Tuesday January 5th 2010

Robyn flying solo this week while Bernard takes a break.

News:
Free Audio book sampler available from Griffiths:
Bolinda Audio books has a sampler CD out for 2010 and Robyn played an excerpt from "The Story of Danny Dunn" by Bryce Courtney

The Age Short Story Competition 2009
THIRTY stories were shortlisted for the Age short-story award. The winner was Louise D'Arcy (Flat Daddy); runner up, Joanne Riccioni (Can't take the Country out of the Boy); third place, Ryan O'Neill (The Chinese Lesson); commended, Mark Andrew (Sunday) and Robert Hollingworth (My Brother Bill).

Others on the shortlist were: P. S. Cottier (Noddy), Jennifer Down (The Telescope's Wife), Brad Emery (On Wings of Eagles), Elin-Maria Evangelista (The Teacher), Poppy Gee (The Fish Doctor), R. D. Harper (The Girl on the Web), Patrick Holland (The End of the Earth), Sue Hunter (Five Thousand Miles), Casey Jenkins (Founding a Mythical Principality), Jane Jervis-Read (The Rain over the Suburbs), Emma Kerin (Strike), Carmel Lillis (My People Shall be Your People), Susan McCreery (Angie's Sparkle), David Mence (Letters from Tehran), Paul Mitchell (Firerod), Cheryl Rogers (Making the Cut), Pauline Ryan (A Creative Career), Emma Schwarcz (Helen and Isabella), Gretchen Shirm (Breakfast Friends), Nick Smith (Everybody Wins on Kid Planet), J. Anne de Staic (The Weight of Blue), Gerald Thistleton (A Good Spring), Margaret Tyson (Witness Protection), Anne Vines (At the Windsor, 1942), Amy Weaver (Can I Come in, Mister Nicholson?). [Source: The Age].

Summer Read 2010
A Reminder to enter the State Library of Victoria's "Summer Read" competition and check out the "Summer read at Torquay" featuring Maura the Clairvoyant Librarian, resplendent in her surfie chick outfit, reading aloud from the banana lounge. What better way to enjoy this beach-side event, which also includes prizes and giveaways.

Time: Thursday 14 January 2010, 5:00PM - 7:00PM
Venue: Torquay Library, Surf City Plaza, Beach Road
Cost: Free
Bookings: 03 5272 6010 or annmaree.harper@geelonglibraries.vic.gov.au
Refreshments: Wine, cheese and nibbles
Melways: Melways reference: 505 KA

Firing the Canon
Robyn shared an Article by Lyn Gallacher from the Australian on Five Australian Classics.

Australian Poetry Slam
I was shocked that there were no heats in Geelong in 2009 for the Australian Poetry Slam competition run by the State Library of Victoria and have vowed to do something about it! Here's Geelong poet Marc Testart from the 2008 heats:


E-books and Digital Self Publishing - some news from the Australian here.

Review:
Martine Murray's "How to make a bird".
I was reminded of Alex Miller in the beautiful word pictures the author paints with her writing. She inhabits the mind of this young girl "Mannie", who catches an early morning train from Daylesford to Melbourne "on business". She makes intruiging observations about the people she meets, and has memories of her life with her family - her brother Eddie, her quiet country vet Father, and her French mother who suffers from a kind of manic depression, which makes life in the household a bit up and down. She reminisces about Harry, her first love, and has an internal dialogue between her "Mean self" and her true self. 4 out of 5 stars for this book.

Tunes:
"Pale Dress" the Audreys
"Juanita" Georgia Fair
"The True Story of What Was" Ani Di Franco
"Long Live the Girls" Sara Storer
"The Obvious Child" Paul Simon