This book shows how Leibler rose to a position of immense influence in Australian public life by skilfully entwining his roles as a Zionist leader and a tax lawyer to some of the country’s richest people. The book has interviews with former Prime Ministers Paul Keating, John Howard, Julia Gillard and Indigenous leader Noel Pearson. Awards References External links Centre for Advanced Journalism, University of Melbourne Rocky & Gawenda, Gawenda's blog on the Crikey website Michael Gawenda, Gawenda's personal homepage 1947 births Living people 20th-century Australian journalists Australian Jews Polish emigrants to Australia Australian people of Polish-Jewish descent Members of the Order of Australia Refugees in Austria Polish refugees World War II refugees People from Fitzroy, Victoria 21st-century Australian writers 21st-century Australian journalists Writers from Melbourne University of Melbourne faculty Australian newspaper editors Australian expatriate journalists in the United States