From the Lighthouse is a literary podcast published out of the Department of English at Macquarie University. Your hosts Dr Stephanie Russo and Dr Michelle Hamadache love to talk about anything to do with books, from the latest bestsellers and prize-winners, film and television adaptations of books to bookish news. Join us as we chat all things literary. For more information visit the MQ English Department webpage at www.engl.mq.edu.au
Travel writing—being paid to travel to and write about destinations all over the world sounds like a dream to many. In this episode of From the Lighthouse, Michelle Hamadache interviews Diana Plater, travel writer and journalist with more than twenty years experience, to hear how to get started in the industry, tips on travel writing, and how the industry has changed with globalisation and the digital era.
Diana Plater, professional travel writer, journalist, and now novelist, discusses her first novel, Whale Rock, a sensuous exploration of mothering and loss and what it means to be a middle-aged woman in multi-cultural Sydney.
Credit for the pic of Diana: Sylvia Karschies.
Whale Rock by Diana Plater is available at:
https://themoshshop.com.au/collections/new-releases/products/whale-rock-by-diana-plater;
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/924932
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07NYHWNTR
https://books.apple.com/us/book/whale-rock/id1454032970
Lee Kofman's Imperfect explores the way our bodies shape the people we are. This week, Stephanie talks to Lee about imperfect bodies, gender, the cultural history of scars, and why we never talk about our bodies.
Visit Lee's website at https://leekofman.com.au/
Mary Queen of Scots seems to be having a moment, with new films and plays about the Scottish queen's relationship with her cousin, Elizabeth I, recently released. This week, Michelle and Jimmy chat to Steph about one of her favourite subjects: the enduring appeal of Tudor queens.
Jenna Guillaume's debut novel, What I Like About Me, is a YA romantic comedy set at that most Australian of settings: the daggy caravan park. This week, Stephanie is joined by Jenna to discuss romance, body positivity, beauty pageants, Twitter, Dirty Dancing, and why all dresses should have pockets.
Jenna's Twitter account is @JennaGuillaume and her novel What I Like About Me is available at all good bookshops now.
The Quarry Journal, the online journal of Macquarie University's English Department, is currently seeking submissions for Issue 13: Borderlines. This week, Stephanie and Michelle discuss the issue with the student editor, Laura Neill.
For more information on The Quarry, or to submit please visit the journal website: http://thequarryjournal.com/submit-2/
Meredith Lake, award-winning historian, traces the impact of the Bible on Australian culture, from Tony Abbott's misuse of the Bible to discredit the science of climate change to the distinctively Australian irreverence for authority that saw the coining of the expressions 'bible-basher' and 'wowser'. Join Michelle Hamadache as she interviews Meredith Lake about the complex ways the Bible and its reception has shaped Australian literature, language and politics.
Alison Lyssa, playwright, writer and poet, discusses her groundbreaking feminist play Pinball. Pinball, a play about a young lesbian couple fighting the patriarchy for custody of one of the women's son, was labelled 'feminist chauvinist piggery' in the Australian Press in the 80s when it was first performed. Now a set-text in universities in the UK and re-staged by Duck Duck Goose in 2014, Pinball and its playwright, Alison Lyssa, remain cutting edge in contemporary Australia.
Meera Atkinson's Traumata is an innovative mix of memoir and cultural criticism, in the vein of Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts. This week, Stephanie chats to Meera about writing about trauma, the #metoo movement, and the possibility of change.
For more info visit our website at: https://www.fromthelighthouse.org
Just as our Contemporary Literature students were reading Junot Diaz, allegations of sexual harassment against the author emerged at the Sydney Writers Festival. Stephanie talked to three students from the class - Joanna Catsanos, Juliette Kaado and Jasmine Joyan - to discuss their reactions to the revelations.
