The exercise

In what would be our very last class before we parted ways, we were given a small exercise of which we had to create an opening of a story, but using words that somehow ignited the sense or drew upon them. And it had to be about a car. And it had to be a true story. Not to mention we had to do this for three separate stories.

I only managed one story, as I wasn't entirely too sure if I was doing the exercise correctly. Here is my little entry:

The sense of desperation was thick in the air. Mixed with the sound of the faraway cry of my ex boyfriend’s car alarm ringing throughout the car park, we were no closer to finding his car then when we began the search almost 10 minutes earlier. Similarly like music blaring throughout a forest, the sound was all around us and only made the search more and more frantic.

            He pressed the button to signal the alarm for what seemed the hundredth time, and we both began walking in hopes of getting closer to the car and closer to leaving the shopping centre of which we had very quickly and unfairly grown rather annoyed at.

            It seemed hopeless. So we marched back to a meeting point and faced our bodies across from each other, whilst keeping our eyes on his keys he held in his hand. And unknowingly for the final time, he press hard down on the button to sound the now irritating car alarm, but this time, it was different.

            The sound was not all around us; it was above us. One whole level above us. “I don’t remember going down stairs…” I said. “Yeah, me neither”, responded the ex.

The setting

Corner of Seventh Street & Langtree Avenue

Mildura Brewery

Perry Sandhills

Writers in Action class of 2015

Perry Sandhills sunset

The award

As required as one of our assessments, we were to create a fictional award to present to the writers of the festival during the final lunch. We all saw this as an opportunity to have fun and get creative with the awards and ceremony.
In our supergroup, Simon, James, and I had created an award that would acknowledge not only one, but two (possibly three) separate writers. We called it the "Best Onstage Chemistry" award, and would present nicely ribboned certificates in separate chemistry flasks (get it?).

On the first day, and the first couple session of the festival, we were all completely blown away by Sharon Olds and Peter Goldsworthy's onstage chemistry. One would believe that they were old friends, or even lovers once as their conversation was an absolute delight to witness. From there on, we collectively decided that this was the couple to beat, and as the festival went on, Olds and Goldsworthy would prove to be the one that would clearly be the crowd favourite.

The speech

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Romeo and Juliet. Thelma and Louise. Sam and Diane. The bananas in pyjamas. Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde. The arts have certainly seen its fair share of dynamic duos over the years. They’ve appeared in our books, on our screens and right before our eyes, on stage. The Mildura Writers Festival award for ‘Best Onstage Chemistry’ strives to honour the most parallel of pairs whose synchronicity and harmony wowed its audiences as they wrote their own character interactions and development before our very eyes.

We have three commendations for this very prestigious, very real award. Eileen Chong and Anthony Lawrence for ‘Writing Poetry’, whose understanding and appreciation for each other’s work kept the audience captivated from start to finish. Alexis Wright and Tom Keneally for ‘Fiction Reading.’ As Tom started out saying, “let’s just try to treat each other as another bloke and another sheila”. And didn’t you just. And Tracy Farr and Peter Goldsworthy for ‘Stories, Long and Short’, with their mutual appreciation for science, musical instruments, and an apparent passion for prime numbers.

However, there can only be one winner. With memorable moments such as “your second husband might be a doctor, too”, “I recall the physiological response to your work in Adelaide 1994”, and inappropriate jokes about Methodists, fornication and dancing that I dare not repeat in front of my lecturer or anyone over the age of 45, the 2015 Best Onstage Chemistry Award goes to Peter Goldsworthy, and Sharon Olds-Goldsworthy for their poignant performance in ‘Writing Life.’

Sunday 19th July 2015

Brian Grogan Lecture Theatre, La Trobe University

Writers amongst others

Listening closely to Sharon Olds

Sharon Olds

Brian Grogan Lecture Theatre, La Trobe University

Saturday 18th July 2015

Fiction Reading: Alexis Wright & Tom Keneally

Held at Brian Grogan Lecture Theatre, La Trobe University

Poetry Reading: Sharon Olds, Eileen Chong, Peter Goldsworthy

Held at Brian Grogan Lecture Theatre, La Trobe University

Eileen Chong

Sharon Olds

Peter Goldsworthy

In Conversation: Barry Hill

Held at Brian Grogan Lecture Theatre, La Trobe University

The journey

There has been few times in my life where I have been able to travel on my own; every journey has been shared in the company of a familiar other. Upon telling those who would actually care about my trip to here, many responded with “maybe I can come visit you during the weekend”.

            Although I have always been a “the more, the merrier” kind of person, this experience was one that I wanted to share with myself and myself only. Secretly I had been waiting in great anticipation to catch a four and a half hour train ride and then another two and a half hour bus ride all on my own. There’s something romantic and exciting about a day’s in solitude.

            So on early Wednesday morning, I woke in darkness, and prepared myself in silence so as to not to wake up the house. Even though I am now in my mid twenties, my mother wants to safely see me off at Southern Cross Station. She drives us both through the slowly waking city, lecturing my adult self about taking precautions (ones that a mother would give her child on their first day of school), and after a very brief debate about parking locations, she pulls into the carpark on Spencer Street, and we begin the walk to my destined platform.

            Much has changed since I last travelled on a Vline train; including who is allowed onto the platform and who is not. I am allowed, but my mother is not. So she kisses me goodbye, and hugs me tightly, and tells me to call if anything happens. We part at the barriers, where she begins to walk parallel to me from the other side of the station. She smiles and waves happily to me. I smile and wave back.

            I begin to board the first class carriage to my designated seat, where on multiple times during the trip I try to sneak in some sleep, or do some brief reading. But I cannot do either. My body is tired, and so is my mind. So I let them rest for the next seven hours instead.

Friday 17th July 2015

A Conversation with Alexis Wright

Hosted by Meryl White at The Mildura Brewery

Writing Life: Sharon Olds with Peter Goldsworthy

Held at ADFA Gallery

Writing Poetry: Anthony Lawrence & Eileen Chong

Hosted by Judith Beveridge at ADFA Gallery

The VIP treatment

Access all areas. Well, most areas.

Writers in Action: Writing the Festival: Day One YAY

First day of writer's in action class!



Writers in Action: Writing the Festival: Day One YAY:

The cliché

I suppose it’s a bit of cliché to say that J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” changed my life. Afterall, it kind of changed a lot of people’s lives after reading it, either for the better or worse.

I was about 14 or even 15 years old when I first heard about it. Originally it was for an English assessment in high school in relation to self-identity.  Upon first impressions, Salinger’s language captivated me and spoke to me unlike any other book I had previously read. I love to read, but if I can’t understand what the author is saying and they’re trying to say it, then sadly I pass on the book after a few pages, as I would rather straight up enjoy the story than try to enjoy the story. But I didn’t seem to have that problem with Salinger’s writing at all.

I think in a way most people can identify themselves with Holden and his feelings towards others; how he expresses his thoughts is quite similar to how most people would also express themselves.

Maybe it’s because of this, that Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” changed me a bit, because I came to the realisation that not all books are trying to just tell you a story, they’re also trying to speak to you on a personal level; one that you can familiarise yourself with because you’ve shared similar thoughts with the main character before.