Saturday, December 16, 2006

Book Magazine Book






Was fortunate enough recently to have the first issue of Book Magazine Book handed along to me. BMB is a fascinating art project, a book that is collectively created by handing the book along to somebody of your choice once you've made a contribution to it.
Each book is themed but it's entirely up to the individual what you place in it.
Previous contributors to me were Ladycracker and EZB. I've handballed it to the more than capable Klare Lanson.
Fifty Two of these books are being sent out over the next year.
Who knows where they'll end up?
Here's some pics of my contributions to the book, plus a higher res image of one of the visual poems I placed in it.
If you want to be a part of this project then check the website.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Launch of Going Down Swinging #24


Although my name isn't on the flyer (yeah, thanks Steve) I will be appearing as DJ Price Check (my new DJ name) at the fabulous event that is the launch of the brand new issue of Going Down Swinging , issue #24. I also have a poem appearing in this edition - 100 Random Cows.
You want any more reasons to attend?
How about a specially commissioned performance by Klare Lanson! Yeah, that's right.
I don't think you need any more reason than that.
So, I'll see you there.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Seven Dead Astronauts, Seven New Stars - the play!

Okay it's time to dust of this blog and get it started again. And what better way to do that than to announce a brand new writing venture of mine. Theatre!
Short and Sweet is an open invitiation writing competition based around 10 minute plays. It's held in both Sydney and Melbourne.
This year I decided to adapt one of my poems and create a ten minute play from it. The process was much more difficult than I thought. But I was lucky enough to have my adaptation of the poem 'Seven Dead Astronauts, Seven New Stars' accepted.
The play is being performed Saturday 16th Dec at the Fairfax Theatre within the Arts Centre at 2pm. On the program will be nine other ten minute plays. So you get a lot of bite size theatre for your buck.
If you'd like to come along, my advice is to book as I'm advised it will probably sell it.
I've been very lucky to work with fantastic director called Alix Stirling. She has brought such amazing energy to the script and wasn't afraid of having to deal with seven dead astronauts on stage. And the cast have been fantastic too, including my own housemate Stefanie Robinson who randomly landed a part in my play! I can't wait to see them in action.
It's been quite amazing for me, having never written for actors before, to watch these characters I created come to life.
If you do come along, then please vote for our play too! If you like it, that is, of course.


Thursday, September 28, 2006

LCUK: Falling In and Out of Luck



Hello all, I'm very excited to announce that this Sunday my brand new show written with The Mime Set is debuting at Bar Open as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
We're doing three dates during the festival, Sunday 1st, 8th and 15th. 10pm start and every show is absolutely free!
Be great to see you there.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

La Mama poetica - 3 generations of poets. The doco!

Last year I participated in a very special event at La Mama theatre celebrating 3 generations of poets. The whole evening was filmed and cut together by the ultra talented Klare Lanson and is now to be publically screened for the very first time at Loop Bar, Meyers Place, City, on Monday 18th Sept.
Below is Anthony O'Sullivans description of the night which he will be hosting.

This monday, the 18th of Sept, brings with it a fantastic

opportunity to see the premiere screening of a fine piece of Melbourne
poetry history.
Most of you are aware of the massive input and importance of the
long-running, highly respected La Mama Poetica, which has been running
since 1989, and has existed as a poetry venue in some form since the
mid 60's. And if you're not... are you lost?
Anyway, the people behind said La Mama, as part of the recent
Melbourne International Arts Festival, put together a gorgeous cast of
some of the biggest, brightest, most "good God, they're grand" poets
our dashing literary town has to offer. Under the title "La Mama
Poetica - 3 generations of poets", the night featured Sean M Whelan,
Angela Costi, Steve Smart, Klare Lanson, Jez PA Speelman, Alicia
sometimes, Jennifer Harrison and the sadly missed, wonderfully gifted
Lisa Bellear. Amazing cast? Brilliant!
Even better, valued reader, talented visual artist, poet and all
round champion, Klare Lanson captured the evening on a camera-doo-
hickey, and in conjunction with Borderline Productions, has produced a
doco for us all to enjoy. Double Brilliant!
And now to monday night. I, meaning me, Anthony O'Sullivan,
invite you all to sit a spell at Loop Bar, Meyers place in the CBD and
witness the first ever airing of Klare's fine film. Hosted by me (oh,
stop, I'm blushing), with a talk by one of the brains behind La Mama
and that very special night, Jeltje, and introduction by the one and
only (I've checked) Klare Lanson, this will be glorious! And all this,
fine young animals, for the laughable pitance off $5!!! It starts @
7:30, and we will be on time!!! Come, bring friends, bring your
eyeballs, see what vibrancy in art is all about!

Monday, September 11, 2006

Performing at Voiceworks launch this Thursday




This Thursday night at Trades Hall I'll be doing a short spoken word set in support of the launch for Voiceworks magazine - The Superfunhappy issue!
This is my buddy Tom Doig's last issue as editor and should be a wild, wild night. There's plenty of stuff to entertain, so come on down!
Cnr of Victoria and Lygon Street.
Starts 7:30pm.
$5/$8 with magazine.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Death to Your Dreams comes to Geelong!



As part of the launch celebrations for the new issue of Going Down Swinging I'll be performing with The Mime Set in Geelong on Thurs night. A bitchin' lineup it is too because joining me will be world famous poet Pio and the amazing Klare Lanson. As well as local Geelong poets and the usual GDS mayhem. Check tha' details down below.



This Thursday, the GDS launch bandwagon rolls over the Westgate for a big springtime gig across the bay, as part of National Poetry Week! Ahh, Geelong - where rock'n'roll and poetry meet, shake hands, and do something lewd behind the sea wall ... Where is it? Why, it's at the Limelight Lounge, 155 Moorabool Street, Geelong! When is it? Well, its from 7.30pm on Thursday, 7th September, that's when! Who is on? SO Glad you asked! We have a sultry and salty lineup of poets and music for you on the night, with: + Sean Whelan and the mime set, with their poetry/music show 'Death to Your Dreams' + Australia's techno-poet Klare Lanson + The [In]famous TT-O + Jess Dunn & Matiss Schubert + Brendan Ryan How much will it cost me? Why, a mere $5 will get you through the doors, whilst $10 will furnish you with a copy of GDS #23 book+CD as you pass! We hope to see you there, to help us swing into springtime in true GDS style!

Monday, September 04, 2006

This Wed Sept 6th it's Babble time!



This Wed night Babble returns with a very special guest I met in Brisbane at the Queensland Poetry Festival, the lovely Hinemoana Baker. Hinemoana completely dazzled the punters in Brisbane and she will dazzle you too if you get along. Also appearing are an incredible duo I first saw perform at Glitch called Twilight Mockery. And special guest DJ KLare Lanson! Yeah! What more do you want? Oh, you want a 'Celebrity' themed open mic too? Okay, you got it. Hosted by, as always, yours truly.

Queensland Poetry Festival - a triumph!

What can I say? Brisbane was an absolute blast. I loved the Queensland Poetry Festival from start to finish.
I was lucky enough to meet some fantastic individuals. If i was ever in the habit of sending Xmas cards, (which I ain't), but if I did, I would surely be sending them this year to the following people whom I met for the first time at QPF. Mandy Beaumont, Jules Beveridge, Graham Nunn, Marc Smith, Emily XYZ, Myers Bartlett, Hinemoana Baker, Peter Minter, Marc Kelly Smith, Andy White and many more! They're just the participants too, i met some amazing punters at all the gigs too. As well as hanging out with some of my Melbourne buddies in the form of alicia sometimes, Amelia Walker, Ian McBryde and my roomie for the weekend Grant Caldwell.
I never attended a writers festival which was run as smoothly and professionally as this one was. Great facilities too at the Judith Wright Centre where most of the gigs were held.
All my gigs went swimmingly well. My first night in Brisbane I co-hosted a slam with David 'Ghostboy' Stavenger and with the Slampapi himself, Marc Kelly Smith from Chicago, the founder of Slam Poetry! We had a huge crowd that night and the whole room was totally into it.
And everything just got better from there.
My hat is off to everybody involved and to the punters of Brisbane who came out to support it.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Queensland Poetry Festival



This Wednesday I leave for Brisbane for the Queensland Poetry Festival! I'm really excited about this event. I have several readings, one panel and on the night I arrive I'm co-hosting a slam with Brisbane's very own Ghostboy. If you're in the Brisbane area and feel like checking out some of the festival go here and have a look at the program online. The poster above is only for one of the many events happening over the week. Brisbane here I come!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Death To Your Dreams at the Overload Poetry Festival.

Just a quick note to say that as a part of the Overload Poetry Festival, I'll be performing with The Mime Set at Dante's this Friday night August 18, 150 Gertrude Street (cnr Napier Street), Fitzroy. It's an early show, show starts at 8 and will be all done by 10, so you can still go out and do whatever it is you normally do on a Friday night. And it's only $6 to get in. Would love to see you there. SMW.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

I heart Manchester Lane







Here's my long overdue post on my last gig with the Mime Set at the lush setting of Manchester Lane. The gig went exceptionally well and I'd like to take a moment to thank anybody reading this who happened to be there on the night for coming along to support us. It was a great crowd. I felt so blessed to share a stage with five incredibly talented musicians such as Andrew Watson, Sam Wareing, Chris Chapple, Justin Avery and Jon Shannon. It was the third time we've performed the show and definitely the best we've performed so far. I also felt confident this time that I wasn't going to forget any of my poetry! This allowed me to take my time and enjoy the gig a lot more too. (I even added some terrible dance moves at no extra charge.)

Thursday, July 20, 2006

monkey punch dinosaur!


for my latest online publishing credit visit here.
it's not really poetry.
or is it?


* after i posted this entry it was brought to my attention by my good friend Michael Nolan that without a little bit of background my comic strip did not really make a lot of sense. This is true. Not that all things need to make sense but for the sake of... something or other, i will give you a bit of background anyway. My good friend Adam Ford decided one day recently to create a blog that only contains pictures of monkeys punching dinosaurs. Why? Because this is the sort of thing that Adam Ford does. Bless him. The blog has the rather cryptic title of Monkey Punch Dinosaur and relys on contributions from people. For the sake of... i don't know... (science maybe?) I decided to contribute a little comic strip based around... you guessed it... a monkey punching a dinosaur. My strip is loosely based around the Socceroos losing to Italy in the recent World Cup.
Hope that clears some things up for you, including that nasty rash.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Death To Your Dreams @ Manchester Lane tonight!!



pic by Chris Amor

Yep, tonight is the big night that myself and the mime set present Death to Your Dreams for only the third time and for the first time at the lush jazz den that is Manchester Lane. This may be the last time the show is performed in its current incarnation as we hope to write all new material for our three Fringe Festival shows booked for October. So it would be great to see you there.
Doors open 8:30. Supported by Oliver Mann. We're on stage around 10.

Friday, July 14, 2006

poetry super Sunday! i heart Triple R



This Sunday I have two big gigs in the lead up to my gig at Manchester Lane on Wednesday night. Firstly I'll be doing a live-to-air on Triple R on Sunday night the 16th August around 7pm. This will be on Jonathan Alley's program called Under The Sun. I'll be performing with the mime set and we'll be doing two tracks from our show Death To Your Dreams as well as a short interview. So if you'd like a sneak preview of what to expect from the show on Wednesday night then please tune in to 102.7 FM on Sunday night around 7pm, if you're not near a radio, it's also streamed live on the internet! And I can never mention Triple R without mentioning the program Aural Text, the greatest supporters of spoken word in Melbourne, hosted by the spunkalicious duo of alicia sometimes and Steve Grimwade.
Then after my live-to-air on Triple R, I'll be shooting over to Glitch Bar and Cinema, 318 St Georges Rd, Nth Fitzroy to do a spoken word performance with the immensely talented Klare Lanson assisting with visuals. Also performing on that bill is Twilight Mockery and Wind Up Toys and it's only 5 bucks to get in! Doors open 8:30pm.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Death To Your Dreams Returns!





I'm very pleased to let you all know that after two very successful performances at Bar Open in 2005 and then The Spanish Club for the Emerging Writer's Festival this year, Death To Your Dreams is returning next week to be performed at Manchester Lane in the city. For those that came in late DTYD is a collaboration between myself and a very sexy rock band called The Mime Set. We have booked new shows coming up in the Fringe Festival, so this may be the last time we perform this show in its current incarnation. For more info on the show including MP3's etc, check the info below.
It would make me so happy to see you there.

warm regards

sean m whelan



Death To Your Dreams press release
Conceived by Melbourne poet Sean M Whelan and emotive rock band the mime set during a residency at The Builder's Arms in April last year, Death To Your Dreams was written to be an integrated show, rather than readings with music, where the music and texts were improvised together in the rehearsal room or carefully tailored to fit strong existing works. With clear correspondences between Sean M. Whelan's surreal romantic poetry and the mime set's textured, emotional music, the waking dream of unrequited love is explored in Death To Your Dreams, melding landscapes, lyrics and imagery to the words of one of Melbourne's finest poets. With support from startling bass voice Oliver Mann, Death To Your Dreams comes to the lush surrounds of city jazz den Manchester Lane on Wednesday July 19. Doors open 8.30pm and tickets are just $10 from the door.
Prior to the show, Death To Your Dreams plays a RRR live-to-air on Jonathan Alley's show Under The Sun on Sunday 16th after 6pm.
Two tracks will be played live to air on 3RRR's Under The Sun (102.7FM or streaming online at www.rrr.org.au along with an interview on Sunday the 16th of July around 6:30pm.
"...and lastly, the most perfect merging of spoken word and rock music I've ever seen: the pairing of poet and writer Sean Whelan with The Mime Set. Imagine a musical cross between Mogwai and The Dirty Three, with the addition of a female vocalist, and Sean's whimsical, sorrowful, heartfelt and inspired spoken word, and you'll have some idea of just how much I was enthralled...." - Richard Watts (3RRR)

On the night of the Manchester Lane performance a VERY limited CD of last year's Melbourne Fringe Festival performance will be available.
One track from this CD, Tattooing The Surface Of The Moon can be listened to at www.myspace.com/deathtoyourdreams
Tell your friends & come down on the 19th for what should be a memorable night.

DEATH TO YOUR DREAMS

Friday, July 07, 2006

MC BABBLE RETURNS!!


















Earlier this year a special edition of Babble was held that celebrated the poetic art of the 'MC' in hip-hop culture. Both local and interstate MC's were invited to kick their styles on the Babble stage. The night was such a staggering success that it was only a matter of time before it was put on again and that time approaches now!
As part of the Overload Poetry Festival MC Babble returns, showcasing the talents of Macromantics, Heptune, Ivens, Julez, iTHINK MCs, Crixus, Osinaka and many more! Come check it out.

MC BABBLE - OVERLOAD POETRY FESTIVAL EDITION
WEDNESDAY 9TH AUGUST
BAR OPEN - 317 BRUNSWICK STREET, FITZROY


Sunday, July 02, 2006

Going Down Swinging #23 out now!!

a

The new issue of Going Down Swinging was launched last week at Yelza. I meant to plug the launch beforehand but forget, so instead I'll just plug the book itself now. GDS collects together the most exciting writing and spoken word from all across the country and have been doing so for quite some time now. I have a track on the CD this year, my spoken word tribute to American singer songwriter Elliot Smith. Also on the CD and in the book are amazingly talented individuals such as Klare Lanson, David Prater, Emilie Zoey Baker, Jane Ormond, Andy Jackson, Paul Mitchell and Grant Caldwell, to name but a few. This also marks the last issue for editor and spoken word superstar, alicia sometimes. I think you would find GDS at most independent bookstores and if you can't, I know for sure that Collector's Corner at 240 Swanston St, Melbourne definitely have it.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Rucker's Hill

cola war

cola war
or
I love pepsi, I really love pepsi, no seriously, I really do

I was drinking pepsi,
he was drinking coke,
he told me coke was the real thing,
I told him that’s a lie,
I broke my skateboard over his head,
and later on in hospital, he died…
now I say,
if they want to call it a war,
then let the war be fought in earnest.

© 1999.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Curious Boy

I’m a curious boy.
I’ve always been told.
I like doing things, just to see what will happen.
Lately I’ve been standing on the nature strip outside my house a lot.
I like looking at my house from the outside and wondering about what sort of person would live there.
When I get bored of staring at my house, I walk a couple of metres to the right and I stare at my neighbour’s house. Sometimes I take a video camera with me. Just in case something happens. Like if a fire broke out, or if a small passenger plane crashed into the roof. I would be there to get it on film
You can sell vision like that to television stations, and make a lot of money.
Nothing has happened yet.
I got quite excited once when I saw smoke coming out of the window of my neighbour’s kitchen.
Turned out it was just his toast burning.
I filmed it anyway, in case it escalated into something more serious.
I sent the tape to Australia’s Funniest Home Videos.
They sent it back with a note saying “Not funny enough.”
So I sent them back a note saying “Yeah, well I guess you had to be there.”

My neighbour is a crazy old bastard called CW Muttonchops. He doesn’t like me standing out the front of his house much. Lately he has taken to throwing potatoes at me from his front porch. Always potatoes.
I take them home with me and make them into chips. I’m getting a bit sick of eating chips now and I wish he would throw something else.
He hasn’t always throw things at me.
When I first moved into the area I went from door to door to introduce myself. CW Muttonchops was the only one who let me beyond the security door.
I asked him what he did for a living.
He told me “I’m a Nazi Hunter.”
A week later he accused me of being a Nazi War Criminal.
I said on what evidence?
He pointed to my Volkswagen Bug parked in my driveway. And he said the Nazi Empire was built on the production of Volkswagens.
I told him that was true… but I wasn’t there at the time.
He didn’t seem convinced.
The potato throwing started soon after.

Last week I was standing on the nature strip again.
I had previously found an old hair dryer in CW Muttonchops garbage bin.
I had the idea of standing on the nature strip and pointing the hair dryer like a speed camera at passing traffic.
Just to see what would happen.
Six out of ten cars slowed down dramatically. I thought I could really lower the accident rate on my street by doing this.
Yesterday while I was pointing the hair dryer at traffic a black BMW slowed down and then pulled up to the curb.
I was ready to make a run for it when a Buddhist monk stepped out from the back seat. He was wearing orange perfumed robes and a shaved head.
I relaxed when I saw the monk, but then I remembered that some monks know Kung Fu… so I was still a little on my guard.
He put his hand on my arm. His skin felt warm and tender.
He said to me “Are you seeking happiness or pleasure?”
I said “happiness.” I couldn’t remember what pleasure was like, but I remembered what it was like to be happy.
He smiled at this response and from beneath his robes he produced a glass jar full of scrabble letters.
He told me that whenever I wanted to be happy I was to think of a word that brought happiness to me and then I was to find the letters in this jar that spelt that word and then I was to place it somewhere in my house where I would see it often.
It was the nicest thing anyone has ever given me.
I’m sitting at my kitchen table right now, and I’m looking at the four plastic scrabble letters spread out before me.
They are H-O-M-E.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

a reading in Castlemaine

Hey there folks. I'll be giving a reading this Sunday the 18th June in the picturesque surroundings of Castlemaine. The Poets Castle (The Albion Hotel - Wesley Hill) 3pm - 5pm. I believe it's a gold coin donation entry. If you're in the countryhood, please drop by and say hello!

Friday, May 19, 2006

glam




the last time they collided
she formed a rock band out of her fingers
and went on a grueling four hour tour across his body
coast to coast
and toes to nose
she drew stars on his chest with her eyeliner pen
and painted planets across his stomach with her lipgloss
by the time she left
all the stars and painted planets
had melted and morphed into comets
and for days afterwards he kept discovering
splinters of glitter
upon his lips

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Death to Your Dreams Returns!






The show I performed last year with the mime set at the Melbourne Fringe Festival is being performed again on Saturday 8th April. Death to Your Dreams was my first attempt at collaborating with a band to put on a full length show and I was very proud of what we achieved. So I'm very pleased to get the opportunity to put it on again.
Death To Your Dreams explores the waking dream of love with spoken word, music and visuals.
The show is being presented as part of the Emerging Writer's Festival, a fantastic event spanning three days from April 7 - 9th.
We'll be performing on the Saturday night at the Spanish Club, 59-61 Johnston St, Fitzroy as part of an event called Scrabble - the best in wordplay. It's a fantastic lineup of artists which also includes Joelistics (TZU), Grand Salvo, Tom Keily - Australian Team Poetry Slam Champion, Little G, Ben Pobje, Justin Heazlewood plus the launch of Voiceworks #64 Outskirts!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

one day

One day I’ll learn how to breathe underwater

and plunging to the bottom of the bay won’t be such a problem

and I’ll linger down there,

because it’s dark and simple,

just like me.

And I’ll shake the hands of murdered drug dealers with bad judgment and cement feet

and their water logged smiles will tell me that they know something I don’t,

that maybe being dead is funny

and then I’ll know

that if being dead is funny,

then being alive

must be fucking hilarious.

Performing live at Federation Square on ABC Radio



This Sunday morning, 26 March, from 11:30 to 12 I'll be performing live on ABC radio 774 in Federation Square on the Sunday Show hosted by Helen Razer. I'll be participating in a poetry slam head to head with Ben Pobjie. Ben has performed at Babble quite a few times and happens to be very good. The broadcast is part of the Commonwealth Games program and is the ABC's attempt at providing some alternative 'games' to the other games. If you're in the city Sunday morning look out for the mobile broadcast unit on the upper plaza level of Federation Square called the G-Spot. Or if you're still in bed at 11:30 on Sunday morning you can simply tune the clock radio to 774am and listen along from the comfort of your own bed. If you're not from Melbourne you can also stream it live on the internet at http://abc.net.au/melbourne

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Lou Barlow at Northcote Social Club





pics by sean m whelan

Saw Lou Barlow perform at Northcote Social Club on Thursday night.
Lou has been something of a indie rock god to me ever since the release of Sebadoh's Bakesale in 1994. Bakesale is one of those albums that i return so fondly to over and over again. A time machine that doesn't bite back.
When Sebadoh toured Australia on the back of that album I was witness to what was not only one of the worst gigs I've ever seen, it was also one of the best.
Lou was acting strangely all night. He kept stopping songs halfway through and appeared to be arguing with the other band members. At one point he broke his guitar somehow and it eventually culminated with him walking off stage in a temper. The gig was over, the lights were up and the house music was turned on when suddenly Lou returned to the stage alone with guitar in hand. He then proceeded to apologise profusely for his antics and followed up by playing the most hearbreakingly beautiful acoustic set for the next hour and a half! All my favourite Sebadoh songs, it was truly stunning.
Funnily enough he mentioned this infamous gig on stage, he joked about turning on the radio the next day and hearing a Melbourne DJ talk about what a 'jerk' Lou Barlow is!
This was one of many warm and quite funny anecdotes during the evening, nice punctuation to a great set of mostly current material embellished by guitar loops and occasional use of an Eno'ish sounding synthesizer.
He didn't let me down too by breaking out a few Sebadoh songs including possibly my favourite, 'Skull'.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Trying to Write

Writing a poem about writing poetry,
Is like a snake trying to bite its own arse.
Oh.
I just ate my own arse.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Go! Team live at the Prince of Wales!





pics by sean m whelan

It doesn't get much better than this. The Go! Team played last Tuesday night at the Prince of Wales and they blew the roof off! When they came out to Australia for the first time last year and played at the Corner Hotel, I thought they were amazing but this time they were even better. Such incredible energy from the band and a devoted crowd made it a very special evening indeed. Gig of the year, so far!

Monday, January 30, 2006

aliciasometimes.dot.hellyeah


One of the most amazing poets in the universe, alicia sometimes, finally has her own website. Here she is pictured above rowing down the Yarra one gorgeous afternoon, with another one of Melbourne's finest Klare Lanson enjoying the ride. Notice the t-shirt? I think they're available to buy at the website. I wonder what that word is concealed beneath her hand? Does is start with F? Just go to the website already! And discover the wonderful world of the wonderful alicia sometimes.
www.aliciasometimes.com

Monday, January 09, 2006

MC Babble this Wed night!


Babble & Awakenings proudly present!
MC BABBLE
A night of spoken-word, a-cappella & beat box performance by hip-hop
artists featuring Macromantics(Syd), Raceles (Curse Ov Dialect), Elf
Tranzporter & Izzy(Combat Wombat) The Purple Duck, Julez &
Ivens(Awakenings Crew), Litigate, Discourse, Pisces, Requiem and many
more... Live sets from: Ivens & Macromantics(Syd) plus DJ Bizzly
Graddums...
Wednesday 11th
January
Bar Open, 317 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

$5 entry.
8:30 pm start.

This will be a fantastic show!


Monday, January 02, 2006

teardrops in the garden



Here's another view of the studio at Varuna through the garden.
After a heavy rain storm I came out to see big round drops of rain clinging to the leaf of a plant like tears on the cheeks of a silent film starlet.
The weather is so passionate in the Blue Mountains. From deep fog, to bursting rays of sunshine to lush tropical-like rain fall.

The Studio in the Garden



This is the studio in the garden of Varuna where I spent most of my time. It was set a little way from the house which suited me fine. My bedroom however was in the main house where I would try and quietly tiptoe into late at night when I was finished writing or watching Deadwood on my computer or I was done staring at my screen for the second straight hour. The strange thing about the studio was there was no blind in the window so late at night I would just be staring out into the darkness of the garden. They had a sensor security light installed on the house which would light up when approaching the main house. But sometimes in the middle of the night the light would go on for no good reason leading my fervent imagination to visions of intruders in the garden!

Varuna House



So here's Varuna, The Writer's House nestled in the hills of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. It's an incredibly gorgeous place where I was lucky enough to spend three weeks in November working on my writing courtesy of a fellowship I applied for. The house used to belong to Australian writer Eleanor Dark (1901-1985) and was given as a gift for the use of Australian writers by her son Michael Dark in honour of his parents. It's like a monastery for writers where you are never disturbed and left completely alone to write as much as you can, or to think about writing as much as you like, I was to discover that it's all part of the process.