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Fresh From the Mind
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HAVE YOU BEEN NUUKED?
Confessing before I post: I’ve never been to Greenland* but I’ve a friend who posted photos from Nuuk, the capital city, this morning and inspired me to go down a Google rabbithole. I might have to go there before it becomes the 52nd state of the USA (after Canada, of course). By boat or plane…
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THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT: MAGGIE O’FARRELL
GENRE: HISTORIC FICTION. Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler…
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SKIPPY DIES: PAUL MURRAY
GENRE: CONTEMPORARY FICTION/SATIRE Paul Murray is a master of tragic-comedic satire. You laugh heartily, but a dark heart beats beneath the humour. I love this book at the same time as I am absolutely revolted by some of the characters. ‘Skippy’ is Daniel “Skippy” Juster, so nicknamed because of his unfortunate resemblance to a certain TV…
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BLOOMIN’ MARVELLOUS: Joining the Wildflower Watchers in Western New South Wales 2026
There has been a lot of rain (for the western plains). Outback New South…
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Bribie Island: A Day Trip to a forgotten gem or a prequel to retirement?
If you’re planning a trip around South East Queensland, or wondering about spots to…
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The Joy of Writing For Yourself (and no-one else)
In a world filled with publishing schedules, social media posts, newsletters, blogs, and endless…
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Human Writers in a Synthetic World: The persistence of the heart to write in the age of AI
What it’s like being an ageing emerging writer and writing in spite of AI…
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Navigating Trauma in Literary Narratives
[Image: vecteezy.com] I have struggled for many years to fit my ‘novel’ to the…
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Escape to Nature: Six Highlight Parts of The Scenic Rim
Living in Ipswich, on the threshold between Brisbane and the Magnificent Scenic Rim, we…
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Living the Delusion as a Writer
I have just submitted three short stories to yet another competition. This one required…
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Crafting a Story Round the Lived Experience of Trauma
*BEFORE my INFORMATIONAL POST, an UPDATE on PROGRESS I ask potential readers to excuse…
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Weekend Away: Maryborough, Queensland
Photo queens Park, Maryborough. (L Kelly) There’s so much to explore, enjoy and absorb…
