As in 2018, selected Sydney Writers Festival events were live-streamed this year to 35 sites, including Canberra's National Library of Australia (#SWFLiveAndLocal). I had planned to attend most of Saturday's events, but then our annual day-trip to our friends' place in the country came up, and that's unmissable, so I only attended the last event … Continue reading Sydney Writers Festival 2019, Live and Local (Session 1)
Feminists
Festival Muse 2018: Turn me on
Woo hoo, Muse, which is one of my favourite places in Canberra, is running its second Muse Festival this long weekend in Canberra. As last year, Mr Gums and I went to the opening event, Turn me on, last night -and it was different but also good. Different because last year's opener, Women of the … Continue reading Festival Muse 2018: Turn me on
Six degrees of separation, FROM The beauty myth TO …
Wah, it's now the start of autumn here down under. I love, love, love autumn (and not just because my birthday occurs during it) but it does mean that winter's next and I hate, hate, hate that! We do, however, have fun things to entertain us when things get glum like, for example, The Six … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The beauty myth TO …
Tara Moss, The fictional woman (Review)
In terms of feminist argument, I'm not sure that Tara Moss told me anything I didn't already know or believe in her first work of non-fiction, The fictional woman, but that didn't stop me enjoying her take, her approach. Moss is an interesting woman. Her careers as a model and a crime writer meant she wasn't really on my … Continue reading Tara Moss, The fictional woman (Review)
Raising my consciousness: Thoughts of a reader on International Women’s Day
I am not, and never have been, scared to use the "F" word - that is, I call myself a Feminist. My philosophy is a simple one: women are not the SAME as men, but women deserve EQUAL rights and respect as men. This is not to say that the interpretation and application of this … Continue reading Raising my consciousness: Thoughts of a reader on International Women’s Day
Monday musings on Australian literature: The triumvirate
I've mentioned Marjorie Barnard in a couple of posts recently, but I suspect few Australians and even fewer readers from overseas (except of course Tony of Tony's Bookworld) have ever heard of her. Rather than write specifically about her, though, I thought I'd talk a little about the Australian literary scene of the 1920s to … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: The triumvirate
Kate Jennings, Trouble: Evolution of a radical
I'm not going to beat about the bush but tell it like it is: I absolutely gobbled up Kate Jennings' Trouble: Evolution of a radical: Selected writings 1970-2010. It took me a fortnight to read it, partly because I've been pretty busy but also because there was so much to savour and take in that … Continue reading Kate Jennings, Trouble: Evolution of a radical
Whispering Gums 