What is Left Over, After, by Natasha Lester
I recently finished reading Natasha Lester’s ‘What is Left Over, After’ (Fremantle Press, 2010). The story opens in Sydney, with 36-week pregnant Gaelle, a fashion photographer, about to have an emergency caesarian. It then skips ahead to a few months after the birth,...
Bittersweet
It’s that time of the year, busy with Christmas preparations, end-of-school services, speech days, and a graduation: The spec family Our eldest has finished school. Hard to believe, really, as I still think of our family as looking like this: 2003 But no, this...
When We Remember They Call Us Liars, by Suzanne Covich
‘When We Remember They Call Us Liars’ is Suzanne Covich’s memoir of her childhood in 1960s rural Tasmania – a childhood clouded by poverty, alcoholism, violence, and by sexual abuse at the hands of her father. The prose is tightly packed, honest and gut-punching. No...Launch of Jukebox
As of yesterday, it is official: I am a published author. I must say, I felt thrilled and anxious at seeing my words in print for the first time. Thrilled because I want people to read what I’ve written, but anxious because people can read what I’ve...
Invitation to Book Launch
LAUNCH OF ‘JUKEBOX’, OOTA’s 2013 Anthology Sunday, 10th November, 1.00 – 4.00pm Pavlich Room, Fremantle Arts Centre. Launched by Bruce Russell. Includes readings from contributors, drinks and finger food. Cost of book is...
A soft toy murder mystery …
Last night, Rupert, joey of Rowena the toy kangaroo, was badly mauled and mutilated. By the time we found him, he had severe facial trauma and half an ear missing. My plastic surgery skills weren’t up to the task, so unfortunately, we had to pronounce Rupert...
Finding Jasper, by Lynne Leonhardt
Finding Jasper is Lynne Leonhardt’s first novel and the first novel-length book published by Margaret River Press. The story centres around Gin (Virginia), the youngest of the three generations of Partridge family women whose stories are portrayed – Gin’s...
Reflections of a Breast Physician
I worked as a breast physician in a breast clinic for seven years. We screened women at high-risk of developing breast cancer, investigated those with breast symptoms, and followed women up after their treatment for cancer. We met the women in the morning, took a...
Part 3: And life goes on …
This is the third and final instalment in this series about my sister’s death. If you want to read the earlier instalments, click for Part 1 or Part 2. However, I pulled all three posts together as a single essay, which I called, ‘Tribute to a...
BREAKING NEWS …
From ‘Breaking News’ I interrupt normal blog transmission to share breaking news of the novel’s progress: I have been selected as a 2014 Varuna Residential Fellowship Recipient. What is that? I hear you ask. Well, it’s bed and board and a...