Monday, February 28, 2011

Take a look at this! Can we believe it?



After our record breaking HOT summer, I don't know whether this would still be true!

Apologies for Silence


My apologies - I've been off the air for a number of days while away, staying at Karri Valley Resort out of Pemberton in the South West of Western Australia. It was a throw back in time: no Internet access! No mobile phone access! Not even pigeon post ... No television either, but that's by the by.

We did have a million trees and soaring temperatures. Saturday, we went on a little train trip through the forest and Sunday walked the famous Tree Tops Walk in a Tinglewood forest in Walpole among trees 400 years old and a few older. They were massive! And we were walking about seven eights of their height - my wife was a little nervous cos the walkway was swaying but it was all very safe. In fact, the engineering was a point of amazement - I would have liked to see it being built! Maybe the WA tourism bureau has a doco on DVD ... Anyway, lots of photos of lots of trees - so I shall select a few and post them here for your amusement.

The weekend was spent there to celebrate June Carey's 75th birthday - so happy birthday once again, June. We had a wonderful dinner at the Karri Valley Restaurant to celebrate her birthday. Once again I finished the evening off with sticky date pudding - I'm so bloody predictable

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Southerly India issue Teaser



The next issue of Southerly, our much anticipated India-Australia issue, is due in March. But we hate to keep you waiting any longer, so we have for you a Long Paddock teaser! Part of the Long Paddock, our free online component, is going up today to give you a taste of the fabulous bumper issue to come. We have stories, poems, reviews and essays – and that’s just for starters! More content will go up when the issue comes out. So check out the Long Paddock at http://southerlyjournal.com.au/long-paddock/70-3-india/, and let us know what you think!

Cheers,

Tessa

Monday, February 21, 2011

Howard Levy (Chicago) headlines this week at The Ellington


Grammy award winner, founding member of Bela Flek and the Flecktones and universally acknowledged as the world’s most advanced diatonic harmonica player. Howard Levy is an artist not to be missed - one show only this Tuesday night.

MONDAY 21st Feb 7.30pm Song Lounge Program Launch 2011 - no fewer than eight singers will grace the stage on the night, giving patrons a taste of what's in store in 2011. David Lazarus, Minky G, Georgia Mooney, Darren Forster, Prita, Siboney Doglio, Bianca Jade and Mitch Becker. Unmissable! http://www.facebook.com/l/012ebitf__FXBTeVwbAM4LGwmog/tinyurl.com/69m4xjs

TUESDAY 8.00pm Howard Levy (Chicago) - quite simply a legendary musician without limits. His musical adventures include journeys into jazz, pop, rock, world music, Latin, classical, folk, blues, country, theater, and film. Howard developed a fully chromatic style on the standard 10 - hole diatonic harmonica, revolutionizing harmonica playing and taking the instrument into totally new territory. Joined by Graham Wood (piano), Paul Pooley (bass) and Chris Tarr (drums). http://www.facebook.com/l/012ebIBgC4AxmEZLp5va1bqhIOg/tinyurl.com/68btstl



Become a member today for great benefits and also help support live music - http://www.facebook.com/l/012ebqZJWnYWfjyt5z7uhA7K4Fg/www.ellingtonjazz.com.au/index.php/memb

Book your function at The Ellington - email: bourbywebster@ellingtonjazz.com.au

Book online to avoid disappointment - http://www.facebook.com/l/012ebV4TplOVYs7jKZLIiasrNJw/www.ellingtonjazz.com.au/index.php/schedule

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Eureka Street writing awards 2011

The 2011 Eureka Street/Reader's Feast Award for Social Justice/Human Rights Writing
(for writers 30+)


Australia 2031: 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of both Eureka Street magazine and Reader's Feast Bookstore. Picking up on this '20 years' theme, the 2011 Eureka Street/Reader's Feast Award invites speculative fiction and non-fiction that imagines what life will be like in Australia, 20 years into the future.
The focus should be on an aspect of human rights or social justice (environmental or societal) and all essays/stories should explore the issue in terms of its relevance to living an ethical life in Australia. Past winners have featured a strong humane perspective and proposed alternative ways forward, but we would welcome alternative, especially highly imaginative, approaches.
The winner will be announced and the Award presented during Reader's Feast Bookstore's Crime and Justice festival, taking place in Melbourne on 15, 16 and 17 July 2011, and will be published online in Eureka Street.

Submission Guidelines (read carefully)
1. The award of $5000 is open to any Australian writer aged 30 or over as of 1 January 2011.
2. Only previously unpublished essays and stories will be considered.
3. Essays and stories should be no longer than 2000 words.
4. All entries must be received by 5pm Friday 10 June 2011.
5. Electronic submissions only. Please email your submission as a Word attachment to eureka@eurekastreet.com.au. Include the words 'Submission: Eureka Street/Reader's Feast Award' in the subject line. Include a Cover Letter in the body of your email, stating your full name, age, postal address and a contact telephone number.
6. The judge's decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into.
7. The winning author shall be asked to submit paperwork directly to Reader's Feast that includes an ABN and full banking information so the award money can be forwarded.
8. By submitting entries to the Eureka Street/Reader's Feast Award, the author acknowledges that the essay or story is their own original work, and agrees to abide by the rules of the competition and the decision of the judges.


Margaret Dooley Award for Young Writers 2011
(under-30s age category)

(Note: Entries to the Margaret Dooley Award DO NOT NEED to reflect the theme of the Eureka Street/Reader's Feast Award.)

Eureka Street's Margaret Dooley Award is offered to support the development of young writers. Entrants should submit a piece of writing that offers reasoned ethical argument based on humane values. This could take many forms, for example: advocacy or criticism of current ethical frameworks; an ethical response to a contemporary social or political issue; ethical exploration of personal experience or cultural phenomena.
The winner's essay, and the two runners-up, will be announced and presented during Reader's Feast Bookstore's Crime and Justice festival, taking place in Melbourne on 15, 16 and 17 July 2011, and will be published online in Eureka Street.

Submission Guidelines
1. The award of $1500 is open to any writer under the age of 30, as of 1 January 2010. Second place in the award is awarded $350, and third $150.
2. Entrants must submit a previously unpublished piece of ethical exploration that will engage a non-specialist audience. Contributions will be judged for their appeal to humane values, such as those that are found within, but are not exclusive to, the best of the Christian humanist tradition. These should be expressed in clear argument and elegant expression, and a generosity and courtesy of spirit within forceful argument.
3. The piece of writing should be no longer than 1500 words.
4. All entries must be received by 5pm Friday 10 June 2010.
5. Electronic submissions only. Please email your submission as a Word attachment to eureka@eurekastreet.com.au. Include the words 'Submission: Margaret Dooley Award' in the subject line. Include a COVER LETTER in the body of your email, stating your full name, age, postal address and a contact telephone number.
6. The awards will be made only if the judges believe the winning entries are of sufficient quality. The judge's decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into.
7. By submitting entries to the 2011 Margaret Dooley Award, the author acknowledges that the pieces are their own original work, and agrees to abide by the rules of the competition and the decision of the judges.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Friday, February 11, 2011

Top photo: John Ashbery by Larry Rivers at Tibor de Nagy



“Portrait and Poem Painting” (1961), by Larry Rivers and Frank O’Hara, Image courtesy of Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York.

An Exploration of Poem Painting and More by Wendy Voorsanger at http://dgvcfaspring10.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/an-exploration-of-the-poem-painting-and-more-by-wendy-voorsanger/

Another site to see along the same lines: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/arts/design/21tibor.html?_r=2

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

'Sentimental' - poem by Pam Brown



In August 2010, Bob Arnold’s Vermont-based Longhouse Press published a pamphlet of six of Pam Brown's poems. Here is one I particularly liked and also liked its presentation.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Quit Smoking



Dear [Reader]

Because your health is all that matters.

As the head of WA’s leading health fund I believe HBF has a responsibility to help West Australians to live healthy lives.

So I am writing to you, and all other HBF members, in support of the latest campaign to help and encourage people to quit smoking.

The rates of smoking have fallen dramatically in recent years but tobacco is still the single largest preventable cause of premature death and disease in Australia. As many West Australians have discovered, quitting is always possible and the benefits are huge.

Did you know that within five days of quitting smoking most nicotine has left your body and that your risk of a heart attack is halved? This is one of the messages from the Australian Government's largest ever National Tobacco Campaign, launched on 30 January 2011. The new campaign carries a simple call to action for all smokers – attempt to quit today.

There are many services available to support quit attempts. For help, people should go to their doctor or pharmacist, call the Quitline on 13 7848 or visit the Quitnow web site at: www.australia.gov.au/quitnow.

If you are one of the majority of Australians who do not smoke I hope you’ll understand why we have decided to send this to all our members. And if you know a smoker, please pass this on - it might just be the message that helps them quit.

Best regards


Rob Bransby
Managing Director
HBF


I don't smoke, btw. I tried it as a teenager, but never caught the bug. I had plenty of other vices, but I am sure glad smoking cigarettes wasn't one of them! Andrew

Monday, February 07, 2011

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Tuesday, February 01, 2011