JM Exhibition

My very talented daughter Jessica McCallum will hold her first exhibition at His Majesty's Theatre next Saturday.

Her fresh and original art is expressed with great sensitivity and I shall stand very tearfully saluting her long-awaited professional exposure to a larger audience.

She has written a blog about the artistic process - and her angst with only a week to go!

http://jessicamccallum.blogspot.com/

"Break a Leg" my darling - no-one will be clapping louder than your very proud Mum.

Creative Connections

Maureen Sexton has done an amazing job of connecting disabled artists with poets and exhibited the results. I, along with many WA poets, was invited to write poems to artworks and each time, my approach was from the artists p.o.v., as if to give them voice which they often don't have. The results of three exhibitions can be enjoyed on the Creative Connection pages.


This is a favourite from the 2008 series:

No. 59Artist: Vivienne Sharp




Coral Bay

Snorkelling with rainbows
just past the breaking surf,
I see the red rocky shores
of the North West Cape.

Shimmering white sands where
Coastal Daisies, Starflowers
and Sturt Peas grope to grip
harsh hot terrain in fighting wind.

At Easter, a hundred yards off
the bay, coral triggers upside down
snowstorms to invite gentle giants
from the depths of Tantabiddi to feed

whilst in my imagination, I squeeze
the fish colours through my fingers
to paint pictures and feel myself
swimming with whale sharks.

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2008

Loads more here:
http://www.creativeconnectionsaape.net.au/pages/2008artworksandpoems.html

And here's a favourite from the 2007 series:

No. 21 Artist: Clayton Winmar

Country

take my hand

walk with me

through family

follow straight

railway lines

in the sunshine

leave hand prints

in caves sprayed

white sand hills

mountains of

red clay heart

brown beauty

take my hand

walk with me

through country

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2007

And again, loads more on here:

http://www.creativeconnectionsaape.net.au/pages/2007artworksandpoems.html

Photographs

How flattering is this?

Boet took my short poem and

image-ized it and it LOVE the result!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photoboet/332949276/

For your interest, this is a catalogue of short films 2008 made published by the Australian Film Commission in which my film "Love You Mum" appears on page 46.

http://www.afc.gov.au/downloads/pubs/shorts08_web.pdf

AFRICAN REFUGEES: The Neophyte

AFRICAN REFUGEES: The Neophyte

Fremantle Press: Book launch: Shades of the Sublime & Beautiful

Fremantle Press: Book launch: Shades of the Sublime & Beautiful

Lucy dies...

The Beatles inspiration for their song "Lucy in the Sky with Daimonds" has died young at 46.
I share a lot of my poems and stories on the ABC TALES website and found a beautiful tribute poem to 'Lucy' here: http://www.abctales.com/story/threeleafshamrock/lucy

WritingWA Broadcast:

Thanks to their e-news:


Don't forget to get your copy of the West Weekend...

This Saturday's edition of the West Australian will include a special literary edition of the West Weekend Magazine, showcasing the diversity of West Australia's writing talent, exploring the rise of book clubs, poetry, and indigenous literature in WA, and introducing a new column by acclaimed author Robert Drewe.

The West's commitment to celebrating West Australian literary achievement through this special edition of the magazine is to be applauded.
____________________________________

West Australians Honoured in CBCA Awards

The winners of this year's Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) awards have been announced. Shaun Tan'sTales from Outer Suburbia won the Older Readers category, with Anthony Eaton's Into White Silence an Honour Book. Also awarded Honour Book status were Matt Ottley's Home and Away (text by John Marsden), in the Picture Book category, and Simpson and His Donkey, by Mark Greenwood (text) and Frané Lessac (illust) in the category of Information Books (Eve Pownall Award).
____________________________________

CONGRATULATIONS LILY CHAN!

Lily Chan and Warwick Thornton Win Australian Centre Literary Awards

The awards continue for Warwick Thornton, with Samson and Delilah winning the Australian Centre's Kate Challis RAKA Award for the best script by an Indigenous writer. Emerging Perth writer Lily Chan was also recognised, with her unpublished memoir of her grandmother awarded The Peter Blazey Fellowship for biography or life writing.
____________________________________

Book Launch: Beautiful Waste and Vagabond Holes

Fremantle Press and Fremantle Arts Centre invite you to the launch of Beautiful Waste: Poetry by David McComb and Vagabond Holes: David McComb & The Triffids. The launch will feature John Kinsella reading poetry by David McComb as well as music by Triffids members Jill Birt, Martyn P. Casey & Alsy MacDonald. Doors open from 6pm, Thursday 10 September 2009; Fremantle Arts Centre, 1 Finnerty Street, Fremantle; RSVP: admin@fremantlepress.com.au or 08 9430 6331

THANKS TO WritingWA

Vera Newsom Poetry Prize 2009 - closes 30th Sept.

Just received this:

Submissions invited before 30 September for

VERA NEWSOM POETRY PRIZE 2009

- administered and awarded by Youngstreet Poets.

1st & 2nd Prizes, $300 & $100 respectively

Entries to Receiving Officer, Sue Watson, PO Box 71, Avalon 2107,

By closing date of 30th September 2009.

For Australian residents only.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:

1. Entries must be unpublished, not currently submitted for publication, in English, the original work of the entrant, and must not have received a monetary award in, nor be concurrently entered in any other competition.

2. Maximum of 32 lines per poem, typed on A4 paper, one side only. Two copies of each poem required. Author’s name must not appear on manuscript.

3. There is no official entry form, but a separate cover page must be provided, listing title of poem, number of lines, entrant’s full name, address, telephone number and/or email address.

4. The judges’ decision will be final. No correspondence will be entered into. No entries will be returned.

5. Entry fee of $5 per poem.

6. Entries to Receiving Officer, Sue Watson, PO Box 71, Avalon 2107, by closing date of 30th September 2009. Late entries will not be considered.

7. Winners will be announced as soon as possible, but prizes will be awarded at the Youngstreet Poets’ Christmas luncheon on Friday 27th November 2009.

8. SSAEs required for notification of results and/or acknowledgement of receipt of submission.

I'm a huge fan of the amazing
West Australian poet

ANDREW TAYLOR

His latest book 'The Unhaunting'

(Salt Publishing) will be officially

launched by Dennis Haskell

at Planet Books in Mt Lawley

on the 10th September @ 6.30pm.

Please RSVP to Planet:

books@planetvideo.com.au

by the 8th September.

Introduction to Hidden Capacity ~ a writer's journey...

My first book of poems was called 'Hidden Capacity ~ a poet's journey...'

I've started a seperate blog (here) to explain in more detail how I wrote the pieces contained in the book.

Out of a 300 print run, which I published in Ireland in 2003, I've only got 5 copies left.

No, I didn't sell them all, I gave most away as a sort of calling card.
As a poet, it's important to get the first book over and done with, so in my impatience I chose to self-publish. I've discovered from others, your first is never your best and mine was no exception, even though it's exciting to be finally publishing your words, often our heart is too close to the content and we choose the wrong pieces to share.
There are a few in that book which I will probably never live down, but there are also some gems which I'm (and others have told me) very proud of.
So that's no longer available although I have chapbooks of various collections which I'm happy to print on demand for a nominal fee.
My poetry appears on the web in the most unlikely places, so just google and see, then if you like, contact me.

But I write for the page, stage and screen, so will elucidate further... later.
May your muse always amuse.