Fashion Buzzed

I want undies!!!

2011-04-06T17:24:00.001-07:00

Pleasure State

Agent Provocateur

Huit

Honey Birdette

Fauve

Wheels and Doll Baby

2010-12-18T23:07:00.000-08:00

Purdy

2010-12-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

Reblogged from dailysquee.com

Lindsay Lohan in Court

2010-10-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sketches of Lindsay Lohan in court, by courtroom artist Mona Shafer Edwards

Reblogged from the lovely Victoria Vogue:

http://victoriavogue.tumblr.com/post/1198233447/sketches-of-lindsay-lohan-in-court-by-courtroom

Sonia Rykiel

2010-10-04T20:50:00.001-07:00

Happiest photo from Paris Fashion Week 2011. I want stripes and big hair too!

Bonsai

2010-07-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

D and I just bought Bonsai trees in a challenge of natural instincts. It's a bonsai off! Bring it!

Go Delilah!

Some inspiration:

Chronic City - Jonathan Lethem

2010-07-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Chronic City - Jonathan Lethem

In Short: A child-actor in his youth, protagonist Chase Insteadman inhabits a marijuana-afflicted New York simulacrum, populated by vindictive hawks, crooked politicians, three-legged dogs, a giant tiger, a ghost writer and mystical chaldrons. Haunted by his absent astronaut fiancee, Chase struggles to remember (anything) while embracing a new-found friendship with the even more eccentric Perkus Tooth.

First Sentence(s): "I first met Perkus Tooth in an office. Not an office where he worked, though I was confused about this at the time. (Which is itself hardly an uncommon situation, for me.)"

Likes: The book is set up to deal with some complex ideas. Lethem grapples with notions of reality, virtual reality, simulacrums (word of the day), censorship, government corruption, all kinds of things really. It has a mosaic feel in that Perkus Tooth is fascinated by EVERYTHING. And it works, making me interested in everything Perkus has to say.

Chase Insteadman is a wonderfully vacant character, perfect for the part. His voice is distinct from other characters, and he appears to be just as fascinated by Perkus Tooth as I am. Even as he regurgitates some of Tooth's more outrageous theories, Lethem allows them to feel awkward and misplaced in Insteadman's tone. Very clever.

Through the all-pervasive drug use in this book, the characters have a tendency to forget things. Lethem establishes this fun little technique exploiting this. Information which you receive early on is contradicted and contrasted later through retelling.

Dislikes: Ending felt rushed. Throughout the book, the plot has this rambling quality which just plods along. Lethem then tries to summarise everything in the last chapter, and it just doesn't feel right to me.

Also, one (or two?) chapters are written from the perspective of another character. Although this makes sense in that Chase Insteadman couldn't have seen what is narrated in these chapters, I was a little put off by the new voice.

Some character names are also a little jarring. I like Perkus Tooth, Chase Insteadman and the Hawkman as character names, as they feel a little caricature-esque. Didn't like Oona Laszlo. Even typing it I can't help but grimace and shake my head. Bleh.

Overall: I enjoyed it. It took FOREVER to read, but it's fun, and silly, and clever, and - hell - I enjoyed it.

overpopulation?

2010-07-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Image from Greenpacks

2010-07-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

The peloton rides on the 184.5 km, 11th stage between Sisteron and Bourg-les-Valence. Photo: AP

Sydney Morning Herald

Babushk-awesome!

2010-06-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks Ru!

The Sartorialist Rules

2009-07-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

McQueen - 2010 Resort Collection. (Want. Crave. Desire)

2009-07-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's not the most coherent of collections, but I want to wear every single one of these designs.

Too cool.

Not a huge fan of the "don't mind me, I've just been painting in the studio" look, but those sleeves are inspired. Love love.

Asymmetrical cardi with metallic stockings. Wow. This looks like someone I want to know.

Amazing stockings.

Ti hi hi! Check out the shoes!!

Perfect. Simply perfect.

Pretty cool. A little bit "boom boom pow", but I'm feeling those sleeves.

Okay, little costume-y (again), but hell, they're pretty fun.

Zipper dress. Always good.

Ooo, strong finish! Pretty!

Alexander Chameleon McQueen (Spring 2009)

2009-07-28T06:07:00.001-07:00

Things I Need To See Before I Die, #2

2009-07-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

Ernest Hemingway was once given a six-fingered cat as a gift from a ship captain, as a symbol of luck. After his death in 1961, Hemingway's Key West home was converted into a Hemingway museum/six-fingered-cat refuge. Today there are over 50 cats living at the museum, of which approximately half have an extra toe/extra toes.

Sometimes referred to as mitten cats due to the appearance of an extra thumb, these cats were often the target of paranoid villagers with pitchforks, who believed them to be the familiars of witches.

Things I Need To See Before I Die, #1

2009-07-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Built alongside a busy interstate in Iowa, this colossal statue is part of the Solid Rock "Mega-church" and their attempt to attract new followers straight from the highway. They describe their church as "A non-denominational, Bible-believing church pursuing Jesus Christ and the Spirit-filled life" (though hyphen-heavy, I have to admire their attention to grammar). Made from Styrofoam, Fibreglass and metal caging, and measuring 62 feet, this figure is believed to be the largest Jesus in the world. However, due to its placement within a water feature, this sculpture is commonly referred to as the 'drowning Jesus'.

Wow.

Love love,

Centine.

(Note: numbers are chronological, and not a ranking system).

Shelving.

2009-07-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

That is all.

Love love,

Centine

xoxoxo

Wednesday? More like Friendsday!!

2009-07-08T01:43:00.003-07:00

So, I woke up this morning, determined to inject a bit of Dior-inspired half-dressed glamour into my day. This is what I came up with:

Tulle skirt, skimpy cardigan (showing a cheeky glimpse of bra-goodness, just as Galliano would have wanted), marle stockings and pumps.

The giant white spot is the base for a fascinator.

Alas, as it was freezing today, and I'm starting to feel a cold coming on, I switched my outfit to this:

Bam! Bam! Double scarf whammy! And check out my kick-ass sparkle-manic jumper!

This saw me through the day splendidly. First met with Jo, Jason, Samira and Sal for a tea/latte session. And then a yummy lunch with Clay the Canadian.

But the afternoon was reserved for my foster-puppy Pasha. Aw! Isn't she adorable? I desperately want to pull a Paris, and put her in a handbag.

... She dislikes cameras...

Pasha's Mum has a beautiful house, with this magnificent view of the Minnamurra River...

Love love,

Centine.

Christian Kickass Dior

2009-07-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

Based on the back-stage documentation of Christian Dior's original shows, the latest collection by Galliano features bundles of half-dressed models and oodles of underwear.

(style.com)

I know what I'm wearing tomorrow, and it ain't much.

Love Centine.

Candlestick, now and then

2009-06-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Then: Perfect for a midnight toilet break. Effective at dissuading ghosts/madwomen from attacking.

Now: Available at Ikea. The most rad candle holder ever. Effective at dissuading swine flu and 21st Century Breakdown (both the condition and the new Green Day album) from attacking.

The God of Small Things including my heart

2009-06-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

See this book? You must read it. Immediately. Why?

See this lady? This is Arundhati Roy. She is brilliant. She will show you how literature is still important in a fundamentally personal, enjoyable, break-my-heart-with-shiny-shiny-pure-love-talent-through-which-you-open-my-eyes-to-a-different-view-of-life-and-reality kind of way.

It's not often that a book can be innovative with language, structurally clever and engaging all at the same time. "The God of Small Things" skips and hops (a little like two-egg twins are wont to do) through the story of an Indian family as they encounter a series of escalating disasters. Early into the book, you already know what will happen, but Roy will keep you hooked, wondering how it all fits together.

As Roy says herself on p229, "The great stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably. They don't deceive you with thrills and trick endings. they don't surprise you with the unforeseen. They are as familiar as the house you live in. Or the smell of your lover's skin. You know how they end, yet you listen as though you don't. In the way that although you know that one day you will die, you live as though you won't. In the Great Stories you know who lives, who dies, who finds love, who doesn't. And yet you want to know again."

And though this whole paragraph is as pretentious as an uncalled-for Shakespeare reference, there is a lot of truth to it. Every single time I watch Romeo and Juliet, I have to physically hold myself back from grabbing his pretty little jaw, turning it towards the awakening damsel and yelling loudly 'for god's sake man, just wait a minute longer!'

Everyone has there special list of books which are so familiar and enjoyable that they can be started on any random page. Those 'Great Stories', which aren't always 'High Literature', speak to you personally, communicating something unique to the book and unique to you. Here is my list:

For "The God of Small Things", the clincher (apart from the epic word play, surreal imagery, outrageously-captivating story and valuable characters; evidently there is a fair amount of awesome in this book) to making this read truly worthwhile are the insights into human behaviour. To me, it is the descriptions where a literary situation becomes emblematic for a self-experienced moment, culminating in a fresh understanding, which makes a work momentous. It's these moments which make an author relevant to the reader.

This is my favourite such moment from "The God of Small Things". The three children have dressed up as fancy ladies, and visited their adult friend. He, Velutha, pretends not to recognise them:

"They visited him in saris, clumping gracelessly through red mud and long grass... and introduced themselves as Mrs Pillai, Mrs Eapen and Mrs Rajagopalan. Velutha introduced himself and his paralysed brother... He chatted to them about the weather. The river. The fact that in his opinion coconut trees were getting shorter by the year. As were the ladies in Ayemenem. He introduced them to his surly hen. He showed them his carpentary tools, and whittled them each a wooden spoon.

"It is only now, these years later, that Rahel with adult hindsight, recognized the sweetness of that gesture. A grown man entertaining three raccoons, treating them like real ladies. Instinctively colluding in the conspiracy of their fiction, taking care not to decimate it with adult carelessness. Or affection.

"It is after all so easy to shatter a story. To break a chain of thought. To ruin a fragment of a dream being carried around carefully like a piece of porcelain.

"To let it be, to travel with it, as Velutha did, is much the harder thing to do."

This bit also shows how clever Roy is with her tense and structure. The flashbacks occur simultaneously with other sections of the timeline, creating a flood of memories, thoughts, images jumbled together in some kind of fabulous plot risotto or omelette or... God, it's just so amazing.

I will say no more.

Instead, look at these flickr images based on the book! Yay!

Vee Speers

2009-06-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

'The Birthday Party' by Australian photographer Vee Speers is probably the coolest thing you will see today. Forget about the David Attenborough documentary on telly or the weird thing some guy down at the pub can do with his double-jointed thumb, Speers presents us with something truly intoxicating. Blending the space between reality and fantasy, these photos are a chilling retreat into the costumes of childhood parties.

Through a combination of subject choice, extensive props and gorgeous handmade costumes, Speers creates complex characters and situations. These images appear to have an agenda, as though a message were intended to reach the viewer, though what that message may be is left unstated. Through the visual juxtaposition between these divergent elements Speers creates a marvellous, unknown tension which leaves the audience bewildered.

"Speers wanted to use the imaginary birthday party backdrop to address both our collective human experience of war and our need to retreat from it into fantasy. The concept is very streamlined, as are the visuals - lone children against the same gray wall staring openly at the camera - and the elements work together to create these timeless portraits" Quoted from Vee Speer's Webpage.

There are unconfirmed rumours floating around the blog-o-sphere that the works are informed by a series of short stories. However, without an explanation beyond the series title, 'The Birthday Party', the audience is intrinsically involved. Through a thwarted desire for explanation, Speers deepens the dramatic tension. As viewers, we are left to our own suppositions.

Amazing.

Love Centine,

xoxoxoxox

Arise Africa Fashion Week

2009-06-18T02:12:00.000-07:00

Arise Africa Fashion Week is currently promoting the continent's best and most beautiful clothing designers:

Designer : Sandra Muendane (Mozambique)

Love the plaid shoes with socks combination. So cute. Totally trying this tomorrow.

Designer : Lanre da Silva (Nigeria)

Oh oh oh! I have this dream of the perfect corporate wardrobe, full of crazy cool adapted work outfits. This one needs to be amongst it. The gold collar is also glittery, making it even more brilliant. No one would mess with me in this outfit, no-sir-ee!!

Designer : Helen Asrat (Ethiopia)

Gasp. Divine.

Designer : Thula Sindi (South Africa)

Only the coolest LBD of this season! The bodice structure flows really nicely into the skirt. And how cute are the ballerina-style shoes?!

Designer : Tiffany Amber (Nigeria)

Love. Especially the sleeves. Love love love.

Designer : JewelbyLisa (Nigeria)

Eye-squinting brightness. Heart.

Designer : Nkwo (Nigeria)

This dress is too awesome for words. Love the anklet things.

Designer : Ituen Basi (Nigeria)

Oh my cotton socks, it's beautiful, it's wonderful, it's everything I've ever wanted! Over-the-top beading, bright colours and contrasting shoes. Very nice!

Monty Don Bourke aka The Passing on of the Crown of Television Garden King

2009-06-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

You say: Another post, Centine? What is going on? Have you nothing better to do?

I say: It's exam time. Get off my back. Or bring me a double-shot mocha.

Despite the terrible, terrible, awful, regrettable title of his latest show, Monty Don has an amusing name and a pleasant screen manner. "Around the World in 80 Days" (cliché much? Lame much?) is a wonderful exploration - and almost an analysis - of a garden, as well as the process of creating said garden. He explores the way people garden, why and how. He visits famous big touristy gardens and small private individual gardens. Basically, he owns your television for an hour and rants about gardens and things in the most delightful way.

Some of the countries which he visits on the show include:

* Mexico

* Cuba

* Brazil

* Argentina

* Chile

* Japan

* China

* US to the A

* India

* Morocco

* More countries than you'll ever actually go to

* South Africa

* Norway

* The Netherlands (represent!)

* Australia (And again!)

* New Zealand

* Etc etc.

And once you prevail past the incredibly mumsie idea behind the show, it is actually quite enjoyable. Basically, you're listening to a charming, intelligent English man (always pleasant) while looking at pretty pictures. Don't believe me? Check out his promo (gosh he's so charming and attractive and intelligent... swoon) and then look at these gardens:

Pretty, right?

What have you got to say to that, Don Burke?

...

Don?

...

... Oh right...

...

yeah... yeah, bugs are cool, I guess...

Silvester/Capote

2009-06-16T02:28:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, the name "Moran" immediately conjures up images of this man, usually with an accompanying smoke machine and rose petals falling delicately from the ceiling:

The delightful, the devine, Dylan Moran. Sigh.

For most of the Australian population, who haven't been living with me under a rock consuming nothing but stale malteasers and Black Books dvds, "Moran" instead represents the underbelly Melbourne gangland family. I promise, as soon as exams are over I'll come out from my self-contained hermitude and watch the dvds. Alone.

Des Moran, the last of his 'crime dynasty', was murdered yesterday in Ascot Vale.

This photo was taken after an attempt on his life in March. Now this guy was tough. Here he is just casually pointed to a gun hole, directly aimed at the driver's seat of his car. And not only did he call the gunman an "inbred albino [expletive]" (guesses, anyone?) to news crews, he was quoted as saying "I'm not scared one bit. Anyone who did it like that is a coward. If he'd been fair dinkum, he would have fired five or six shots, wouldn't he?"

What a legend. What a cool cucumber. What a remarkable, fantastic response. This article from the Sydney Morning Herald may me feel pretty bummed that Des 'Tuppence' Moran won't be making any more of these fantastic, larger than life statements.

Though something else about this article caught my eye. John Silvester, who penned this article 'Killer claims the last of the Morans', also happens to be the author of 'Underbelly'. Now I say this as though it were a coincidence, and try to remain as casual as Des Moran, but all I can think of is this:

Truman Capote. The fabulous and eccentric author of 'In Cold Blood' pioneered the non-fiction novel genre through a detailed account of the horrific murders of the Clutter family, and the trial of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. 'In Cold Blood' is a sensational and touching account of how a disconnected writer can be drawn into the complexities of a real life situation. Though it was initially a short article in a newspaper, Capote eventually came to gain the trust of Hickock and Smith as they suffered on death row, allowing for dramatic insights into a psychologically thrilling (in the movie genre sense, not excitement) situation. Through his interest and persistence, Capote became something of an expert on the incident. His work has recently been adapted into not one, but two amazing movies - 'Capote' and 'Infamous'.

Like Capote, Silvester has transcended the limits of a single medium. His expertise on the Moran family and the Gangland wars have allowed him to write a non-fiction novel as well as for numerous Australian newspapers, culminating in a Walkley Award in 2004. What an exciting, amazing repeat of history.

And John, I'm sorry for using this cartoon to represent you. If you could maybe upload a picture of yourself onto wikipedia, I will replace it immediately.

Cheers.

Centine.

xoxoxo

Beer Bike

2009-06-15T16:54:00.001-07:00

This is a beer bike, a common sight in most Dutch cities (not just Amsterdam). Basically, ten people sit around a moving bar, pedalling away to their heart's content, while a stone-cold designated driver (in the Netherlands affectionately called "Bob". No really, there is this hilariously folky song and this silly advertisement to prove it.)

Where was I?

Right, with one designated driver up front taking the jolly group for a sight-seeing tour around the city (which is not always Amsterdam).

Yesterday the beer bike made it onto the Australian news. And then this morning, I wake to find the Sydney Morning Herald.com covering it again. Now in my humble opinion, there simply has GOT to be more important news in the world to cover than a change in Dutch Government regulations against what is essentially no more than a buck's party novelty item.

And, gosh, I've seen these things in person. Watch this video, immediately.
Did that seem dangerous to you? They're playing youthful Michael Jackson, while regular bikes zoom past without a problem. "Watch out lady! A very slow and cumbersome 10-person bike is gradually running you over!" The whole situation reminds me of that drawn-out steamroller scene from Austin Powers.

It seems to me that accidents simply happen, usually to amazing comedic effect. And alcoholic idiots will continue to cause a problem, especially in a city like Amsterdam which champions intoxication of all kinds (I'm not going to implicate any other Dutch cities in that statement). Maybe it's time for us to accept the bruises to our egos and shins, and simply let the kids have a bit of fun on the weekend. Because as far as dangerous or worrisome international situations go, this seems more concerning to me than this.

Lots o Love

Centine

Growing Up Awkward

2009-06-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

What do the following images have in common?

If you answered 'they are funny', you're half right.

If you answered 'they are funny and they are awkward', you're getting closer.

If you answered 'they are funny because they are awkward', you are bang on the money.

Yet it seems to me that this whole 'laughing at that awkward thing that just happened' is a rather new phenomenon. I clearly remember watching Napoleon Dynamite for the first time: though I was laughing hysterically, I felt inCREDibly uncomfortable watching all this awkwardness on telly.

Why uncomfortable? Because I felt manipulated by the film to laugh at a 'character' rather than at a 'situation'. Napoleon was like the weird kid at school, and viewing the movie made me like the bully. By positioning the audience in this manner the final dance scene becomes a triumph over the viewer and oppositional characters alike.

This movie proves that you and I are a bunch of jerks, showing that all along you've been complicit in laughing at this kid, who is evidently cooler and hipper than we could ever hope to be. Those dance moves own all over anything you have ever done. That thesis you just finished? Rubbish. Your ability to translate French? Worthless. Your recent foray into pussy-bow blouses? Lame. Unless of course you're rocking that shirt with some sick Jamiroquai dance moves.

So today, while I was meant to be studying International Marketing for a terribly scary exam on Friday (50%?!), I instead thought about why we find things funny. Some of the most brilliant internet memes of the moment (should I say mement? No... no I shouldn't) centre around these amazingly awkward situations. Think fmylife, think failblog.org, think awkward family photos. Each more painful and hilarious than the last. From 'Flight of the Conchords, there's Mel's vlog. And of course Arrested Development: Gob is a genius, brilliant, shining example of the 'awkward funny'.

Traditionally, 'satire' is used to "ridicule, expose and criticise people's stupidity or vices". However, it is only considered truly satirical if this humour is targeted at an individual in a position of power. Humour is the great leveller, able to stump politicians and mock the powerful, as in this image by W. Heath, "Waist and Extravagance", which ridicules the fashion of circa 1830 (a topical image for you all, I'm sure).

However, these awkward-funny moments and situations are not aimed at powerful figures of society. Indeed, it is the teenage kid, the unemployed magician, the anonymous working drone, and the unfashionable mullet/handle-bar mo bearer who now cops the brunt of our jokes.

If indeed it is the least empowered individuals who are now our laughing stock, is this humour still satirical, and more importantly, ethical? And what does this reveal about contemporary human nature, that we feel that laughing at the underdog is not only culturally acceptable but entertaining? Is this a new form of humour? Have awkward situations always seemed this hilarious? Or is popular culture highlighting a malicious and hurtful aspect of our individual personalities?

Oh, heck, this is just too hilarious for words OR analysis!

Roflcopter.

Love love,

Centine.

Intensely Dutch

2009-06-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

Being both a pompous art fool and a fierce supporter slash citizen of the Netherlands, there was no way I was going to miss the "Intensely Dutch" exhibition at the Gallery of New South Wales. To Dutch-ify the whole experience, I took along my very Dutch mother. Dutch Dutch Dutch.

Featuring the works of Karel Appel, Constant and Corneille, this exhibition featured some absolutely lovely Avant-Garde pieces. Belonging to the school of CoBrA - named so after the places of origin of the movements key players (Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam) - these works are colourful, lively, playful and intoxicating. Now I don't really know all that much technical stuff about art, but these paintings are so much fun.

Left, Constant 'The Animal Sorcerer'. right, Karel Appel 'Ontmoeting'

(Unsure. Corneille, I think. If you have any clues, drop me a line. xoxo)

From my limited internet research, it appears that the movement was first generated as a response to earlier censorship by Nazi Germany during the occupation. However, I don't feel any anger or exasperation from these pieces. I'd like to think that these artists were painting "despite" any censorship, rather than in "opposition"; that the optimism radiating from these works are indicative of the artist's general temperament rather than as a reactive measure. Hendrik Kolenberg, the curator of the Gallery of New South Wales, describes this personality trait as a characteristic of the Dutch people in general:

"The Dutch are a funny lot. They're very much about individuality and embracing what you want to do without fear. The Dutch have had to contend with the sea - if they don't hold it back whole towns would disappear. That's where the Dutch sense of optimism comes from, I think." http://www.timeoutsydney.com.au/arts/event/intensely-dutch.aspx

And though I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition, I found it very odd how they set up the space. Included within the exhibition were artists such as Willem de Kooning, Bram Bogart and Gerrit Benner - all fore runners and major influences on the CoBrA artists. However, instead of placing the works chronologically, and thereby tracing the development of Dutch art and characteristics through time, the exhibition opens with Karel Appel, and works backwards. Rather than seeing a development, it now comes across as something of a (forgive me for this) regression.

Gerrit Benner, 'Fries Landschap')

(Willem de Kooning, 'Two Trees on Mary Street... Amen!')

Not that I don't like these artists. (Too many negatives?) It is clear that these works are significant and beautiful in their own right. I simply feel that instead of seeing how the ideas are built upon over time, the exhibition shows a distinct change of pace. We begin in the excitement and splendour of CoBrA and work backwards into a more sombre world view. In my mind, art and culture should always be progressing and looking forward, anticipating the next development. And I feel that Intensely Dutch, as Intensely Good and Enjoyable as it is, tends to present the exact opposite.

This exhibition is on until the 23rd of August.

And it is awesome.

Love love,

Centine.

xoxoxo

Outback Spectrum

2009-05-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

Embarrassing confession: today I spent over 3 hours at Outback Steakhouse, chilling with my home-girl Jac. For some reason, the feng shui of my previous place of employment was so perfect that we bought a paper and read it cover to cover and worked on cross-words and sudokus. Though not successfully. Not a single puzzle was completed.

In the Spectrum section of the paper, I found a rather confronting article. According to Richard Flanagan, the Australian publishing industry is facing something of a crises.

"Bookselling in America, like Australia, runs on a consignment system. Where it differs is that return rates there are typically 50 per cent. These returned, unsold books are generally pulped or remaindered - sold off for one or two dollars, the author receiving no payment. Under this proposal these returned books will now be able to be dumped on the Australian market like Italian canned tomatoes.

Thus even a hugely successful Tim Winton novel - a book that enables his publisher here, Penguin Australia, to nurture new Australian writers of talent - could end up in Australian remainder bins. A dumped US hardback of Breath would be far cheaper than an Australian paperback, but with no royalty payable to the author and no profit to their Australian publisher.

The effects of this would be two fold: it would ultimately force major Australian writers to publish out of the USA to protect their own interests, with all the sorry consequences that would entail, while it would see the destruction of support for the next generation of Tim Wintons as Australian publishers went to the wall, or survived as they did for the best part of two centuries, as distributors for imperial wares made elsewhere for others."

Now this is truly shitty news for Australian writers and Australian readers. Basically it sucks for everyone involved. So, friends, buy your independent books while you still can, because they just might not be there tomorrow.

Damn, Rudd, what are you even doing? First a war on binge drinking, now on literature? You're making it very difficult for me to continue supporting you...

Excessive Accessories

2009-05-30T23:47:00.000-07:00

I just don't know what has come over me recently! It's as though everything I wear needs to be over the top and overly colourful.

Take today's outfit:

(The light is terrible, but those stockings are a mustard colour)

And then there's last night excess:

(The white collar is a separate sparkly disco top Kaylene and I found in Melbourne)

And this outfit from last week:

(Note the giant rabbit on the necklace. Or rather, try NOT to note...)

Is there anyone I can see about my problem?

Adorable!

2009-05-29T19:35:00.001-07:00

Aw, I just had to post this! My little love-bird, Spekkie, is making a comfy nest in my ponytail.Sorry about the lighting, it's simply impossible in this grey wintery weather.

David Malouf - Ransom

2009-05-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

The First Tuesday Book Club is a bit of a strange subject for me. I never really watched it, even though I knew I should be. It's honestly hypocritical of me to complain that "people don't read enough" (said in high-pitched whiny voice when no one at the pub has read Catch 22 or similar), while ignoring a popular culture attempt to incorporate reading and - more importantly - discussions of literature into television.

theage.com

Also, I'm a pretty big fan of Marieke Hardy (which I might have mentioned before). As well as writing an amazing popular blog under the pseudonym of "Ms Fits", which has sadly been discontinued, and appearing on Triple J Breakfast radio with Robbie and the Doctor, she also writes for TV shows like "Packed to the Rafters", "Last Man Standing" and "Neighbours" amongst others. And there is more. She also designs clothes, is politically active, and writes for magazines, newspapers and so forth. Marieke is the modern day Renaissance man.

So there is really no excuse for my not being a FTBC fan (acronyms are very in, very now). Which is why I'm going to give it a shot this month. I'm going to read the books, I'm going to watch the show, and I'm going to discuss the merits in a pompous and superior tone.

The books for the next episode are F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (which is also the text for the nation's 'big read') and David Malouf's "Ransom".

So "Ransom" is yet another retelling of the "Illiad". Like most people, this sentence alone is enough to make my eyes roll back into my skull for a good old pensive stare into predictable cliché. However, do not be too quick to judge. Malouf knows what he is doing. There are no attempts to revisit the Trojan horse, there are no nail-biting melodramatic scenes of Paris or Helen (indeed they receive only passing commentary) and, happily for me, there is nothing in Achilles description which prevented me from picturing Brad Pitt in my mind's eye.

(I'm just going to need a moment...)

As he details in an 'afterword' (I love afterwords! I love reading something within a book which demonstrates how the author functions and is inspired. Screw you, Barthes, the author is not dead to me!) the book's "primary interest is in storytelling itself - why stories are told and why we need to hear them, how stories get changed in the telling - and much of what it has to tell are 'untold tales' found only in the margins of earlier writers" (Malouf, 2009, p 223).

Take THAT, dominant discourse! Malouf is challenging the historical voice of authority by recounting the emotional growth of King Priam in his challenge to recover the body of his son. Similarly, the friendship which develops between Priam and his cart driver Somax upsets the social structure the text itself presents.

I particularly liked how Malouf depicted Hermes. After pages of conversation between Somax, Priam and an 'unidentified youth', "Priam's eyes opened wide. He wondered how he had not seen it before. 'My lord,' he breathed. 'My lord Hermes!' " (2009, p 158).

Certain images and scenes within the work pop up repeatedly. Though this could have been an annoying and rather painful technique, I felt that the recurring description of the daughter-in-law cooking 'griddlecakes' to be particularly sympathetic and beautiful:

"The daughter-in-law, she's a good girl, uses her fingers - it's a trick you have to learn - and if she happens to burn them she pops her fingers into her mouth quick smart".

My only real issue with the work was Malouf's depiction of the narrator. (Warning: Severe Literary Wank Ahead). You see, I'm down with an omniscient author, I can see how they are useful. Especially for complex works, it's difficult to avoid. However, Malouf enters the head space of almost every single character. And often within a section. Now, call me old fashioned, but I feel that any change of headspace needs not only to be well marked through white space (or similar) but also to have a distinct purpose. Much of what is communicated through the private thoughts of his characters could as easily have been accomplished through inter-character dialogue.

So would I recommend for you to read "Ransom"? Yes I would. If only to be able to actively participate in First Tuesday Book Club with Marieke the champion.

Do I believe it will radically alter your view on life or literature? Probably not. And that isn't a criticism. "Ransom" is an enjoyable read, a comfortable and easy read. It is well written, satisfyingly quirky and charming. It is well-suited to grey rainy days in accompaniment with a doona and a Hot Chocolate.

Red Red Red Red Red

2009-05-29T09:04:00.001-07:00

Her character on Gossip Girl might have a terrible name (Blair? Bleh!) but Leighton Meester has single-handedly re-ignited my passion for red stockings...

"Writing Asia"

2009-05-26T02:37:00.000-07:00

On the 23rd of May, the Sydney Writers' Festival hosted an amazing panel called "Writing Asia". Hosted by Nocholas Jose and featuring the talents of Brian Castro, Tom Cho, Merlinda Bobis and Adam Aitken, this panel discussed how "Australia has written off Asia for almost 200 years; written off the countries of Asia, with cultural traditions of thousands of years. Perhaps it is time to write Asia; to write within it and of it, rather than just about it. The word Asia is found, after all, in the word Australia. If Australia wants to refigure itself in its relationship to the countries of Asia, to become part of Asia, as it were, then Asian must also be part of Australia." (Brian Castro, Writing Asia an Auto/biography, published by the Australian Defence Forces Academy, 1996).

Brian Castro, in particular, gave a wonderful talk, discussing his own experiences of both reading and writing Asian-Australian literature. He encouraged the development of individualised writing separated from the expectations and conventions surrounding this area of literature. The upcoming release of his ninth book, The Bath Fugues, is an exciting and significant addition to Australia's literary scene.

And of course Tom Cho! My Gosh, he really is exceptional. Through a very witty powerpoint deconstruction of language, and a dramatic reading from his new book "Look Who's Morphing", he really did steal the show. Australia has never before seen such a young and talented writer.

Not to mention Casula Powerhouse itself. Built in 1951 as a supplementary power station, it is a dramatic and persuasive industrial building. In 1994, Casula Powerhouse began an exciting new life as an arts centre. It sits directly next to a oft-used train line, adding to the imposing sensation of the centre.

Tom Cho will be reading at the Gallery of New South Wales tomorrow as part of their "Art After Hours" initiative, beginning at 17:30. Also, "Look Who's Morphing" will be launched by William Yang on Thursday the 28th at the Asia-Australia Arts Association (or Gallery 4A) at 18:00. The address for Gallery 4A is 181-187 Hay Street. I beyond recommend attending these events, as the charismatic Tom will simply sweep you off your feet.

Let's Play Dress Ups!

2009-05-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

What do you do on a quiet Sunday night?

Alice:

White Rabbit:

Jumpsuit-chique

Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing:

Roncho Poncho:

Dirty Hippy:

Disco Dancing:

Ye Olde Green Pants:

Power Glam:

"I love lamp"

Grecian Skank:

Discovery of Auto Timer:

"Yay! Fun Night!"

Breakfast Riddle

2009-05-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

What is the BEST thing about being home alone on a Sunday morning with a cup of tea, a dozen Krispy Kremes, Candy Pop Music and flannel pyjamas?

Every

single

Individual
Element

That

Marvellous
Sentence.
Love love!

Centine

Beachy Days: Now and Then

2009-05-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

I cannot figure out which of these beach activities would be more fun. Dancing on a double date with identical twins and vintage swimsuits:

Or chilling with my ladies in comfy cardigans after a brunch of pancakes and a Vogue:

I'm Not Really Loving It

2009-05-20T04:47:00.000-07:00

So I've just learnt from the Gruen Transfer that the McDonalds logo has greater symbol recognition around the world than the Crucifix.

Now I'm not sure how I feel about this. In a way it's quite amusing that a burger company can have bypassed (only in marketing terms) the entire Christian faith. Yet though I'm not religious, I find it intensely worrying that Ronald McDonald has more facebook friends (if you will) than the most recognised historical figure ever.

Next they'll be selling McDonalds charms in jewellery stores.

Oh no.

Is that...?

How did I not see this coming?!

Sydney Writers' Festival

2009-05-20T02:43:00.001-07:00

So tomorrow is a rather scary day for me. After recently starting at Giramondo publishing as a publicity/marketing intern, most of my work has been behind-the-scenes work through the internet and telephone.

Not tomorrow though! Oh no! For the first time I will be meeting with some of the authors I will be working with: Antigone Kefala and Robert Gray. They will be speaking at the Lived Lives panel to discuss (auto)biographical literature.

Now when I get nervous I tend to obsess about the little things. Logically I know that what I'm wearing will have no impact on my professional ability. But I still need to get it just right, if only so I feel socially comfortable. In my opinion there is nothing which messes with your esteem more than an ill-considered outfit. And for tomorrow it needs to be professional yet creative, respectful yet expressive. Basically, all I want to wear tomorrow is structured black pieces...

This is a summer version of what I'm thinking. Black military dress and big leather bag. For tomorrow I'll add in some stockings and a coat.

And of course, my signature shades. Gotta love the Lennon!

Wish me luck!

Centine