A catch up

Wow. It’s been nearly three months since my last post. Time flies when you’re not blogging. So, how’s things? Nothing much has happened lately. I have a failmate instead of a housemate who won’t pay rent/bills on time, throttles the bandwidth, and pees on the floor. I’ve reviewed Genesis and written a reflective piece on Poh Ling Yeo. My father discovered that I know how to swear and is now disappointed in me…

Anyway, I’ll be doing a ‘Footscray Whitewash’ reading for the Peril launch this Friday. We should catch up. Say 7.30pm at Hares & Hyenas? Maybe wander down to The Lifted Brow launch at The Workers Club afterwards? Don’t worry, it won’t be just the two of us. Christine Priestly who sometimes posts for me will also be there. Her article on microbiologists is in the latest Brow and she’s pretty excited.

So, um, yeah. See you there then?

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Another magazine to add to my pile

The Griffith Review’s annual fiction issue is out today, sporting a cover illustration done by Poh Ling Yeow from Masterchef and Poh’s Kitchen. I currently have an aspirational crush on Poh; she cooks like a good Asian daughter-in-law*. Anyway, the Readings launch is today, so I’ll be heading down to Carlton for my copy.

*Questions: did anyone see the 20/10/10 episode with Andre Ursini? Are Poh and Ursini usually that flirty?

For book buffs (of which I am not)

Kill Your Darlings is having another trivia nightified issue launch. There will be prizes, so if you’re certain that Camus isn’t a cross between a camel and an emu, then this event might be worth your while.

Stuff that I wrote earlier

…and when I say ‘earlier’, I’m talking two years earlier. My short story ‘The Intern’, was written way back in 2008 and has finally found a home in The Lifted Brow. I know, I know. I wasn’t going to contribute to the Brow, since it felt somewhat incestuous submitting to a journal one interned at, but The Brow seemed the best match for this piece, so, um, yeah…?

The Lifted Brow No. 7 (image courtesy of theliftedbrow.com)

Also, my review of Chris Womersley’s Bereft is now up on the Killings blog, so go read that while I sneeze all over my computer screen. Yes, Sam Cooney, I’m sick again. Boo.

Magazine @ MWF 2010

The good chaps from MWF 2010 have refurbished a shipping container on the river terrace near Fed Square for the purpose of showcasing local literary magazines. It’s a great idea, and the refurbishment is reminiscent of TINA ’09’s Masons club, but a shipping container is not the easiest thing to find, so turnouts to these showcases have been small so far.

But small and intimate can be a good thing; The Lifted Brow felt very much like a family event. The editor(s), intern(s), contributors, readers knew or at least had heard of each other, and there was a bit of conversation between those on stage and audience members.

Half of the literary magazines have already had their turn in the shipping container, but Meanjin, Ampersand, harvest, and The Big Issue will be running fifteen-minute bursts of readings, interviews, and entertainment next Saturday and Sunday, so do drop by for a sticky beak in between other MWF events. For more info on dates and times, check out MWF’s Magazine page.

Meanwhile, here’s some snapshots from yesterday morning’s Lifted Brow:

The cosy interior of Magazine, MWF’s shipping container.

Tiffany Murray talks about featuring the geography of her childhood in her novel ‘Diamond Star Halo’. As a kid, she grew up in a recording studio and hung out with the likes of Freddie Mercury.

Krissy Kneen is currently writing a new novel. Sometimes, she gets sidetracked by other projects, so she tries to make up for it by further exploring the novel’s theme in these works.

Jonathan Walker shows off his new book, ‘Five Wounds’, published by Allen and Unwin. He’s currently working on a photographic project, capturing images of Venice as a modern city.

Lorelei Vashti poses for the camera. Later on, she’ll hijack the stage with a Alanis Morisette CD and ask us to shape Cs and Ls with our arms for Courtney Love.

Laura Jean McKay discusses her short story, ‘One Hundred Cobs of Corn’, which was written from a Cambodian’s POV. Apparently, Australian readers have issues with her writing from an ethnic perspective. There was also talk of Ronnie Scott’s editing style or ‘hacking’ as he prefers to call it.

Sing-Along blog: Joss Whedon

Because I can…

That was possibly the worst thing I’ve done for this blog, though I really should have a megalomaniac attitude like Joss Whedon and say that it was the bestest, awesomenest, coolest thing ever.

Melbourne Writers’ Festival 2010 Program Launch

I always miss out on these things because nobody ever tells me about them (until afterwards of course) so I thought I’d tell you. MWF’s 2010 program comes out in The Age on Friday, but people can get a sneak peek on Wednesday, midday at Beer DeLuxe. As per usual, I am working, so I will not be able to make it. But I thought I’d point you out to this rather special MWF event with Bret Easton Ellis. I’ve only read one Bret Easton Ellis—the one that’s sold in a plastic wrapper—and now have nightmares about rats eating vaginas, but it was very good in terms of postmodern technique. And here’s another something for all you Bret Easton Ellis fans out there…

Oh no, no more Sospeso

I caught up with Laura Smith a week or two ago and found out that this Friday will be the last Sospeso Reading:

The readings have run for over a year, which I reckon is a pretty good run given that it was originallly conceived as just one or two events at the end of a Cafe Poet residency. Now I’d like to move on to other projects. (22 June 2010)

I asked Laura why she hadn’t brought in someone to replace her. When it comes to organising your own poetry night, most people want to start from scratch; apparently secondhand poetry nights aren’t as appealing as secondhand tea cosies.

So, if you haven’t been to a Sospeso Reading, this is your last chance. Seat yourself at one of the tables at Caffe Sospeso around seven this Friday for a quick meal and get treated to a ‘first taste’ of Tiggy Johnson’s latest poetry collection as well as spoken word from Anna Fern.

For those who wish to reminisce, here’s some thoughts on Healing (February’s Sospeso night) and a video of Michael Reynolds’ performance.

Hurrah, it’s The Last Hurrah

You’re all probably psyching up for Thursday’s Wordstock or pints at tonight’s In the Pub, but in the spirit of all things EWF, Black Rider Press has put together its own emerging writer lineup for its gig, tonight at The Willow Bar.

Officially, it’s A.S. Patric’s eBook launch, but it’s also The Last Hurrah: there will be MC-ing by Lifted Brow editor Ronnie Scott, support acts from Allison Browning, Eric Dando, Kirk Marshall, myself, plus others, and an appearance from Black Rider Press’ founder Jeremy Balius*.

Words will start flowing after eight. Entry is free, but as Allison likes to say ‘your sweetheart donations help us print books’.

*Yes, the wonderful JB will be gracing us with his presence. I had hoped to make Kirk and myself ‘I Heart Jeremy Balius’ T-shirts for the night, but I’ve been too busy working. *sigh*

A Bridge For Short Attention Spans coming your way…

A bridge for short attention spans: Saturday May 15th 7 to 10pm