back in Melbourne

Haven't posted here for a very long time- but have been busy of late. I sold one story "Mara" to Borderlands an Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction journal. Last weekend there was a rehearsed reading of my play "Silence" at La Mama Theatre. The feedback was very interesting- some people wanted the rituals to be explained more, others felt that the purpose of art was to have a message (which I think is simplistic and rubbish). Other feedback was very sophisticated and I will incorporate that feedback into my play. Next week I will be giving a speech at the Vietnamese Youth Conference- which will probably be the most important speech I give all year. I say this because the most valuable interaction I have with readers I feel is when I get to speak to secondary school students. Theya re the next wave of possible artists and I want them to value their voice (and themselves). I also talked at the Emerging Writers Festival on working within the dominant culture- which all the panellists interpreted as white Australia.