I left it a bit late to see Baldessin / Whiteley Parallel Visions at the National Gallery of Victoria but I made it at the last minute and was pleasantly surprised. I won't go into a huge amount of detail about every work. Nor will I deliver much on the background of George Baldessin or … Continue reading Review: Compare the pear
Writing
Review relief
Last year (2018) was personally and professionally challenging in a variety of un-fun ways. The things I expected to be doing I didn't get to do, while other things happened that I never imagined would. Then again, in terms of creative writing, I believe I produced some of my best flash fiction so far, however, … Continue reading Review relief
Refinding my words
One of my friends asked me towards the end of last year to find my words, if I could, and use them for solace, and sense and wonder. It turns out I couldn't and for that I'm sorry. Amongst other things, I am full of other people's words and stories and books and ideas. They … Continue reading Refinding my words
Doctor Who: End Times
Hey there. These are my considered thoughts for the New Year's episode of Doctor Who, Resolution and some comments on the entire series. The emotional arc featuring the resolution between father and son was satisfying in an unexpectedly welcome way. I almost wish there was more to it than Graeme's clever and sensitive chats. In … Continue reading Doctor Who: End Times
Challenge detected
Ages ago I signed up for a local library writing group run by Sian Prior (author of Shy). Since it was over subscribed I consistently missed each meeting, except the last one, which I did attend. It turns out this writing group delivered nothing I hadn't already heard, however some of the resources and handouts … Continue reading Challenge detected
Doctor Who: So that was that
Soon after watching The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos I found out that apart from the New Year's Day episode this is it until 2020. I've been think about what I could say about this episode and I've arrived at: emotional arcs are well and good, and so contention between Ryan and Graham has to … Continue reading Doctor Who: So that was that
What the hell am I doing here
A few months a discussion in a University of Iowa writing MOOC caught my attention. I didn’t contribute, because I was late to the exchange, and anyway, I felt a bit like an anthropologist, observing people around the world express their ideas about what they were learning. This particular discussion was about how cultures might … Continue reading What the hell am I doing here
Doctor Who: Familiar Universes
I drew three conclusions about the Doctor Who episode It Takes You Away. To me the themes were obvious, but satisfying amid the classic Who scares, Doctory-mythos talk, a fairy tale turned reality, and a Scandi-noir story that turned into something else. But to the conclusions, first:) Mother Rite The very first thing I thought … Continue reading Doctor Who: Familiar Universes
Review: Bohemian like Freddie
Radio waves are being saturated. Everywhere I go, Queen anthems are thumping out. This is not a negative. The first CDs I bought were by Queen. I think. It was awhile ago. But there is commerce at play. Bohemian Rhapsody is in the cinemas and the music is the tie in. I wasn't going to … Continue reading Review: Bohemian like Freddie
Doctor Who: going organic
Doctor Who's Kerblam, or it's title for writers: how to do contemporary issues in an SF setting, while throwing off your audience before they reach obvious conclusions. Others have written fairly comprehensively on how the plot reflects contemporary labour and employment practices and noted the call backs to earlier iterations of The Doctor, of course … Continue reading Doctor Who: going organic
Writing Bec 