At the launch of Every Second Tuesday, author Lee Kofman observed that certain of the Elwood Writers stories in the anthology exhibited a ‘fascinating’ interface between memoir and fiction. This reflects, I believe, a growing field of writers who are mixing the two genres. Blending them, however, can be a challenge. Debate rages about where … Continue reading The Interface between Memoir and Fiction
Category: Writing Memoir
Memoir
The Car Park
During the Melbourne lockdown, 2020, we were each allocated one hour of exercise per day. I drove to the local car park, which overlooks an oval surrounded by trees, and beyond that, a river. There I would just sit before my walk. It became a most splendid moment. It was winter, so I took my … Continue reading The Car Park
Ethics in Memoir
As part of the Elwood Writers' anthology launch, host Lee Kofman had prepared a question in advance for me on the ethics of writing about one's family. ‘Your memoirs in this collection feature various family members,' the question went, 'What are your ethical challenges when writing about others and how do you deal with them?’ … Continue reading Ethics in Memoir
America
I have always loved America. The United States of America, that is. From the moment Huck Finn sailed down the Mississippi with the runaway slave Jim, I was sold. I loved the English classics, but for me American novelists like Mark Twain and F. Scott Fitzgerald drove a vibrant story. Their novels – the one … Continue reading America
An Invitation to the Launch
As promised! Elwood Writers' anthology Every Second Tuesday is about to hit the shelves, and we'd love you to join us online as Lee Kofman launches the book with Readings on Wednesday 9 December at 6:30pm (AEST). This is a free event, though booking is required in order to receive the meeting link on the … Continue reading An Invitation to the Launch
The Online Launch
Troglodyte that I am, I resisted the idea of an online launch for the new anthology Every Second Tuesday from Elwood Writers https://elwoodwriters.com (EW). In fact, I’ve resisted FaceTime ‘anything’ for that matter. When it comes to books and launches, I assumed I'd miss the buzz of a real launch, as when EW member Jennifer Bryce … Continue reading The Online Launch
Going Away to Write
Bob Dylan’s house in Malibu is sure to be gorgeous. Apparently it looks over the sea. But when a reporter asked where he composes, he replied, ‘In a hotel room.’ Tom Wolfe (The Bonfire of the Vanities) was rumoured to have locked himself in a hotel room at his editor’s insistence to finish The Kandy-Kolored-Flake Streamline … Continue reading Going Away to Write
Writing Bad
‘But M, you seem so nice,’ a writing colleague once said to me. ‘How do you come up with this stuff?' Did she mean rage? 'Where does it come from?’ I shrugged. First of all, I’m not that nice. Secondly, being a writer is different from living life as a regular human being. The human … Continue reading Writing Bad
Meet Author Barry Lee Thompson
Barry Lee Thompson, member of our group Elwood Writers, guest interviews about his newly released book, Broken Rules and Other Stories, on the website 'In Their Own Write'. Barry discusses his writing process. For him there is no such thing as writer's block. If he gets stuck, he works on something different, dipping in and … Continue reading Meet Author Barry Lee Thompson
Going Away to Write
Bob Dylan’s house in Malibu is sure to be gorgeous, apparently looking out over the sea. But when a reporter asked him where he composes music, he replied, ‘In a hotel room.’ Tom Wolfe (The Bonfire of the Vanities) was rumoured to have locked himself in a hotel at his editor’s insistence to finish The Kandy-Kolored-Flake … Continue reading Going Away to Write
