Sandy Fussell's Blog, page 21

I love Book Week and this year my dance card is overflowing. There are two things I am sure of - 1) I'll reach the end of my seven days absolutely exhausted and 2) I will be totally exhilarated and inspired to write. (I have also just learned how to spell exhilarated. I really thought there were two 'i's!)

So where am I off to, on The Pointy Sticks and Loud Noises Tour, waving my bokken, blowing my shakuhachi flute and banging my gong? Willoughby City Council Library, Mosman Library, Stanton L...

I have a new project and I am both excited by it and thrilled by the response to it. I probably sound over-earnest, over-enthusiastic and all too serious but this is something that is important to me.

ReadWriteZone is a project aimed at fostering an interest in reading and writing though blog-based classroom interaction between students and authors. Teachers provide input on the focus they would prefer for the project and incorporate the blog conversations in their literacy studies. Early...

Things are tough at the moment. Illness in the family. Work overload. Writing is a challenge I am finding hard to concentrate on. Words are not my friends.

Words do not love me back
they harass, push and bully me
to write, write,write
more, more, more
even though I am too tired.
They will not let me sleep
or stop to eat
or clean my teeth.
They do not care about me.
They scream inside my head,
bellowing that I am not good enough
to write them down
and that I have ruined everything.
They demand to be thrown ...

It was a short week in poetry. On the first day my good friend, author Di Bates arranged a session of Poetry Games. The kids were very motivated to join in and grab points for their team - for group effort, individual brilliance and things that 'took the judge's ear'.

At the start Di outlined the games and asked who thought it sounded a bit boring. Some of the boys put up their hand and the challenge was accepted. The hour passed quickly and when Di announced the last reading out of poetry wit...

This is a poetry sort of month for me - so it gives me great (perfectly timed!!) pleasure to join the blog tour (read = party) for Lorraine Marwood's latest collection of poetry, A Ute Picnic and Other Australian Poems. I love this line "Cat snores flip up, out onto the warm croak of day". I love the whole book. And the front cover.

Now I know Lorraine won't mention it but just in case you don't know, her verse novel Starjumps was shortlisted in the Prime Minister's Literary Awards for...

I went out for lunch today. Not something I often do and I almost missed the occasion - failing to notice the change in road conditions and heading on a 40 minute detour (there was one exit-and-turn-around point but it was blocked by an rainy-road-related accident). Luckily I am an over-organised Virgo type and had left 30 inutes early!

The occasion was to celebrate the recent Prime Minister's Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction shortlisting of my good friend Bill Condon (see Sandy name...

Like most things that happen to me it was a bit of an accident. The side-effect of having a big mouth which has a way of getting me involved in all sorts of things I didn't anticipate. But I'm not complaining - I have had some wonderful and even life changing experiences as a result.

And so last week I found myself teaching poetry to thirty-two ten-year-olds. I am not a teacher, although I once wrote a poem which the Canberra Times published. But I am an author and I love talking about words...

When I was a teenager, an older more world-wise friend gave me some excellent advice: "If you are unhappy in love, don't listen to the radio. It will only make you more miserable. There are always too many broken hearts in the Top 40."

Throughout life I've found another truism in those words. Whatever is bothering me, or consuming my time and attention – suddenly the world is filled with articles, comments, opinions and instances related to exactly that. Sometimes it's overwhelming but at othe...

One of my favourite blog activities is playing tour host to author friends. Today I'm celebrating the release of Sheryl Gwyther's latest chapter book, Princess Clown . Sheryl has some thought-provoking comments about the role of animals as side-kick characters. I've just done a quick mental flip through my own works and found quite a few animal sidekicks.

Welcome Sheryl, 'the floor' and a glass of bubbly are yours...
Animals as 'sidekicks'
A thought struck me the other day – mainly because it...

Just over a month ago I was opening the Just Imagine exhibition at the Wollongong Art Gallery. To steal directly from the exhibition website: An exciting program which encourages children's creative writing skills by the exploration of real and imagined worlds experienced through close engagement with art.

As author in residence my role included running workshops for teachers, primary students and high school students. I love workshops. It's so inspiring. There is no more powerful creative...