As part of the discussion around legalising same-sex marriage in Australia, an American woman named Katy Faust has been playing the ‘rights of the children’ card. She wants us to believe all children need a biological mother and father to have a ‘good’ childhood. Aside from the fact it is an absurd notion, the argument has a… Read More
Every few days I scour the pages of seek.com looking for a job. It is a bit like looking for a date on RSVP. I filter out the ones that are too far away, too boring and too conservative. My days of wearing a pencil skirt and blazer are over. But unlike internet dating where… Read More
My childhood pastime of choice was ballet. I started lessons with Miss McAlpine at a studio above a Chinese Restaurant in New Plymouth when I was four years old. I always dreamed of being a ballerina, but my genetics had other ideas. When puberty arrived with wide hips and swelling breasts, it was obvious to everyone… Read More
As soon as the taxi dropped me at home, I telephoned my mother to let her know I was safe and sound. “How long were you away this time?” she asked. “Nine weeks,” I said. “We had rehearsals in Tokyo and then performed at the Singapore Arts Festival.” There was a long silence on the other end… Read More
He’s my dad but I like to call him Bob. When I was a little he used to say “When people say ‘Bob’s your uncle’, you can say ‘actually, Bob’s my father.’” In the photos I have of him when he was young, I can see a spark of mischief in his brown eyes. It seemed… Read More
It’s nice to have some photos from the past again. Instead of stuffing them away in an album, I’m putting them here — evidence that once I was young.
A trip out of the house turns into an adventure in the bush and the kindness of a stranger to get us back home.
When my boyfriend’s daughter encounters a spider in the bathroom, I don’t know what to do. Should I protect her by killing the spider, or make her face her fears?
“How the actual fuck did you even stay alive?” was the comment she made after reading about the death of my husband.
Who are my ancestors? The parents and grandparents of my adopted parents, or the family of the woman who gave birth to me almost fifty years ago?
Did you have a love/hate relationship with your siblings? Can you remember your first lie?
