Wednesday, May 26, 2010
I want to thank Helen Garner...
... not because I admire her writing (although I certainly do) but because of her wise words about not-writing at the 2008 AAWP conference. I had the most hideous day on Monday (at the desk, straining, unable to produce anything) followed by such a productive morning on Tuesday that I was skipping during my 5km walk at lunchtime. It was rereading Helen Garner's keynote speech that got me through the not-writing stage and out the other side. It's enormously reassuring and can be found at www.aawp.org.au/files/keynote-Garner.pdf
Friday, May 14, 2010
Back in chilly Armidale
It was a bit of a shock to return to minus degrees after several days of island life here, sitting on a verandah with a view of palm trees and Keppel Bay, chatting to people about writing instead of doing it myself...
I went snorkelling a couple of times (didn't see much) and traipsed over Kanomi trying and failing to find the highest point (they need to do more maintenance on their walking tracks). And of course there were the workshops. Four of them - Introduction to Life Writing, Memoir and Memory, Morning Pages, and Polishing & Publishing. The twenty participants were all attentive and well-behaved and applied themselves to the practical work with diligence and enthusiasm. It was much less daunting than I'd expected and I got to hear some utterly fascinating stories.
I went snorkelling a couple of times (didn't see much) and traipsed over Kanomi trying and failing to find the highest point (they need to do more maintenance on their walking tracks). And of course there were the workshops. Four of them - Introduction to Life Writing, Memoir and Memory, Morning Pages, and Polishing & Publishing. The twenty participants were all attentive and well-behaved and applied themselves to the practical work with diligence and enthusiasm. It was much less daunting than I'd expected and I got to hear some utterly fascinating stories.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Calibre 2010 announcement of winners
Congratulations to the joint winners of this year's Calibre essay prize,
DR LORNA HALLAHAN - ‘ON BEING ODD’
DR DAVID HANSEN - ‘SEEING TRUGANINI’
Dr Lorna Hallahan is a social worker and theologian working as an academic in the School of Social and Policy Studies at Flinders University. She is a contributor to national and state disability policy debates who also writes and speaks regularly on ethics in human and health services.
Dr David Hansen is Senior Researcher and Specialist in the Art Department of Sotheby’s Australia. He spent twenty-five years as a public art gallery director and curator, in Warrnambool, Mt Gambier, Melbourne and Hobart.
The judges – James Ley and Peter Rose – longlisted twenty essays and shortlisted seven essays, all of which are listed on the ABR website.
My shortlisted essay, 'Retreat to the Castle', will be published in ABR in June. It is a chapter of the creative nonfiction book manuscript I am writing for my PhD, about people's experiences of caring for someone with a terminal illness at home.
DR LORNA HALLAHAN - ‘ON BEING ODD’
DR DAVID HANSEN - ‘SEEING TRUGANINI’
Dr Lorna Hallahan is a social worker and theologian working as an academic in the School of Social and Policy Studies at Flinders University. She is a contributor to national and state disability policy debates who also writes and speaks regularly on ethics in human and health services.
Dr David Hansen is Senior Researcher and Specialist in the Art Department of Sotheby’s Australia. He spent twenty-five years as a public art gallery director and curator, in Warrnambool, Mt Gambier, Melbourne and Hobart.
The judges – James Ley and Peter Rose – longlisted twenty essays and shortlisted seven essays, all of which are listed on the ABR website.
My shortlisted essay, 'Retreat to the Castle', will be published in ABR in June. It is a chapter of the creative nonfiction book manuscript I am writing for my PhD, about people's experiences of caring for someone with a terminal illness at home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)