Looking forward to telling stories with the magnificent Fi Bottcher for the beginning of this retreat, and then to the spacious time the rest of the day will offer. Due to issues with the registration site and process, the first retreat that was set for March 23 will now run on Nov 23. But wait, …
A couple of weeks ago I attended a workshop with my poet friend, Pádraig O Tuama. He taught the practice of writing ‘collects’ – a kind of prayer. I have just been reading ‘Flight Ways, Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction’ by Thom van Dooren. The grief of it is with me still. …
In September 2017, The Big Issue published this story in their My Word section issue # 545. Because they rely on their vendors selling hard copies (and I admire their plan) they ask writers not to put their work up on line at the time of publication. Here it is now, for your enjoyment. When …
In 2006, climate scientist Dr Joelle Gergis was pulling weeds under Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge on the work-for-the-dole scheme. Centrelink advised removing her PhD from her resume, saying: “It’s not going to help you find a job.” Read the story online at The Age.
The part of the mind that once held poems is now used for storing passwords. The part of the mind that once remembered songs is now used for storing pin numbers… Knowing things by heart is definitely old school. As noted above by cartoonist and writer Michael Leunig. We have so many devices now for …
Very glad to see this story of mine in Eureka Street. Enjoy! From the tops of tall trees in the middle distance, sulphur crested cockatoos take long swooping glides with their solid-looking wings — feathers with heft. The brilliant white of the cockies slices the blue sweep of the sky. As they come closer, landing …
This happened a few months ago now but here is my tale of the good-enough glasses. I have new glasses. I have them because I lost my million-dollar-glasses when I was on my way to the Adelaide Writers Festival. A free event that suddenly felt very expensive. Trust me, I looked for the lost glasses. …
