Animals

Kids love animals. I try and include an animal in lots of my stories- they act as companions, someone else to converse with and an outlet for emotions. I can remember as a teenager walking with my dog ( even though he wasn't very obedient) to mull over things. Look at the delight on my grandson's face- now there's a smile that doesn't shine often enough.
What makes our character's personality shine?

well crafted

I am a hoarder- it is a problem, but it's also a delight. Take for example this hand knitted ball- my grandmother always knitted gifts- I had baby clothes and toys in storage for my grandchildren. Now they are happening- up to three, a fourth one arriving in January. But this ball I wanted to give to one of my daughters but the yellow wool had rotted away- I reknitted the section and discovered little pieces of yarn as the stuffing inside. It's back to new, with a bell inside and working- I love the creativity that my grandmother has passed on- it survives in all the craft I love to tinker with and the creative solutions to my writing- hoarding scraps of memory to be sewn into a new manuscript.

Moving Galleries

Poetry on trains? That's great to soothe the traveling mind...
My poem 'Tattoed Hooves'is up on connex trains now for the next six months.
Go to the moving galleries website become a member and vote for the best poem!
Unfortunately I was unable to go to the launch in Melbourne but love the concept of art in public spaces.

The Launch

It was a great night. A book needs a launch, it's just as important as a big ship on her maiden voyage.
Janeen Brian did a marvellous job, even to reading two of my poems and also part of the first chapter of 'Star Jumps.' Writing friends and friends made during the 2007 May Gibbs residency came along. I am still glowing. May it continue to illuminate my next writing venture!

Book Launch

Janeen's gift of a cake for the launch of my book 'Star Jumps.' Wow it felt special.
Thanks Janeen.

biking, racing, and SUCCESS

He's the youngest of my brood and fast on a bike- he just won the Marong to Wedderburn road race a week ago. Yet, funnily enough, he took the longest to learn to ride a bike.

I've written a few poems about riding a bike, wanting a new bike, falling from a bike, riding to school, to meet friends; even a short non fiction piece about the history of bikes for a teachers' resource.
Can you remember how you learnt to ride a bike? It would make a great polished memory to share.

notes from an author talk, booktalkers

Booktalker 1st June 2009
Some of the points that struck me from the night...

Mal Peet spoke about a book for football disguised under his passion for history. 'Keeper 'was his first book. 'Tamar' won the Carnegie medal. His talk included the challenging question should there be a category on the book shelves called YA?
He wrote the books that he would have liked to read when he was younger.
And one of his teaching points in his many workshops with children, is telling them to write about something you don't know – that's fiction.
Mal Peet likes crime fiction, he cares about history, in fact is evangelical about it. His books always have two narratives in them.
Mal began writing when he was 40- he actually wrote many small educational texts for readers first before he wrote his first novel.

I loved the way the audience surged out at the end of his talk to buy his books from the book seller.
I'm about to start reading 'Keeper.'

Libby Gleeson was fascinating with her reading of 'The Great Bear,' a picture book published in 1999 with illustrator Armin Gredor, she talked about her close collaboration with him. Certainly a partnership producing wonderful picture books. We all felt very moved by her reading.

I have just competed a picture book text subject with Victoria Uni and all the points Libby made helped the new information soak in. Such a deceptively simple text, such complex writing, rewriting and bonding of illustration to text. One point Libby did mention twice was that if the pictures and text said the same thing then one had to go- Armin Gredor explained this to her.

I really enjoyed the night- thanks to the local ALEA group and Booktalkers of the State library of Victoria.
Apparently podcasts of this year's Reading Matters conference will soon be on the following web site. Meanwhile there are some podcasts from many authors available now.
http://www.insideadog.com.au/downloads/index.html