I recently reviewed the thriller Ravens, by George Dawes Green, for The Book Show on ABC Radio National. Have a listen, here.

Katie Jacobs’ dispatches from Ubud, are being featured on Beattie’s Book Blog. Bookman – I met your lovely correspondent, hopefully one day I’ll meet you too!

I’ll blog more about some of the UWRF writers I’ve met after the festival is over, but Wena Poon is someone I’ll mention now, I shared airport transfers with her (and with Shamini Flint). I’m interested in reading Lions in Winter, which is available in Australia through Salt Publishing. Another reason I want to read her writing is that I just checked my email and, I hope she doesn’t mind me extracting from it, but you’ll see why: ‘You posted a David Bowie 1972 video.  I love him from that period!  In The Proper Care of Foxes, a character plays “Starman” on a loop until his friend begs him to stop.  Another character in the book dresses up as Bowie in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.  I guess he will always be evergreen.’ Indeed! More about her books can be found here.

Seriously, It’s hard not to rave about everyone I’ve met and seen right now, but I’m on very limited time. I promise I’ll elaborate back home.

Curious – just received word that Marieke Hardy is going to write the first (is it really the first?) Australian mobile book for the Age, called Vigilante Virgin:

From October 12, in an Australian first, a 20-episode tragi-comedy by cult writer Marieke Hardy will be available via your mobile phone. Subscribe through a simple SMS, and receive morning instalments of this surprising tale.

Diverting and engaging, Marieke’s story is one of an unlikely friendship forged within a vigilante group that will glue readers to their mobile phones.

At 7am each weekday from October 12 to November 6, subscribers will receive, via an exclusive web link in an SMS, an exciting chapter of Marieke’s 20-part story. To subscribe to this Australian first in mobile books, simply text “Marieke” to 19700043.

The Lifted Brow no. 6, in which I share page space with David Foster Wallace (!) is now available for pre-order.

My buddy Estelle at 3000 Books has written about the Emerging Writers Festival Reader, that I’m also in.

So, the Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to Herta Müller. Last night I found myself sitting just across the way from Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. I sipped a margharita, marvelled at his distinctive hair-do, and encouraged my new friend Ng Yi-Sheng to say hello to him. I felt I didn’t have the right to as I’m not very familiar with his work. Yi-Sheng eventually did. Yi-Sheng is on my Blogging, Dissent and Solidarity panel on Sunday, and he blogs here.

I’ve mentioned Ruby Murray’s blog before, but I must mention it again. I have had brief catch-up chats with her here in Ubud – she’s an evocative writer and I love her recent post about Jakarta. See here.

Okay, that will do for now! This afternoon I’m sitting on an informal panel called ‘Meet the Australians’ where I basically will chat about myself and what I do. Tomorrow the real fun begins, with the Q&A with Tom Cho, and my ‘Global Nomads’ panel. At the party last night Arnold Zable and Mohezin Tejani told me thy have already nicknamed themselves Tweedledee and Tweedledum. I suppose John O’Sullivan might be the Cheshire Cat? And I’ll definitely be Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole!

I will be writing more on NYWF/TiNA when I hit Bali (hopefully – depending on internet situation), or later today if I can. I have actually been keeping a low profile for most of the festival. For starters, I wasn’t feeling the best. Secondly, I had quite a few NSW natives to catch up with while I was here. I met up with Tahnee from Exisle Publishing; one of Australia’s best short story writers Ryan O’Neill, who has been an email buddy for a while now; and my folks, along with their good friends. Ryan also introduced me to Michael Sala – a really nice guy who is getting published in some big name journals as well as Best Australian Stories 2009 (out soon!). I look forward to reading some of his work.

The reports from my sessions have been positive, though one panel was a real learning curve – large, repetitive, unwieldy… I hope the audio turned out so I can upload it when I get home. I plan on writing a post down the track on things I’ve learnt about facilitating panels. Here’s one thing: the guests will come with one or two really important things they don’t want to forget to say. No matter what questions you ask at the start (trying to slowly lead into these things), they will give the game away early. They always make sure they say what they need to. There must be some way to let them know to trust you – that you will build a story together, leading to this revealing, interesting gem of information/experience.

Here are some reports on NYWF sessions by others:

Thuy Linh Nguyen wrote on day 1, day 2 and day 3, including some of my panels.

Estelle Tang has been doing an awesome job catching the atmosphere with interviews: here and here.

And Lisa Dempster has written on some of the local vegan fare in Newcastle.

I’ll also have to post more soon about some of the publications I’m currently floating around in! A small review in the latest Australian Book Review; I am interviewed in the latest Voiceworks; and am upcoming in the Emerging Writers Festival Reader and The Lifted Brow: Atlas. Details to come.

And now, a blog birthday present to myself.

‘All the nobody people, all the somebody people.
I never thought I’d meet
so many people’.

In October I am off to the National Young Writers Festival and the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, back to back – seven panels.

And the past month has been one of changes and revelations – but more on those in time.

Now, I would like to tell you what I am doing at said festivals, so you may come along, if you’re in the ‘hood.

National Young Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. 1-5 October 2009
AKA drunken shenannigans and flirtations alongside serious literary considerations…

Sweet Staple High: The New Class
Friday 2 October, 3:30-5
City Hall: Newcastle Room
Peeps: David Edgley, Bhakthi Puvanenthiran, Kirk Marshall, Sean Wilson, Christopher Currie (chair) and moi.
The blurb: Does Meanjin misunderstand you? Overland drive right by? Voiceworks shove its fingers down your throat and tinker? Wet Ink wait until your work is long dry? Come and meet the new class of literary magazines, as scrutinised by a panel of booksellers, writers, sceptics, and the editors themselves.
More, including participant bios, here.

Crimes Against the Industry
Saturday 3 October, 11-12:30
City Hall: Newcastle Room
Peeps: Alexandra Neill, Kirk Marshall, Madeleine Hinchy, Bel Monypenny and moi (chairing).
The blurb: We all love writing, right? So why do we treat it so bad? If you’ve ever abused an intern, stolen stationery, or passed your frenemy up for promotion, then come on down and hear the pros explain how not to let it happen to you.
More, including participant bios, here.

Give Me Cleo Over Kerouac
Saturday 3 October, 3:30-5
City Hall: Waratah Room
Peeps: Lulu Browett, Cathy Vallance, Madeleine Hinchy, Elena Knox, Marieke Hardy, Rachel Morgan, Rowan McDonald and moi (chairing).
The blurb: Jonathan Safran Whoer? Nabokov my where, now? Not everyone wants to be an indie superstar. Clean up your wank and ride the mainstream wave to this popular pleasurefest, where like-minded people shamelessly announce: ‘I subscribe to WHO and listen to commerical FM. And fuck anyone who doesn’t!’
[side note, you will never catch me saying 'Nabokov my where, now?' but I have long defended the snobbery of mainstream interests (ie. genre fiction) - and I'm looking forward to a panel where I can discuss The Simpsons, Ghostbusters and Supertramp]
More, including participant bios, here.

Moving Units
Monday 5 October, 11-12:30 [I can haz BIRTHDAY CAKE?]
Renew Newcastle Church
Peeps: James Phelan (he’s hot, come and look at him), Krissy Kneen (she’s hotter), Lev Diatschenko, Geoff Lemon, Dominic Knight and moi (chairing).
The blurb: Pushers of good writing everywhere! Forget SHOULD we sell – ask only HOW. Take some marketing tips and tales from people who have the smarts and the souls. By the time they’re through with you, you’ll be able to sell the whole thing right back to ‘em.
[smarts and the souls *chuckle*]
More, including participant bios, here.

Full program here.

In between festivals there will be one night of joint birthday celebrations with Josephine Rowe in Sydney. We were born just one day apart in 1984, the coolest year of all. We will be clocking a quarter-century together, both probably feeling much older and younger all at the same time…

The next day I fly to:

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Ubud, Bali. 7-11 October, 2009
AKA sunshine, and intimate conversations with international writers over cheap cocktails…

Seriously – flights are cheap, this is so worth going to. I went in 2006 and it was one of the best weeks of my life.

Look Who’s Morphing: In Conversation with Tom Cho
Saturday 10 October, 9-10am

Global Nomads
Saturday 10 October, 12:30-2pm
peeps: John O’Sullivan, Mohezin Tejani, Arnold Zable and moi (chairing)

A New Frontier: Blogging, Dissent & Solidarity
Sunday 11 October, 4-5:30pm
peeps: Doel CP Allisah, Dian Hartati, Antony Loewenstein, Ng Yi-Sheng and moi (chairing)

See the full program here, and all the author bios here.

And amongst all the full-time workiness, bloggery, Sing Star nights and gym-going (Body Combat tonight, ouch) I have planned about two of these seven panels – but it should all come together nicely over the coming weeks. *zero panic*

Oh, two things! Talking about blogging with Mr Celluloid Tongue and Ms Pop Couture as part of Safety in Art this Saturday in Melbourne. Details here. If you’re a crafty/arty type there are plenty of other things to whet your whistle too.

And last but certainly not least, my beautiful, awesome sister Sonja (pictured, on left) got a job at Readings St Kilda! I got to tell her all about hardbacks, trade paperbacks and A and B format paperbacks this evening. I was a bookseller for four years, and now obviously work for Australia’s book trade magazine Bookseller+Publisher. I have always been the ‘bookish’ one, and she the artistic one, so it’s a little odd but mostly exciting. We’ll see how it shapes her interests. I hope she maintains her individual tastes and doesn’t feel pressured to read particular things just because they’re more ‘hip’. Nonetheless, it will be a good introduction to Australian literature… I’ll keep you posted.

Recorded during the event ‘See What I’m Talking About’, Overload Poetry Festival 2009. Response to Andrew Watson’s photograph (in background). Video by my lovely sister Sonja Meyer. Here’s a review of the whole event by Simonne Michelle Wells on the Overland blog.

Through the Clock’s Workings

Here’s the blurb for this very unique (and interactive) collection:

Through the Clock’s Workings
Edited by Amy Barker
Sydney University Press
ISBN: 9781920899325

A world first! The first remixed and remixable anthology of literature.

This anthology of short stories is not some textual tome, frozen in time and space. It is alive, evolving organically in a constant state of flux. Why? Because each story is available under a Creative Commons licence, giving you rights to share and reuse the book as you see fit.

So how do you use a remixable anthology? Simple.
Step 1 – Read. Thumb your way through the pages at will. Find the stories you love, the ones you hate, the ones that could be better.
Step 2 – Re/create. Each story is yours to share and to remix. Use only one paragraph or character or just make subtle changes. Change the genre, alter its formal or stylistic characteristics, or revise its message. Use as little or as much as you like – as long as it works.
Step 3 – Share. Be part of a growing community of literature remixing. Post your remixes to the Remix My Lit website, remixmylit.com, and start sharing. The entire anthology can be remixed – the original stories, the remixes, and even the fonts.

Through the Clock’s Workings is Read&Write!

Purchase from the Sydney University Press website, or check out the Remix My Lit website for ebook options.

And there are still several hours to enter the May haiku comp. Win books!

I’m restructuring, rewriting, adding, subtracting, overhauling Smoke & Dancing this long weekend.

This is the story so far, in point form (because my brain is mush after the first day’s work!)

* Wrote first draft about 2 years ago. It is my 2nd novel manuscript. As it’s set in Wollongong in 1970 I went to the ‘Gong and researched, conducted interviews etc. Lots of fun.

* Entered S&D in the Varuna HarperCollins Awards end 2007. Was one of 5 to win Peter Bishop’s Pathways to Publication Masterclass.

* Worked on about the 3rd (I’ve lost track?) draft at Varuna in April 2008. Still some sticky points but made progress.

* Left for a goodly while. Didn’t win Vogel, obviously. Finished Uni and came out with 1st class Hnours and lots of short stories.

* Rewrote from 1st to 3rd person as the 1st person narrator was too intrusive and the other (important) characters’ voices couldn’t be found, gave to a publisher who asked to see it late 2008. He gave me some wonderful advice – all characters’ voices were blurred in the rushed 3rd person draft. Many ideas and voices not quite coming through clearly (and there are many ideas in the manuscript). But he was very encouraging. The mind was overwhelmed but it hummed.

* Have been writing new project (90s novel) but mulling over what direction to take Smoke & Dancing in. Slowly, ideas and visions have come to the fore, often at 3am. I wrote them all down but let them stew some more. American agent who had asked to see it said he liked it, but didn’t think he’d be able to sell lit fic given the climate (I thought it was odd that he might even want to look at a book set in regional Aus, but who’d say no?). He asked me to send him my YA novel when I’m finished though. I’ll share a quote from his email: ‘But do let’s stay in touch – you’re clearly hugely talented, and I’d be curious to find out which Australian publisher will snap up the book and would love to read your next one!’ Tres encouraging, yes?

* S&D is with another Australian publisher who asked directly for it, but this was a few months ago. I haven’t told her yet that I’ve decided to rewrite, I’ll see how it goes. Perhaps she will see potential in it anyway. There are about four other publishers who have shown interest, but I’m concerned now with taking the time to get it right. So, instead of going away or lazing around this weekend, I’m working hard.

This morning I physically cut the manuscript into scenes:

Then I marked the scenes by which character is most predominant. What became clear is that one character I felt very strongly about had become lost in the last draft. And it became clear that some scenes were muddled in their POV. But laid-out like this it also seemed clear that this could be fixed! I inserted blank pages with ideas for fleshing out scenes amongst the typed pages, and I decided on two added scenes at the ending – for better closure. One of these came to me just three nights ago (again, around 3am), and it was a definite lightbulb moment. I’m very excited about this new, extended ending.

I also wrote out a set of ‘rules’ for myself as some ‘choices’ had to be made and stuck to (notice I’m not actually telling you very much besides process, as I hope you will read it in book form one day); and I re-clarified the themes by jotting them down.

I was going to let that be my work for the day, but it was only just after lunch and I was quite keen to get writing. To my surprise, I rewrote the beginning as present tense, and a lot shorter, then inserted new scenes! I have now rewritten 12 pages, and it’s structurally quite different than before, and I hope a lot clearer. After I’ve gone through the whole thing (hopefully by the end of Monday), I’ll still need to go over it again and look at voice – to make sure each character is differentiated and three-dimensional and clear etc.

I am going to go for an ASA mentorship – it would be great to have a second pair of eyes once all this is done, and some guidance. They only give away 10, so I may not get it, but one should always try.

Hope you’re all having a great Easter. I’ve got some fun times planned with good friends for the evenings (thus, I won’t go stir-crazy). Champagne ahoy!

for Sonja …

Birds and wings and musty feathers. I smell their little bodies and the ribcage within – so pop-able. They flit and flutter – excited, demented. They are shrill. Their notes peck at one another. They jump with my heart. My head whips around at one, and another.

The chest’s blotches are there already and I haven’t even made it to the train. I anticipate the ride now, before the day of work – the clean-shaven scents, the clearing of throats, the eyes catching each other in the window’s reflection as they attempt to hold onto the day outside.

It’s not as though work is bad, either. It’s probably somewhat a breeze. Comfortable. The boss does not bear down upon me. But nor has she told me I am on track, doing fine. I have much independence. I design, I submit, I begin over. Concepts come in, I liase, I email. I refine. I am fine.

Jessa was giving me a massage last night, wedging her thumb into my knots. Those un-birdlike parts that won’t shift. The framework around the bubble where inside things flit and flutter and threaten to break out. She tries to understand. I try to understand. She has cures, after all, for her own problems. The new pills, a bitey taste on her tongue, for her migraines. They found a cure for cancer last year. AIDS is promising too. But for the worrisome, for the quickened ones, there are only horrid things that rob you of sleep and leave you with cotton in your mouth.

‘Why don’t you give them a try again?’

‘No.’

There is nothing more she suggests, just digs those familiar thumbs in deeper. I catch the scent of her hair and turn to her soft face. I press myself in. Here it is warm. We are both girls. Our faces are soft together. Our nails are short but our fingers are long, intertwining.

The train is hard, fast. There are many of them now. Streamlined. One after another. Ensuring we all get to work on time, keep the world going. The older people often look deflated. They miss their cars. They miss a lot of things. It is not simple, I think. But this efficiency is all I’ve known.

I unlock the office door. I am always the first to arrive. My hand is slippery on the key. That sweat, the blotchy chest covered by the neck of my shirt. The nausea creeps in. There is a little unbalance in my toes. I sit at the desk and the chair seems to have swirled me around five times over. I take a deep breath, willing myself not to get carried away. Don’t go into it today. Don’t go into it.

It’s just a job. It’s just a day. Everyone does it. People are worse off somewhere. There is nothing wrong. The walls are not closing in. You are fine.

At lunch I don’t leave my desk. Too many lines. Too many places to choose. I have my sandwich. White bread, tuna, lettuce, tomato. Bit of red onion, and mayo. I minimise my design and float around online. The sense of overwhelm is present there too. But something catches my eye in the news feed.

‘ViagenCo. to trial ‘Positivity Chip’ for anxiety sufferers’.

To read the rest, buy a copy here.

Here is my story ‘Velocity‘.

Also – Krissy is herself having guest writer contributors on her blog, Furious Vaginas, throughout March, so she can concentrate on the final edits for her memoir, which Text are bringing out later in the year. I may or may not have contributed an anonymous, erotic story…

Here is an extract from my piece in The Death Mook, being launched tomorrow night at Dante’s in Fitzroy, Vic. Buy it here. In the full piece I discuss Sylvia Plath, Susanna Kaysen, and Elizabeth Wurtzel (in that order). As I’ll be reading the Sylvia Plath section tomorrow night, I’m reproducing the introduction and the middle section here.

Ever felt caught? Overwhelmed by the world’s injustices? Frustrated by your own inability to cope? Other people just don’t seem to feel it like you do. It grates, it aches. You harbour guilt about this intensity of feeling, when others are clearly worse off. You struggle to believe you’ll ever achieve creatively. You want to shovel off the repressive weight of expectation – of family, society, and the mirror. You scream, cry, hole up, self-destruct, drink, purge it into a song lyric, painting, poem. Perhaps you have considered just ending it all?

…

Susanna Kaysen: Anxious Ambivalence

‘Actually, it was only part of myself I wanted to kill: the part that wanted to kill herself, that dragged me into the suicide debate and made every window, kitchen implement, and subway station a rehearsal for tragedy.’

- Girl, Interrupted (1993)

Ch-ch-ch-changes. Susanna Kaysen watched the world in microcosm from her hospital cocoon. Was she crazy, or was it the 60s? She supposes she’ll never know. She had tried to die, scratching at the ‘thing’ inside of her, numbing it with pills and alcohol. She knew she wanted to be a writer and yet everyone insisted on asking her what she wanted to do. Again, the weighty expectations placed upon a woman from a bourgeois conservative family. And she wondered: why did she feel so different anyway?

Some would be familiar with the film made of her story, but whilst effective, her own memoir Girl, Interrupted gets more intimate with this fractured mind. Backward and forward in time like a Virginia Woolf sentence, with the constant awareness that she never really has figured it out. How alone she was, always in two minds about everything and her mind layered up until she had to get it out. But as long as she keeps writing she seems able to keep the dark at bay. As long as she can share her otherness without outright rejection. But there was never a cure, as there may never have been a sickness, just an oppressive combination of elements that made her want to kill the radical being inside…