Flash/Man's Head Exploding

Well I hope everyone has survived the heat. A few odds and ends for you to check out. Firstly, Flash, a UK journal has accepted one of my ghost poems… they like short short stories, up to 360 words. If it sounds like your kinda bag check it out here…

http://www.chester.ac.uk/flash.magazine/

I also did an interview about my forthcoming book The Ghost Poetry Project on ABC NT last night with Melanie Tait… I’ll post the link here soon.

Now my favourite pic at the moment is by super poet and artist, Miles Allinson. This is from the postcard work he does, titled Man’s Head Exploding…

Hope you liked my beach photos the other day. But the true photographer down here is Kirsten Jones. Check out these crazy-sick shots of Portland and stuff. I mean... unbelievable!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/huntingglee/sets/72157603869265704/

Finally, thanks to my friend Kat Cameron who read my poem, Those Adamant Shapes, recently at the local poetry group. Apparently what followed was an argument between group members about my lack of attendance. Does that means they liked the poem? Hmmm….

Literary Minded

Check out this link for an interview with Sean M Whelan and myself... by the incomparable Angela Meyer

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/literaryminded/2009/01/19/id-like-to-introduce-you-to-two-of-my-favourite-poets/

the book/the publisher... the relief

Just home from Sydney and my big news for 2009 is that The Ghost Poetry Project (working title) is being published later this year with Puncher & Wattman. That’s right, call it an exclusive. You heard it first here at Blog Eats Poet.

http://www.puncherandwattmann.com/

This is a big deal for me after terrifying myself at haunted sites and working so hard on the manuscript. David Musgrave and Greg McLaren are doing exciting stuff at P&W and I’m really happy to be with a publisher who values the importance of taking risks. So now I guess it’s time to organise a ‘reading tour’ for later on in the year. Some time from August. Full speed ahead.

While I was up in Sydney I also got to check out the first week of the Short and Sweet Play Festival at Newtown Theatre. My play Cable Car of Death was on among others by Tom Taylor and Bridgette Burton. A big thanks to the cast who did a great job: Lisa Fineberg as Kat, Matt Thomson as Ollie, Matt Zochling as Floyd and Johnny Cordukes as Harry Houdini. Check them out here.

http://kadmusarts.com/festivalphotos/images/82_CableCarofDeath014.jpg

Oh and i just finished devouring a book called The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Such a beautiful tale. LOVED it!

"When someone wants a sheep, it is proof that they exist."

"As if, instead of stars, I'd given you a string of little laughing bells..."

AND why not follow

http://www.timeoflight.blogspot.com/

written by poet Miles Allinson... 100 poems in 100 days... an experiment of the creative process... Miles is the true guerilla poet!

merry xmas

Merry Xmas you lot. Have a safe and happy one…

Well it’s been a big year for me. So many cool things have happened, not least my No Other Life But This getting a mention at Literary Minded as one of Angela Meyer’s top reads of 08. Crikey!

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/literaryminded/2008/12/21/literature-that-rocked-my-world-in-2008/

2009 will be kicking off with my Cable Car of Death on at the Short and Sweet Festival in Sydney. And I’ll have news on the launch date of The Ghost Poetry Project later in the new year.

oh and the new header picture is of the gaol gates on Norfolk Island... a fave of mine... think I'll keep it up for a while.

ciao for now & thanks for stopping by

the quiet faith of others

New pic in the header again. This one is from Old Adelaide Gaol. It's up there as the spookiest night of my life.

I’m just home from performing at the launch of harvest magazine, another beautiful issue from the mob at RMIT. This officially wraps up my gigs for the year… and what a year… I’m exhausted. Now it’s downhill to Xmas.

One of the nice things about launches is the people you run in to. Can’t name them all here but you know who you are, you Melbourne lit lovers and wonders. And it was a lovely surprise to finally meet Fiona Wright from Sydney. Catch you next time in Newtown!

But the biggest surprise was meeting Clare Renner who is managing the RMIT creative writing course these days. Clare was one of my first teachers back in 2001(?) when I seriously set out to learn more about writing. I still remember her playing us Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart on cassette. She’s been a real believer in me from the start… and the quiet faith of others has been so important over the years.

Getting reflective at the end of the year ain’t I!

Now I’ve managed to score a studio space down here for launching in to a new play over December and January. And trying to get my head in order for a big 2009. Coming up later, an interview I've done with Angela Meyer (that young powerhouse) http://blogs.crikey.com.au/literaryminded/

and more news on The Ghost Poetry Project soon.

girly socks

Well as you can see I’m still mucking around with a new pic for my header. This one is from the Dining Hall of the Quarantine Station in Sydney. There are numerous ghost stories attached to it… including accounts of smells, like fresh roasting potatoes, or the little girl who appears in the kitchen downstairs with plaits and bubonic plague.

Now big thanks to Going Down Swinging who commissioned our spoken word show Static. Our last performance up in Bendigo was a blast. Met some lovely people including Tru Dowling and heard from local poets… Spring is a slut… won’t be forgetting that line for a while.

After that we retreated to our hotel room to eat pizza and watch Revenge of the Nerds. Alicia and Sean finally confronted me with the fact that I wear girly socks (a real breakthrough moment for us) then we laughed, drank, oh how we laughed some more, and then I crashed out first. The following morning was spent in the spa.

Ah, life on the road.

Desperate to get into the studio now to record the Static show. Hopefully you want to hear it…

And don’t forget the launch of GDS No. 27 at Northcote Social Club, 3rd December, 7.30pm. I’ve been lucky enough to have a squiz at it already and they say the spoken word cd is a knockout this year. http://www.goingdownswinging.org.au/

On Friday, 5th of December I’ll be up in Melbourne for the launch of the new and exciting, harvest magazine. 6pm to 9pm at the Order of Melbourne on Swanston Street. I'll be reading with superstar Geoff Lemon and major bud of mine, Paul Mitchell. http://harvestmagazine.wordpress.com/

And I’m fine with girly socks. I try to wear em like a man.

typewriter walks

Big thanks to my friend, Leah, for letting me know about the results of the Bruce Dawe Poetry Prize. I came in with a High Commendation for my poem The Last Day, one inspired by Kevin Hart. Turns out that John Kinsella picked up the first prize and you can go and read it here...http://www.usq.edu.au/arts/community/poetryprize/2008.htm

In other news it looks like Static, commissioned by Going Down Swinging, is back on the road again: three spoken word performers, one musician – absolutely no interference.

A lion with the face of actor Harvey Kietel; a fist-fight with Paul Davies at the football; and what the Bible has to say about aliens. Come and buy the Universe a beer...

Alicia Sometimes, Sean M Whelan, Quinn Stacpoole and myself are performing in Bendigo on Friday, Nov 28th. 7.30 pm. Under the Grandstand at the Queen Elizabeth Oval, View St.

$8 supper, lucky door, books/cd’s available
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL
More info: Tru Dowling 5441 1424
Or Sheree 5442 3634

And don’t forget the launch of GDS No. 27 at Northcote Social Club, 3rd December, 7.30pm. It’s a bonfire night of words & performance. http://www.goingdownswinging.org.au/

Now I’ll be up in Melbourne for the launch of the new and exciting, harvest magazine. Friday, 5th December 6pm to 9pm at the Order of Melbourne on Swanston Street. I'll be reading with superstar Geoff Lemon and major bud of mine, Paul Mitchell. http://harvestmagazine.wordpress.com/

Also please check out the blog of my newest friends, Bean. An artist from Dartmoor UK, she has travelled to Dartmoor AUS for a 10 week residency. Check out pics of her ‘typewriter walks’ and showreel here. http://www.dartmoor-residency.blogspot.com/ Go Bean!

Still waiting on photos for you from a couple of my recent plays… but I hear that a Mystery in a Blimp t-shirt is coming to me from the Benalla production. Merchandise!!!