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
Tag: spoken word
A Literary Soiree
It's summer in Melbourne, but you might not know it. Rain poured down during our Elwood Writers' summer soiree this December. If you can imagine, it was a bit like inviting our guests to a literary Key Largo. No Lauren Bacall or Humphrey Bogart to hand, but we battened down the hatches nevertheless, and enjoyed … Continue reading A Literary Soiree
Reading your Work – Aloud
I'm preparing for a late afternoon soiree. In my own home. The household might have questions about it, I may feel nervous to give a public reading, invited guests might feel 'iffy' about what is required of them. Who knows. But, nevertheless, we proceed. The reason? I want to develop certain memoir pieces to the … Continue reading Reading your Work – Aloud
The Power of the Mic
In September 2017 Elwood Writers recorded its Fathers’ Day stories for Vision Radio Australia (VAR). I accompanied Barry Lee Thompson to the studio for his reading of ‘Phase’, a story about a young man whose relationship with his father deepens and evolves as the son explores his sexuality. While Barry read, presenter Tim McQueen was … Continue reading The Power of the Mic
Putting the ‘me’ in memoir
My memoir teacher once asked me why I didn’t write about myself. Put more of myself into the memoir. “You know,” she said. “Use the “I” word.” Who me? I thought. Put the ‘me’ in memoir? Is the Pope Catholic? Did Tom Ford turn Gucci around? I had been writing around the topic of my father, a World War II veteran, for a number of years...
WRITINGS AND MUSINGS OF MARGARET MCCAFFREY 