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Sally Murphy, Australian author

April Reads

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Another month has ended, so it’s time for my monthly reading roundup. I managed only 12 books in April, but there were some beauties in that 12.

 

Books for Children

  1. Backyard Bugs, by Helen Milroy (Fremantle Press, 2021). This little picture book offering is lovely, and my two year old granddaughter seemed to agree. After I read her the simple rhyming text, she sat for a long time flipping through the pages and ‘reading’, emulating the lyrical feel and the names of the different minibeasts.  The illustrations are sumptuous.

2. Redback Mansion, by Lorraine Marwood (Five Islands Press, 2002). It’s been fifteen years since I reviewed this collection of poetry on Aussiereviews,  but love to dip in and out of it, as well as others of Marwood’s collections. This is the first time in a long while that I have read it cover to cover, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a shame it is no longer in print for a new generation of readers, but luckily Marwood continues to produce new work, so there is still plenty out there to read.

3. Nobody’s Boy, by Dianne Bates (Celapene Press, 2012).  Another one I had read  before. I love to revisit verse novels, because not only are they my favourite form, but reading them is about really experiencing the characters’ perspectives. This is the story of Ron, who has been in foster care most of his life and craves a chance to live with his dad.

4. Fish Kid and the Turtle Torpedo, by Kylie Howarth (Walker Books, 2021). This is the third book in  excellent series for young readers, especially those who love marine life, swimming and adventure. Fish Kid (Bodhi) has a love of the ocean and has special powers which let him swim like a fish and even communicate with sea life. In this instalment he and his friend Emely rescue a sick turtle and even swim with dolphins.  Along the way readers learn lots of animal fact and conservation messages, but the story is foremost.

Books for Young Adults

  1. All Our Hidden Gifts, by Caroline O’Donoghue (Walker Books, 2021). This was sent to be by Walker Books, and took me a little while to get into, probably more because it was the first book I read for the month, and was busy, than because of the book itself. Maeve finds a set of tarot cards, discovers she has a knack for reading them, and then, to her horror, that she seems to have the power to make her former best friend disappear. What it might cost to get her back is too much. With magic and the occult, as well as explorations of gender diversity, religion and more, there is a lot going on here, which makes for an intriguing read.
  2.  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou (Audible Edition, 2014). I am so glad I chose to listen to this book, because it is read by Angelou herself, which adds so much to the reading experience. This is  the autobiography of her childhood, characterised by hardship, displacement, violence and racism – but is also a story filled with strength and the beauty of Angelou’s  writing.  I cried but I also smiled.  I’ve put it here in the young adult section because it is  suitable for young adults, but will equally appeal to adult readers.
  3. Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal, by Anna Whatley (Allen & Unwin, 2020).  I loved this own voices novel about a gutsy girl who tries hard to act ‘normal’ by following the rules drummed into her by therapists, parents and teachers over her lifetime, but with the laugh of her aunt and new friends learns not just to like herself but also to see her strengths and expect others to, too.  So glad this is is on the CBCA Children’s Book of the Year shortlist. 

Books for Adult Readers

  1. Everyday Madness, by Susan Midalia (Fremantle Press, 2021).  Susan recently guest blogged over at my review site, Aussiereviews, about her writing life and the story behind this book. I enjoyed the weaving of the different stories – that of  Bernard, newly unemployed, his wife Gloria, whose breakdown and caused a huge shift in their marriage, their daughter on law Meg, struggling to raise her daughter, study full time and navigate supporting the in laws her ex-husband seems to not take responsibility for, and her daughter Ella.
  2. The Cuckoo’s Cry, by Caroline Overington (Audible, 2020).  Set in Bondi during the first Covid 19 lockdown, this novella was an interesting free read, part family drama, part mystery.
  3. Life After Truth, by Cerdiwen Dovey (Audible, 2019). You can tell how much time I have spent int he car in any month by the number of Audible reads, especially the free reads. This was again part mystery (the US president’s son is murdered) and part soul-searching drama. The characters did have me interested, but I must admit I spent most of the book just gobsmacked at the utter privilege of  the Harvard world (the book is set during a 15 year reunion, on campus). It really just seems like another world.
  4.  The Last Bookshop, by Emma Young (Fremantle Press, 2021). Any book set in a bookshop is likely to engage me. Put that bookshop in Hay Street, Perth, and I am hooked. What I didn’t expect was to blubber helplessly while reading this. Loved it! Emma Young also guest blogged over on my Aussiereviews site here.

Nonfiction Books

  1. An Island Solution: Rottnest reveals our colonial secrets, by Eversley Ruth Mortlock (Gwelup Creative Life Writing Press, 20219). I picked this up in the Rottnest store when I was visiting Rottnest/Wadjemup earlier this year.  An insight into a chapter of Western Australian history which must be redressed: the incarceration, and inhumane treatment,  of Aboriginal men  from around the state on Rottnest Island.  Not an easy read, because of its subject matter, but important  for that reason.

These 12 books bring my total to 61 books read for the year to date., roughly one book every two days, if my maths is correct. What have you been reading lately?

Poetry Friday: Autumn Rain

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It’s Autumn here in my neck of the woods, and I am in my annual state of denial about the inevitability of the changing weather. I am a summer person – I love to swim, and snorkel and enjoy the heat. I am not so keen on being cold and wet. But it is, as I said, inevitable that the seasons will change and roll through, and in spite of my objections, I always end up remembering that there are lovely things about every season.

This week is a case in point. The week began warm and bright, and on Wednesday I was able to squeeze in an early morning snorkel, at a place called Castle Rock. Here’s a glimpse of what I saw.

(Incidentally, as I was getting ready to leave, I ran into a man who was setting up his drone for some aerial footage. He told me where to find him on Instagram and, lo and behold, he posted an image from above the very spot I had been snorkelling. So, if you want to see the same scene from above, head here).

Back home, and yesterday saw a complete change in the weather, with a big autumn rain storm. I was at my desk working on a poetry resource I am writing, and watching the weather change out my window, so I wasn’t surprised when the rain came down. But I did get a giggle when I realised what I was working on just at that time. I was busily adding two poems to the resource – both about rain!  As the rain pelted down, I was entering this:

A Song of Rain

by C.J. Dennis

Patter, patter … Boolcoomatta,

Adelaide and Oodnadatta,

Pepegoona, parched and dry,

Laugh beneath a dripping sky.

Riverina’s thirsting plain

Knows the benison of rain.

Ararat and Arkaroola

Render thanks with Tantanoola

For the blessings they are gaining,

And it’s raining—raining—raining!

Weeps the sky at Wipipipee

Far Farina’s folk are dippy

With sheer joy, while Ballarat

Shouts and flings aloft it’s hat.

Thirsty Thackaringa yells;

Taltabooka gladly yells

Of a season wet and windy;

Men Rejoice on Murrindindie;

Kalioota’s ceased complaining;

For it’s raining—raining—raining!

(This is an extract from a longer poem which can be found here).

I love that this poem manages to gather the pace and momentum of a big rain storm. I also love the way it celebrates so many of Australia’s unique place names.  You don’t have to know where they are to get real pleasure from the sound of them.

You might imagine that, when I realised the synchronicity of the rain outside and the rain poem on my computer screen, that the storm took on new meaning, and I was soon giggling and chanting ‘And it’s raining – raining – raining’ .

The next poem I worked on was also about rain, though not quite as joyful:

An Ode to the Rain

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I know it is dark; and though I have lain,
Awake, as I guess, an hour or twain,
I have not once opened the lids of my eyes,
But I lie in the dark, as a blind man lies.
O Rain! that I lie listening to,
You’re but a doleful sound at best:
I owe you little thanks, ’tis true,
For breaking thus my needful rest!
Yet if, as soon as it is light,
O Rain! you will but take your flight,
I’ll neither rail, nor malice keep,
Though sick and sore for want of sleep.
But only now, for this one day,
Do go, dear Rain! do go away!

(Again you will find the full poem here). I love that Coleridge took the Ode form, which is usually about praising something, and turned it humorously on its head to beg the rain to go away.

And me? Having smiled my way through the rain storm, which was a good one, with thunder and lightning and torrential rain, I got back to work and then, this morning, have woken to a cool but fine day. That’s Autumn for you!

Whatever season you are celebrating, it’s the right season for poetry. And, on Poetry Friday there is plenty of poetry to be found across the world wide web. Matt is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup today and also sharing a  fun new poetic form, the tricube. I might have to tri  try my hand at one – or three.

Poetry Friday: My Occy Friend

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You may have noticed I am a little octopus-obsessed of late, having been lucky enough to see them in the sea for the first time this summer and autumn – and, of course, having seen one I have managed to see many on my snorkelling trips.   I’ve also been happy to manage to get some interesting videos.

Last week I was surprised to find one sitting on the bottom step of one of my favourite snorkelling spots. Very surprised in fact – because usually I sit on this very step to put my flippers on and off, but this day I snorkelled all the way to the stairs, and thus spotted my new friend sitting right where I usually do. And of course instead of climbing out I stopped and watched (and filmed). Here’s what I saw:

The stair octopus is a close neighbour of the cannon octopus I have shared previously – but, if you missed that video, here it is again. (Sorry. I can’t help resharing this – it still takes my breath way!):

 

 

I have been trying to write a poem that captures the beauty and awe of this creature, and am not yet quite satisfied with my efforts, nor ready to share them. But  here’s a little tribute that I’ve come up with in the meantime:

My Occy Friend

 

The cephalopod

is rather odd

and some folk think she’s freaky

She can lurk in caves

or under rocks

in ways that may seem sneaky

 

But me I think

she’s clever

in the way she fits and squeezes

then shows an eye

or tentacle

or erupts whenever she pleases

 

To shoot herself

like an arrow

to catch herself some lunch

and just as quick

return herself

to her spot for a quiet munch.

 

She likes to change

her colour

to match wherever she goes

and can sucker herself

or climb

and cling.

How this works only she knows.

 

So I’m not scared

of occy

And I hope she’s not scared of me

I can float

and watch for hours

when I  spot her in the sea.

(Sally Murphy, 2021)

Tabatha is hosting Poetry Friday today.  Float over there and gaze on the other poetry treasures on offer this week. 

Poetry Friday: Lurkers and Liquid Wonder

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In case you’ve not noticed, I have been taking every opportunity to get into the water and snorkel.   In spite of my  great love of the beach and of swimming, until last year, I had never been snorkelling, and so it is a fresh, exciting hobby.

This week, I got up early and went for a pre-work dip at Omeo Wreck,  one of my favourite spots. Great for a beginner like me, but also always something new.   I spotted a  spotted leatherjacket and followed it for a while. When it stopped under a little arch of wreckage, I took the opportunity to practice my new diving skills, took a breath, aimed my gopro and swam down.

I knew I had the fish in shot, but it wasn’t till later, at home, that I was able to check it. I then took a still shot from the footage, and shared it with friends on facebook. I’m glad I did – because a friend pointed out something I had missed. I wonder if you can see it in the moving footage – which is the view I had in the water:

Did you spot it? The photobombing lurker? If not, don’t feel bad – because I didn’t see it either.
Here’s the still shot:

copyright Sally Murphy, 2021

If you still can’t see it, look  at the sand on the right. Sand with eyes? And a sinister grin?

Now I don’t know if Mr Flathead was thinking of eating Ms Leatherjacket for dinner, and I  can reassure you that when I left, the leatherjacket was still very happily swimming around, but I knew there was a poem in this.

Welcome

Come right in!

Come right in!

You’ll feel welcomed

By my friendly grin.

Can’t see my smile?

You soon will

When I open wide

To let you in!

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

Not to be outdone, my follow-up trip the next morning proved to be even more amazing, though I have not yet captured the poems for this breathtaking octopus encounter:

At the end of this video, you might sense that, while awestruck by the octopus, I was being increasingly aware of what was happening behind it. I spent the next 15 minutes floating and wondering and nearly crying with the joy of this:

I’ve been trying ever since to find the words to capture these amazing moments, so watch this space.

In the meantime, today’s Poetry Friday has lots of Poetry Goodness. Swim over to Heidi’s blog where, she is not only hosting the roundup but also  all the Poetry Friday posts but also celebrating her birthday.

Poetry Friday: Hounds and Birds

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Yesterday I had a visiting hound for a few hours. Sos is a big, gentle greyhound, and spent much of the visit sleeping on my loungeroom floor while I worked nearby. At one point, though, a noise made me look up and I laughed to see Sos  running in his sleep. His legs twitched back and forth, his tail straightened and I swear he was smiling.

Sos  was here while his owner was off working, so I’m convinced he was dreaming of  going home and having his daily walk. When Is napped this photo a little while later, I knew I had to caption it,  with a poem.

Dreams of home, dinner

and morning walks play through mind

of a sleeping hound.

(poem and photo copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

It was only later that I realised I was writing to the same theme as last week’s post where I wrote about echidna’s dream. Perhaps I am slightly obsessed with sleep at the moment?

Something else I am obsessed with is getting poetry out into the world and into the hearts and hands of readers. So I am delighted that today’s Poetry Friday host, Kathryn Apel, has a brand new book out this week: The Bird in the Herd.

When I saw the title of this book, the rhyme just wouldn’t let me go, and I wanted to play with it. This is for you, Kat:

Have you heard

about the Bird in the Herd?

The Bird in the Herd

is good I’ve heard!

So spread the word

about the bird

the bird in the herd

now that you’ve heard.

And, as I played with birds and herds and words, I also started singing, because it reminded me of this song. If you haven’t heard it for a while, you are welcome for the ear worm I am about to give you:

Congratulations Kat for your new book baby!

You can head over to Kat’s blog to learn more about The Bird in the Herd, and to see the Poetry Friday roundup  Muster.  Have a wonderful Friday!

Poetry Friday: Echidna Dreams

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It’s Poetry Friday and this week I read a wonderful book called Animals Make Us Human, which shares stories from some of Australia’s finest writers, and scientists and conservationists. Each story  shares that writer’s connection with animals, mostly of one specific species. The stories are lovely, the photos are sumptuous, but the message is also important – we need to  know these stories and the threats that face our animal friends.

There was so much to love and to digest from the book, but one line stood out to me – from author Tom Kenneally, who shared the fact that echidnas, among other amazing things, are known to dream – they experience REM sleep. ‘What is it the echidna’s dreaming’ Kenneally asks. And, reading that line, I knew I needed to write about this.

When it came time to write,  that line came back to me, and I knew I wanted to use it, or something close to it, and evoke a dream-like state. I settled on a poetic form new to me, the viator (which Irene Latham introduced me to last  Poetry Friday). The first line becomes a refrain, used in the second line of the second stanza, the third line of the third, and the final line of the fourth.  it’s a tricky form, but also a lot of fun to work with.

Here’s what I came up with:

 

When Echidna dreams

her dreams, curled in a spiky ball

nestled  down deep

in her earthy burrow

 

what does she dream

when Echidna dreams?

Do streams of ants

march across her vision?

 

Or does she fly

or swim or float

when Echidna dreams,

imagining fantastic possibilities?

 

I can only guess

the wonderings, the worrying

in the dreams she dreams

when Echidna dreams.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

 

Not familiar with the echidna? This video offers some wonderful footage – and insight.

 

Speaking of poetry, this week was a wonderful week for poetry in Australia – and especially for the verse novel. The Children’s Book Council announced the Notable Books for 2021 (this is a form of longlist for the Children’s Book of the Year Awards). And in the younger readers’ category there was not one, not two, but THREE verse novels. This is brilliant news, in a country where children’s poetry receives scant publishing attention. And, as it happens, I may have been also a bit chuffed that one of those poems was my own Worse Things.  Happy days!

 

Not really poetry related (though there is poetry under the sea and this video is filled with potential poems) – here’s a glimpse at the very early morning snorkelling trip I managed before work this week. I am a wee bit addicted.

The Poetry Friday host today is Karen Edmiston. Pop over to her blog to see what other poetry goodness is on offer today.. It might also leave you wondering what you are as old as (and the answer is not ‘as old as the hills’).