Author Archives:

The Waiting Game

Posted on February 21, 2012

Waiting for inspiration can be dangerous. I’ve wasted days waiting, walking my dogs, staring at this screen, tapping on my desk. Given that life contains a finite number of days, and I’ve no idea how many more I have left, … Continue reading →

Posted in Create, Write | 12 Comments

Monster at Home

Posted on January 20, 2012

After six days in dog hospital, Badger has come home. We thought we’d have to say goodbye to him this week. The vet said it’s a miracle (her word) that he recovered from whatever toxic substance he swallowed. He’ll stay … Continue reading →

Posted in Dog Days | 2 Comments

Missing Our Monster

Posted on January 18, 2012

This is our dog. He’s hard to love. We named him Badger but sometimes we call him Monster. He’s bitten me, many times. Growled, snarled. He ignores me when I call him and if I try to pick him up … Continue reading →

Posted in Dog Days, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Reconsidering Birds

Posted on November 13, 2011

I’ve never been fond of birds. When I was a child, magpies swooped down from gum trees to peck my head as I walked home from school. Some of my friends wore plastic ice-cream containers like helmets to make their … Continue reading →

Posted in Banff Writing Studio, Birds | 2 Comments

Respect Yourself

Posted on November 8, 2011

Here is an extract from Joan Didion’s erudite and insightful 1968 essay on self-respect. You can read the entire piece here but I recommend you buy Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays, the collection from which this comes. The book is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Joan Didion, Write | Leave a comment

The Places You’ll Go

Posted on November 8, 2011

The lines below come from Dr Seuss’ book Oh! The Places You’ll Go! Such wise words. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. … Continue reading →

Posted in Create, Persist, Write | Leave a comment

The Fabulous Mr Fox

Posted on November 4, 2011

When I was at Banff, last month, the Wired Writing Studio group met on Friday afternoons to read from work we admired. I loathe readings. At least, I thought I did. These, I enjoyed. There was a great sense of … Continue reading →

Posted in Banff Writing Studio, Books, Helen Oyeyemi, Marina Endicott, Write | Leave a comment

Discovering Lorrie Moore

Posted on October 26, 2011

I don’t think I should know everything. But sometimes I’m surprised, and humbled, by the gaping holes in my general knowledge. I have a treasure chest of facts about the human body, European cities, Madonna’s early works, winds of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Lorrie Moore, Write | 3 Comments

Banff. Cal. Van. Syd. Melb

Posted on October 19, 2011

I arrived home in Melbourne yesterday afternoon. The heading is my itinerary, but a list of pit stops can only tell so much. It doesn’t say the 25-hour commute from Canada to Australia was better and worse than the trip … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Twenty-Five Women and CARE

Posted on October 4, 2011

Twenty-five women said yes when I asked them to contribute to Open Field, the iPad publication my partner Dave and I are making for the international charity CARE. Since we had no affiliation with CARE until this time, and this … Continue reading →

Posted in Open Field | Leave a comment