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Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: Sand Beneath my Feet

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It’s Poetry Friday and I am glad to be here, after missing a couple of weeks because of being SUPER busy.  While I wasn’t here, I was chiefly busy on poetry-business, speaking at schools across the South West as part of the Between the Lines Literature Festival, sharing my love of poetry and, hopefully, inspiring students to read and write more.

Then last week I had not one, but two opportunities to celebrate the release of Right  Way Down, speaking with my co-editor at the Children’s Book Council of WA’s annual Night With Our Stars and then, the next day, a big launch for the book at the State Library. I blogged about this yesterday., sharing a highlights reel.

By the time this week dawned I was happy, but also fairly weary, and I knew that this week I needed to pause and stay close to home. Lots of beautiful beach walking was required to refill my reserves, as well as chances to get some writing done, sleep in my own bed, and spend time with my beautiful pets, who I know miss me when I am off wandering.

It was on the beach that a line of poetry came to me and kept repeating itself. Not surprising really – the beach is definitely my happy place. So I came home and wrote this:

Busy week

I’m almost beat

Time for a dose

Of sand beneath my feet.

 

Friday morning

Smells so sweet

Thanks to feeling

The sand beneath my feet

 

Weekend looming

What a treat

To pause and savour

The sand beneath my feet

 

Smiling broadly

At the people I meet

Also loving

The sand beneath their feet

 

Leave with a feeling

That’s pretty neat

Knowing I’ve had

The sand beneath my feet

 

Already planning

a prompt repeat

Of an hour  with lovely

Sand beneath my feet.

(Sally Murphy, 2024)

By the time you read this, I’ll have had my Friday morning walk, with George frolicking along with his own very happy feet. But when I return, I’ll be checking out the other Poetry Friday goodness, courtesy of the roundup hosted this week by Rose.

Right Way Down is launched – with Aplomb

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Happy World Poetry Day to you! I love that there is a day dedicated to celebrating poetry, though of course I think we should celebrate poetry every day.

Speaking of which, last weekend I had a glorious time celebrating the launch of Right Way Down.

First, at the CBCA WA’s annual Night With Our Stars event, Rebecca and I had three minutes to talk about the book to a room full of teachers, librarians and industry peers. This annual night sees twenty creators  given the opportunity to share their latest works, sign books and generally have a wonderful time.

Then, taking advantage of the fact that so many of the poets would be in Perth for that event, the following day we held the launch for Right Way Down at the State Library.

I’ve been to a lot of book launches over the years, some for my own books, lots for other people’s, but I can’t think of any other launch which has been so joyful. The room was buzzing!

This was because it wasn’t just a book by Rebecca, myself and illustrator Briony. It was a book full of poems by West Australian poets, most of whom were there for the launch, with family and friends. For many of the poets this was their very first publication and, for others, their first poem, or first time in an anthology.

You can see some highlights from the two events here:

What a fabulous weekend. I am still smiling.

If you haven’t seen Right Way Down yet, it is available for sale now from good brick and mortar bookstores across Australia, or online.

A Reveal

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From the time I read a verse novel for the very first time, I knew that I wanted to one day write one. Or more than one. It took some time, but, back in 2009, my very first verse novel was released.  It looked like this:

Pearl Verses the World

(Actually, it still looks like this because, happily, it remains in print).

That book changed by career, and affirmed that this was a form I wanted to stick with. And, in 2010, this book was released:

I was onto something. Stories that made people cry, and smile, in one package. This was for me. It took a little time to get the next one right but, in 2014, there was a third:

In 2020, a fourth:

And, just last year, a fifth:

And now, in 2024, here comes number six. For the first time, I  am pleased to show you the cover of The Riding Gallery:

The illustrations by Martina Heiduczek are just divine!  Out in July, The Riding Gallery brings together two of my writing loves – the verse novel  form AND historical fiction, based on the true story of a St Kilda merry go round during World War 1. Can’t wait to share it with you but, for now, feel free to admire the cover. I am!

Happy Toes and Happy Days

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This morning I have happy toes! Why? Because I have done something I’ve been meaning to do for ages – and it really did not take me long at all.

What did I do? Created a playlist over on Youtube of the various poetry videos I have shared over the years. Inspired by the release this week of Right Way Down, I’ve been spending even more time than usual sharing poetry, poetry ideas and more with the world, including LOTS of posts on my Instagram account. And this, in turn, inspired me to head over to my YouTube channel and create a playlist just of poetry videos. You can see it here. There’s a blend of original poems by me, classic poems, and extracts from my first four verse novels. Now that I’ve put it together as a playlist, I am feeling inspired to create some new videos, so watch this space.

And the happy toes? That’s because one of my favourite video poems is this one, the very first video poem I made, back in 2016:

I hope you enjoy these offerings, and would love to hear if you enjoy them or if you you use them in your classroom.

 

Poetry Friday: A lesson from ray

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Last week was a busy one.

I spent most of the week on beautiful Rottnest Island (more correctly called Wadjemup) off the coast of Perth, researching, writing but also swimming and snorkelling. There is always plenty to see under the sea, but my favourite encounter was with an Eagle ray which I spotted within moments of entering the water and followed, Gopro outstretched, but also with my heart full. What a privilege to watch this beauty dance and skate and then, just as I was about to leave it be, I watched as it dug intently, I assume looking for a tasty tidbit. If you look you should spot the fish lurking behind, apparently waiting for the scraps.

Afterwards, I wanted to write about the encounter, but nothing came. Nor did it when I first posted the edited video on Monday, but later I started thinking about the other lovely did thing I did last week – which was to attend my nephew’s wedding back in Perth.

It was a joyful occasion (as weddings should be) and, after the young couple took to the dance floor,  I found myself dancing with a young man who was a much more competent dancer than I. My initial reaction was to feel awkward that I didn’t know the steps. But I fumbled through and soon found myself laughing and having fun.  And isn’t that the point of dancing?

So here’s the poem I’ve drafted trying to capture those two moments:

A Lesson

On Tuesday

I float above a ray

as she dances

and dips.

A graceful dancer

not caring

who sees.

No need for a partner

a witness

or even a tune

played

anywhere but inside her.

On Friday

I watch dancers

at my nephew’s wedding

and

when I am drawn onto the floor

feel momentarily awkward –

I don’t know the steps

or the tune.

But as I move

I feel the joy

of being alive

and think

for a moment

of my ray.

(Sally Murphy 2024)

I think my ray will appear again in my writing, but for now, I feel glad to share her with you. And, speaking of sharing, today’s Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Linda, who also has an important reminder about the choices we are making every day.  Among other things, I’m choosing to spread poetry, in the hopes of making the world a better place, and am off to see what my other Poetry Friday friends are sharing today.

What I Read in February 2024

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It’s the last day of February and I’m getting in early to post what I read this past month.  I read 10 books, one more than January but, very unusually, the majority of these were for adults. I don’t think I remember another month when I read only one book for children.  This is mainly a reflection of being deep into research for a historical fiction project.

Here’s what I managed to finish this month:

Children’s Books

  1. Countdown to YesterdayCountdown to Yesterday, by Shirley Marr (Penguin, 2024).Full disclosure: I love Shirley Marr as a just t wonderful human being so it is unlikely I would ever say anything not-positive about one of her books. Fortunately, that is not likely to be a problem, as she is a superb writer. I was lucky enough to be at the launch of this book and of course then had to come home and gobble it up. A beautiful story of a boy struggling with the change caused by his parents’ divorce, his struggles to fit in at school and his obsession with going back in time.

Books for Adults

    1. How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It), by Jessica McCabe (Rodale Books, 2024). This book isn’t out in Australia yet but, after hearing about it, I couldn’t wait, so listed to the audio version, which IS available. Then, when the Australian edition comes out (in March, I believe), I will be buying the hard copy and reading again. A really insightful guide into navigating the challenges of living with ADHD, from the creator of the Youtube channel of the same name, which has over 1.6 million subscribers – a testament to its value if, like me, you have ADHD.
    2. We Answered the Call, by Eileen (Reilly) Tucker (Eileen Tucker, 1991). I am deep in research for a historical fiction novel, and this has been a really useful read, but also is an interesting insight into the women who served in the Australian Women’s Army Service in World War 2.
    3. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart: The beautiful and inspiring international bestselling novel from a much-loved award-winning author, now a major TV series on Prime VideoThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, by Holly Ringland (Harper Collins, 2018). I picked this up from a little library shelf in my local shopping centre, ignoring my attempts to reduce the to-read pile I already have. Glad I did – this is a rich, compelling read that I couldn’t put down. I’ll be returning it to the little library too, in hopes someone else will get to love it, too.
    4. We Need Snowflakes: In defence of the sensitive, the angry and the offended. As featured on R4 Woman's HourWe Need Snowflakes: In defence of the sensitive, the angry and the offended, by Hannah Jewell (Coronet, 2022). Picked this up on the strength of the title and, while it wasn’t an easy read, it was a very insightful one, and I would love to see more right-minded people get the messages it contains, with its excellent exploration of whether cancel culture, political correctness and snowflakery are  really spiralling out of control.
    5. You'll Be Sorry!: How World War II Changed Women's LivesYou’ll Be Sorry!: How World War II Changed Women’s Lives, by Ann Howard (Big Sky, 2016). An interesting complement to We Answered the Call (above), similarly tracing the contribution of women to World War 11, especially in the AWAS. This one also traces their lives after the war, highlighting the challenges of the post war years for the women who served.
    6. The Other BridgetThe Other Bridget, by Rachael Johns (Penguin, 2023). I was lucky enough to go an see Rachael Johns in conversation with Anthea Hogdson when they visited Bunbury this month, and, of course bought the book on the spot. I found myself glued to the couch, reading it over a few nights. Set in Fremantle,  I could picture the streets and the places, and enjoyed the combination of romance, family, friendship and other plots. Good stuff.
    7. Bunbury Civilians in Wartime, by the Bunbury Oral History Group (Milligan House, 2001).  Another title read as a research WW2. This one is a fascinating look at what life was like in Bunbury, where I live, during the war years
    8. Love, Faith and Numbers, by Raihanaty A. Jalil (Raihanaty, 2022). I picked up this little volume in the bookstore at the Perth Writer’s Festival last week. I didn’t get to hear the author speak, as I could only attend a few sessions, but I really enjoyed this which is a series of short stories which also works as novelette, following the love life of a Muslim woman named Zakia. I really enjoyed both the story and the opportunity to challenge my Western perspectives on Muslim relationships, something the blurb encourages readers to do.
    9.  Innocents Abroad: The Story of British Child Evacuees in Australia, 1940-45, by Edward Stokes (Allen & Unwin, 1994). And yes, another read for research, although this one is tangential to the story I am researching. Fascinating, and thought provoking, to read the stories of of the child evacuees who were sent to Australia from Britain during WW2.

That brings my total for the year to 19, with lots more to come in 2024, a year not of fast reading, but of meaningful reading.

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