What with my new HEMA past time, I want to love Knightfall, but so far (after two episodes), it's more like curious skepticism. I will keep watching...it's just, well. Let's get medieval on this. On the side of the Angels: Yes to sets and landscapes. Yes to castle keeps and cathedrals. Yes to swords. Yes … Continue reading Review: Knightfall
Thanking you, and you, and you
Yesterday I was complimented and I got upset. It's not that the compliment was false or ill-timed (it wasn't). But I suspect when you hear positive things praised and they don't align exactly to your own (often mistaken) inner beliefs about yourself then your internal critic is put offside. Inner critics loathe being wrong. The … Continue reading Thanking you, and you, and you
Review: Bewildering and bewonderment
I finally watched 2016's Hunt for the Wilderpeople last night. It was written and directed by Taika Waititi, whose screenplay was based on Barry Crump's novel Wild Pork and Watercress. Oh, it's a sweet film. Funny, astute, sad, and serious without schmaltz. Casting was superb with Sam Neill as Hec and Julian Dennison as Ricky Baker … Continue reading Review: Bewildering and bewonderment
A course in uncommonplaces
I signed up for Catherine Ann Jones' Way of Story online course. Partly as a pick-me-up because the writing for the last few months has been absent except for posts here, and seemingly endless job applications. If you haven't heard of Catherine Ann Jones', don't worry, I hadn't either. Turns out she is an actor/playwright/writing … Continue reading A course in uncommonplaces
Of old books & cultural synthesis
Wednesday night I attended a lecture at the State Library of Victoria by Professor Michelle P Brown, entitled Art of the Islands, Celtic, Pictish, Anglo-Saxon and Viking Visual Culture, c. 450-1050, based on her book of the same name. The evening was sponsored by Monash University Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Professor Brown is also … Continue reading Of old books & cultural synthesis
A palpable hit
Last night I had my very first German Longsword class, with Fechtschule Victoria. It was two hours of tentatively and ever so gently prodding at sparring partners in a primary school gym. Until we got more comfortable handling very real, very steel, practice swords. Slowly it became easier to tap my sparring partners on their … Continue reading A palpable hit
Over the edge of the world
Farewell and vale Ursula Le Guin. Thank you for going down a left-handed path, and showing the likes of me a way. Even if I am late, and lost, and have not yet tapped all the stories stored in the container of my imagination. Thus, I am reading, again, your essay "The Carrier Bag Theory … Continue reading Over the edge of the world
Writing the dark side
In a writing group a member explained she had been criticised by a teacher for creative writing which featured a bleak theme. She was told no one reads dark stories. This is clearly wrong. I think her teacher meant "I don't read bleak stories." Of course our group came up with examples that contradicted her … Continue reading Writing the dark side
UnReview: Triennial
I've visited the National Gallery of Victoria's Triennial twice now and I can firmly say I've not experienced everything. There is so much to see some art is skipped, but on the other hand, the scale of many works means that much is simply unmissable. So yes, reclining Buddha, check. Giant skulls filling a gallery, … Continue reading UnReview: Triennial
Review: Aboria
A week ago I had never heard of it, but that's how Melbourne and my social media feeds work these days. Huge art installations appear for a month in Federation Square and we flock to them like moths to glowing bulbs, while they loom in the city-scape like dawn hot air balloons over the inner … Continue reading Review: Aboria
Writing Bec 