What's something you've done that you never thought you could? Today, I'm re-blogging a post from Fox Reviews Rock. It's a website I discovered when posting news of a radio program at Elwood Writers did for the Cover to Cover program on Vision Australia Radio. I've been following the metal/rock site to catch up on … Continue reading What’s something you’ve done …?
Category: Writing Memoir
Trusting your Judgement
It’s been an honour this year to judge entries to the American Writers Review (AWR) 2026 literary contest. Congratulations to Ellen Hirning Schmidt on her winning poem, ‘Thoughts Composed on a Walk 250 Years After the Declaration of Independence’. Ellen has deftly managed to find personal enlightenment amidst the current political turmoil. Donna Ferrara, editor of … Continue reading Trusting your Judgement
Booksmaxxing
Remember the old-fashioned book made of paper? The one whose cover protects its white pages inside, peppered with tightly-packed print? I’m happy for readers and writers to commune with each other in any way they choose, but still, a real book in the hand might be worth two on any other device ... for relaxation, … Continue reading Booksmaxxing
Princess Diaries
Sifting through the online lit news, one writer’s anecdote caught my eye. An Australian magazine had invited authors to respond to the prompt: ‘What I Wish I’d Known about Writing’. Shirley Le, whose work I’m not yet familiar with, had a visceral response. When she first announced publicly that she wanted to write, her cousin … Continue reading Princess Diaries
A Change is Gonna Come*
"Live like a mighty river. Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change." This sentiment, attributed to the Buddha, becomes more relevant for me as I grow older. If I Iearned one thing during Lockdown, it's that everything changes all the time. And so it is with … Continue reading A Change is Gonna Come*
Stories, Songs and a Post Office in Harlem
December 2025 marked the fifth anniversary of Every Second Tuesday, the anthology released by Elwood Writers in 2020. In the middle of a wild Melbourne lockdown, my writing group launched its book via an online event with Readings books. One story of mine included was a personal essay, 'The White Woman’, written after a visit to … Continue reading Stories, Songs and a Post Office in Harlem
Stories of Change and Place
The interconnection between change and place became more apparent to me once I'd finalised my piece for Tim McQueen’s program on Vision Australia Radio (VAR). In preparing with Elwood Writers for Cover to Cover, I better understood that change happens all the time – no matter our resistance – but that it always occurs in place, … Continue reading Stories of Change and Place
Radio Stars
UK author and media personality Richard Osmond recently announced on his own podcast that audio books are the fastest-growing format in the publishing industry. The reason being that you can listen to an audio book while driving, gardening, lulling yourself to sleep or even … ironing! In other words, you are free to multitask – … Continue reading Radio Stars
Books, Bans, and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation
Persimmon Tree is a US literary publication for women over the age of sixty. (I just qualify!) Recently the magazine called for subscribers to offer their thoughts on ‘The Assault on the Cultural and Intellectual Life of America’. As my country, Australia, has just emerged from a spirited national election, in which the vote shifted … Continue reading Books, Bans, and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation
The Inspirational ‘Write’ Spot
My writing group recently went on a retreat to rural Victoria. The three of us booked a house overlooking a forest and we took along our mascot, Ruby the dog, for added company. The dedicated time away felt to me like being on a big, peaceful sailing ship travelling through tranquil waters. All we had … Continue reading The Inspirational ‘Write’ Spot
