sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

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Another busy day today – I did over 14 000 steps, mostly while sweeping and mopping my floors!

So I have clean floors, but still managed some work (household chores don’t count as work – they are just a tedious necessity). I added nine new book reviews to Aussiereviews, including three by other reviewers. I also helped Pemberthy to compose a new poem – his first for quite some time – in response to a writing prompt at Elizabeth Bezant’s blog. And I spent a little time with Roberto, who keeps whispering his story to me. Actually, Roberto doesn’t whisper – he is not a quiet character. I am having fun getting to know him.

Am still reading The Melting Pot, though I’m hoping to finish it before bedtime, which isn’t too far away. Goodnight.

https://sallymurphy.com.au/2007/11/487/

7 Weird/Random facts About Me

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I have been tagged by Joh at johblogs. I’ve never been tagged before, but figure I’ll give it a go.

Here’s how it works:

Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here we go – 7 random and/or weird facts about me:

1. I am the youngest of six children (five girls and one boy) and have six children myself (five boys and one girl).

2. I am NOT a good cook, though my bickies and cakes are okay. My significant other is much better at meals than me.

3. I didn’t leave Western Australia until I was 26, and then did so with a bang, spending a year in Papua New Guinea, where I taught in a National High School. I have since travelled to most states of Australia, with the exception of the Northern Territory.

4. When I was ten my home was blown up by a bomb. Well, not completely blown up, but badly damaged. My parents owned a country hotel in Collie, and a man who mistakenly thought publicans were rich tried to hold all the local hoteliers to ransom. He was eventually caught and jailed, but not until after he’d successfully planted a bomb in our hotel.

5. I have always wanted to run a marathon but have never done anything about this ambition. I’ve also long intended to compete in a triathlon, but am nowhere near fit enough and am scared of riding a bike.

6. I am claustrophobic but managed to do a cave tour in Dunsborough last year without freaking out in front of my kids. It was a near thing, however.

7. I am naturally a messy and disagorganised person, but am constantly trying to do better.

I want to know about the weirdnesses/random facts of the following bloggers*:

Bren MacDibble’s Beast of Moogill
Robyn Opie’s Writing Children’s Books
Pemberthy Bear’s Pemberthy’s Ponderings
Claire Saxby’s Let’s Have Words
Tina Marie Clark’s What is Happening in my Office?
Sally Odgers’ Spinning Pearls
Elizabeth Bezant’s Writing to inspire

* I won’t be offended if you pass.

Squidoo, Bookweek and Even More About A & R

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Not content with two blogs (this one and Pemberty’s Ponderings), two websites (my author site and Aussiereviews), last night I decided to have a go at Squidoo, and created a new lens Rhyme Time, which focuses on rhyming books for children. At present it’s mostly a collection of links, but I’m thinking I might also include some reviews of rhyming books. I’m pretty passionate about good rhyme.

The discussion of the A & R issue continues. The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has issued a statement urging bookbuyers to boycott Angus & Robertson stores.
On Making Light Teresa Nielsen Hayden has blogged about the two letters, and generated lots of discussion. Finally on Crikey, A & R has posted a response, ‘setting the record straight’.

In the meantime, as I said in my last post Children’s Book Week is coming up. Yesterday I stuffed thirty envelopes with Pemberthy Bear bookmarks to send to local schools to celebrate the big week. So if you’re in a school closish to Corrigin, look out for them.

Brockovich, Pemberthy and More about A & R

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It’s been a busy couple of weeks here in Murphville, hence the scarcity of my posts here. Wish I could say I have been slaving away at my new best seller, but, although I’m still plodding on my two current projects, much of my busyness has been non-writing related.

Last weekend I left the Murphlets in the good care of their grandparents for a few days and headed to the big smoke with my beloved. He had a conference to attend, and I attended some functions with him, and also got some much needed rest. One of the wonders of the Burswood Hotel is that the big oval bath is next to a sliding Japanese-style glass screen, which opens into the bedroom. This allows one to relax in a bubble bath and watch your football team win the Western Derby. Go Dockers!

I was also fortunate enough to attend the conference key-note address. The speaker was Erin Brockovich, whose life and work was made famous by the Julia Roberts’ film bearing her name. Her address was inspirational. She challenged me with her statement that if you know that something is wrong, you have to fight to change it.

Perhaps it was this address that made me post my comments below about the Angus & Robertson ‘issue’. This one is still making my blood boil. How dare a book chain try to hold small publishers to ransom? I’m so glad to see it getting some attention in the press and online. The ABC has a great article, but my favourite is the one on the SMH Entertainment blog which includes a copy of the original letter sent to Tower Books, and Tower Books’ well-stated reply. Have a read.

Not long until Children’s Book Week. I was asked by the librarian at our school if I could do something with rap on one of the days. So, with the help of some year two and three students, I am going to rap Pemberthy Bear. It’s not something that occurred to me before, but getting the kids to clap out the beats in the book really heightens the rhythm and rapping the story offers them a new take on it. So now Pemberthy is not only a singing bear and a blogging bear – he’s also a rapping bear. A & R don’t know what they’re missing out on!

Pemberthy in Busselton

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‘Granma‘ left a comment to let me know that Pemberthy is a much loved resident at her house in Busselton. Wonderful news. Busselton is a nice beach-side town in the the South-West, a place I visit often.

The map now looks like this, with the new dot the orange one on the South West coast.

Have you seen my beautiful picture book, Pemberthy Bear? I’m tracking his progress around the country – you can see my original post here. As you can see from the map, Pemberthy is a well-travelled bear.

Poetic Pemberthy

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Pemberthy, the singing, blogging bear has written another poem. This time he’s been quite adventurous and written a triolet. This is a French poetic form with eight lines, and the challenge of repeating lines, but Pemberthy likes challenges. You can read his new composition here.

sallymurphy.com.au