quiet paws.

I know I’ve written before about how much I adore the words and beautiful ceramics created by Kylie Johnson, but after recently purchasing her gorgeous book ‘count me the stars‘, well I just couldn’t help gushing once more… That’s the thing about really great poetry and really great poets, they get under your skin, grab hold of your heart and stay with you forever.

This book is a true joy to behold and an absolute delight for all the senses. From the textured navy cloth cover scattered with glittery silver stars, to the place-keeping ribbon and on to the various fonts and formats applied to the enchanting words within… the hands, mind, heart and eyes cannot be anything but captivated.

While I have fallen head-over-heels with each and every one of her beautiful poetic verses, I wanted to share just a couple with you here (but you should buy her book so you can read the rest for yourself – I don’t want the other poems feeling left out).

If I were a word I would hope and wish for nothing more than to be a word crafted and carefully placed by such a talented poet as this. Her words leave me speechless …

ENTRIES HAVE NOW CLOSED!! A WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON!!

I have long been an admirer of the beautiful work created by Melbourne artisans Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison. I’ve had these two lovely wooden critters of theirs guarding my bookshelves for a few years now, and they’ve been doing an excellent job at keeping unwelcome visitors away from my precious pages.

It was only really a matter of time before another beautiful package from their store made it to my door (I’m surprised it wasn’t much sooner actually).

Rather than containing things of wood, this time this pretty package contained all things paper. I picked up a few gorgeous zines for myself including ‘Before it’s too late’, ‘Summertime: and the livin’ is easy, just as Ella & Louis sang’, and ‘Postcards from…But for the moon nobody could see us’. A package from Gracia and Louise always means that I will be well and truly treated, not just by their delicate words and pictures, but just from the whole experience.

Of course I didn’t forget about you. I also purchased a second copy of ‘Before it’s too late’ and ‘Geschlecht und Schoklade’ to giveaway in the next installment of the ‘Something for me, Something for you‘ series of giveaways.

‘Before it’s too late’ is a limited edition zine (with an edition run of 70) by Louise Jennison and captures all the beauty and starkness of the Arctic while pondering the impacts of climate change on such a place. ‘Geschlecht und Schoklade’ is a small limited edition zine (with an edition run of 100) by Gaby Bila-Guenther (a Berlin based poet), Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison, featuring five of Gaby’s poems throughout with collage elements. Please be aware that with a title like this, the zine is a little on the ‘adult’ side so prepare yourself for some sauciness, raciness and some very cheeky humour.

If you’d like the chance to win the two zines pictured above, just follow the instructions below. Entries for this giveaway close Monday 7 December 2009 @10pm (AEST). Good luck!!

So, how does the giveaway work?

1. The giveaway is open to anyone in the world in recognition of the global market for things of beauty.
2. Just leave a comment on this post and I’ll assign you your very own personal raffle ticket number.
3. Once the competition closes I’ll place all the raffle tickets into my hat and the lucky winning ticket will be drawn at random.
4. If you’re lucky enough to have your ticket selected, I’ll contact you via email so that you can send me your mailing address.
5. Congratulations if you are the winner, your prize will then be on its way!

On a recent cold and rainy winter day, I found myself wandering through one of those cheap clearance bookstores on the off chance that I may pick up something I’ve had my eye on for a while (honestly I don’t know why I put myself so readily in the path of book temptation). Of course, no sooner had I walked in the door than I located for myself a copy of ‘The Love Letters of Dylan Thomas’. While I haven’t seen the movie from which the book draws its cover, I am always drawn to personal letter collections. Letters (particularly those written by poets and authors) are often so beautiful and so genuine that they somehow make me feel more human – more connected, just by reading them.

Flipping through the pages of this book, I chanced upon the following opening to a letter (and once I read this I was completely sold on the purchase):

27 May, 1934  -  in Bed

Question One. I can’t come up.

Two.  I’m sleeping no better

Question Three. ‘No, I’ve done everything that’s wrong’

Four. I daren’t see the doctor.

Question 5. Yes, I love you.

I just sigh with the emotion bound by these words and the meaning that lies quietly within.

I also recently made another online book purchase through The Book Depository (have you shopped with them before? They offer a really good exchange rate and free worldwide shipping). ‘Backwards in High Heels – The Impossible Art of Being Female’ takes its title from someone who said that, ‘Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did – only she did it backwards in high heels’. It seems to be a very pretty book with a much-appreciated sense of humour (or at least that’s what I’m hoping).

With any luck I won’t stumble across any more ‘must buy’ or ‘tempting to buy’ books any time soon. What I really need to do is to find some quiet time away from the world and free myself from distractions so that I can catch up on all the printed wonders already in my home…

I like woodland creatures. My husband Lee likes comics. What better way to combine these random interests than in a comic book about medieval mice?

Lucky me – I have been spoilt with a gift of ‘Mouse Guard: Fall 1152′ which features the most beautiful art and wonderful story by David Petersen. I haven’t had a chance to read this enchanting book yet, but based on what I have investigated so far, I’m pretty sure I’ll love it! The story basically revolves around a colony of intelligent mice who live in a medieval era:

‘In the past, the mouse world endured a tyrannical Weasel Warlord until a noble band of mouse soldiers fought back. Ever since, the Mouse Guard has defended the peace and prosperity of its kingdom.’

I love this little band of mouse protectors and I love that the story parellels human history even though humans don’t exist in this mouse world.

I can’t wait to dive into the world of Mouse Guard, these brave little warriors seem noble and proud of the duties they provide to their villagers.

I feel it’s important to note that a love of woodland creatures and illustrated stories about mice does not mean I would enjoy a visit from a plague of rodents…

I love to read.

My house is a sad visual representation of that fact – bookshelves cover every available wall, piles of books are constantly beside the bed, in my handbag and beside my desk, and there’s rarely a week that goes by without another book title coming home with me to roost. While I’ve also been an avid magazine purchaser and reader for some time, I’ve recently been drawn into exploring a wider range of titles. The only downside to this pursuit (well apart from the financial implications) is that it takes me ages to get through them all…but for me that is a happy problem to have indeed!

In comparison to books, magazines offer a completely differ art-form and provide a completely different experience to the reader / viewer. Of course being what they are there is a heavy emphasis on visual aspects. Magazines can make you feel like you’ve found a life-long friend in print, or they can open a window into a previously unknown world. I wanted to share with you some of my all-time favourite and recently purchased magazine titles (which are yet to be inducted into the dedicated, must-read list).

Firstly, the Must-Reads (also known as the never throw-aways):

1. Frankie – I’ve loved Frankie from the very beginning. Amongst the pages I find a little bit of everything – fashion, reviews, interviews, craftiness, photography, creative inspiration and a little bit of myself. Frankie reminds me of a funny, quiet, smart, quirky cool girl who sits up the back of the classroom and who you’d instantly want to be friends with. The best thing of all she’s cool and yet not too cool to be unapproachable…
2. Lula – I would never have thought that my major Frankie crush could be rivalled, but then Lula comes along and completely steals my heart. Lula is unique, beautiful, kooky, dreamy and 100% printed muse material. There is so much to love amongst these pages that it’s hard to put it all into words – the font, the format, the features…everything is an absolute pleasure and privilege to read and view.
3. Real Living – I’ve had a love-hate relationship with interior design / renovation inspiration / home improvement style magazines for some time. Often I have succumbed to their beauty or fleeting inspiration only to be disappointed with what could be realistically achieved in my own home. Real Living is practical without being preachy and includes achievable ideas and inspiration for creating unique spaces in your home. This isn’t a magazine which suggests cookie-cutter solutions or generic designs, it simply presents alternatives and options which I for one had never considered before. Look out ugly house – your days are numbered!!
4. Notebook – I’ve only been reading Notebook for three or so issues, but to be honest it only took the first read to be completely smitten. This magazine is like that old friend, sister, mother, grandmother, or wise-old soul who you warmly welcome into your life. This is a smart magazine for smart women who don’t want to waste their time on waffle. It includes recipes, craft inspiration, book releases, details of upcoming cultural events, fashion, interviews…in other words, it has comprehensive and wide-ranging content.
5. Peppermint – I love magazines which use a wonderfully textured paper like Peppermint (thick, matt paper pages…I’m in love). What isn’t there to love about Australasia’s first eco-fashion mag? Born in Brisbane, it features a great mix of local and international content, it’s focussed on real people and real issues (no celebrity hounding or cheap gossip to be found) and it has a wonderful environmental theme without resorting to stereotypes of what it usually means to be ‘green’.

Secondly, the New-Comers (the yet-to-be-determined whether I collect):

1. Corduroy – Until this issue Corduroy was a magazine that I’d never come across before, but for some reason I thought I might just get along well with it. It’s another magazine like Peppermint which uses wonderful matt paper and has that divine ‘nice paper’ smell. It includes short profiles of inspirational people (some well-known, and some not-so-well-known at all), some beautiful full page photographic images, long profiles and a range of fashion features…all in all this magazine is understated and elegant, and leaves me feeling like I may become a little like that just by reading it. Well a girl can dream…
2. Dazed & Confused – Perhaps a touch too ‘arty’ and a touch too full of advertising for my usual taste, Dazed & Confused never fails to intrigue. This magazine opens up an ecletic world of bizarreness and beauty which is sometimes unbelievable, sometimes disturbing or sometimes irresistable  - but which is always interesting.
3. Wonderland – I circled this magazine for some time before I was ultimately seduced by its glossy beauty and amazing photography. I find this magazine challenging in the very best sense of the word. It features a wide range of image-heavy content and it can always be counted on to provide some fascinating insights into some fascinating people (for instance this issue features Vivienne Westwood, Charlie Kaufman and Leonard Nimoy). Your eyes deserve to be spoilt in this way!
4. Russh – A beautiful magazine which perfectly balances stunning fashion editorials with more attainable ‘real-world’ pieces. The people, places, products and stories that are featured are all undeniably cool, but not in a way that leaves me feeling alienated. Russh opens my eye to new worlds and new inspirations.
5. Yen – I’ve been an ‘on-again, off-again’ buyer and reader of Yen over the years, but recently I find myself once again returning to the fold. Sometimes I found it a little ‘too cool for school’ and a little smugly self-aware of it’s own level of coolness. Now I find that either I’ve mellowed, or the magazine has lost a little of its ‘cool for the sake of being cool’ edge. Whatever the reason I find Yen to be a creatively and artistically focussed women’s magazine which still feels ‘grounded’.

Given that I’m still feeling all ‘magazine obsessed’ at the moment, I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list in coming weeks. I may also end up moving some of the ‘New-Comers’ into the ‘Must-Reads’…stay tuned.

A few weeks back I finished reading ‘The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl‘ by Belle de Jour. Amongst a variety of other things, the book had me reflecting on the nature of friendship and on the type of friend that I am (or think that I am). Belle has a very close group of friends and she ponders the social danger that comes from knowing your friends almost as well as you know yourself. In her own words…

‘There is always a danger that by knowing too much about each other, all useful conversational skills will be lost. Only with people you’ve known since puberty can you be entertained by:

‘Remember the…’ Vague hand gesture.
‘Yes, just like in the movie.’
‘Oh god! And the arm thing B used to do.’
Random Star Wars quote.
Reference to mid-1990s politics.
Satisfied silence, or fits of inexplicable giggles for half an hour.‘

I’ve also enjoyed many conversations with close friends which run along similar lines to this – as I’m sure everyone has. That wonderful feeling of warmth and security offered by friendship and its shared experiences had me thinking about what I’d be prepared to do for a friend. To give myself some sort of benchmark for self-analysis, I thought that it would be useful to reflect on the range and depth of different types of friendship in a random subset of movies.

For some reason ‘The Big Chill‘ was the first movie that sprang to mind. If you’re not familiar with the story, basically a whole bunch of college friends reunite many years later for a funeral and end up spending a weekend together at the house of Harold (Kevin Kline) and Sarah (Glenn Close). They spend their time catching up and discussing where ‘it all went wrong or right’. Anyway, one of the characters (Meg) is desperate for a child and she decides to ask one of the men in the group to ‘help her out’. Pick of the crop is apparently Harold, and Sarah consents to them sleeping together. Now that’s a really lovely way for Sarah to help her friend, but I’m sorry I just could not be THAT good a friend. I’d be happy to offer support and talk through the range of options with Meg, but allowing her to sleep with my husband…no I’m sorry, I don’t think that would be happening.

In ‘Thelma & Lousie‘, what starts out as a fun road trip quickly gets out of hand after Thelma (Geena Davis) is attacked, with Louise (Susan Sarandon) killing the man involved. The two women are then officially ‘on the run’. Evading police and committing further crimes along the way, the two women learn a lot about themselves, the nature of freedom and their relationships with men. They eventually find themselves the target of a high speed police chase which forces them to the very brink of an uncrossable canyon. Staying true to their vow of ’sticking together’, the women decide to ‘keep going’, and with that they drive off the edge of the cliff. Look I’m all for finding independence and standing by your decisions (and your friends), but faced with the choice of driving off a cliff to certain death, or taking my chances with the law, I’ll choose the law thank you very much as I’m quite fond of living.

Andy’s (Anne Hathaway’s) friends in ‘The Devil Wears Prada‘ feel that they no longer get the attention that they’re used to ever since Andy started her new (and in the long-term, completely fabulous) job. Yeah, what a way to be supportive guys! As far as I can tell Andy still manages to catch up with her friends as often as she can, and she generously provides them with awesome goodies from her work. If Andy was my friend, I’d spend less time whinging about never seeing her and instead make the most of the time that she was able to spare (or perhaps this sentiment could be stated more eloquently – You go girl!!). Life is about priorities, and sometimes in life career comes first, especially if it can lead to something even more amazing. (On a side note, I wonder whether the end of the book would bother me as much as the end of the movie did?).

‘Bridget Jones‘ (Renee Zellweger) is supported by her surrogate ‘urban family’ of friends (a concept that I really, really love). These are the type of friends that are there when you need them, who are happy to share a drink or two, with which you can share and obsess over every minute detail of your life, but who also know exactly when they should give you time alone (after all no one likes people that over-stay their welcome). This kind of arrangement sounds pretty good to me. 

I’ve been fortunate to have met and known some really wonderful people throughout my life so far, a handful of which I’ve been proud to name as friends. Given that life is all about balance, I’ve also had some bad experiences with people that are no longer friends. The major downside to these former friendships is that I am now more reluctant to bond with new people and openly trust that someone else may in fact be interested in all the boring and innane details of my life. This has meant that I tend to keep people at a distance – perhaps at too great a distance to form meaningful connections. I know this will change with time, and I’m sure that recognising what has come before is an important step in looking forward to what is yet to be.

In any event I won’t be letting any current or future friends sleep with my husband or happily allow them to drive me off a cliff. I will however stand by their career choices if it’s working for them and makes them happy, and I will be there when I’m needed with an attentive ear (and maybe a bottle of wine)…With any luck they’ll be prepared to do the same.

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books sixteen to twenty on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Pleasure by Nikki Gemmell - This is a beautiful book with a gorgeous layout, containing thought-provoking words and stories which are from the heart and yet bluntly delivered. There is much loveliness to enjoy here, and like a very close friend it is able to deliver that which you most need to hear, whether that is what you wanted to hear or not. 
2. Familiar Studies by RL Stevenson - I love the small presentation of this book, the fact that it is second-hand and holds such appeal in its knocked about hard cover and age-stained pages. Collections of essays take up quite a lot of space on my bookshelves as I find them the most interesting way to learn more about admired authors or to think more on a particular topic. Here Stevenson speaks of Victor Hugo’s romances, discusses Robert Burns and shares thoughts on Thoreau’s character and opinions.
3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote - Probably the most recent addition to my ‘books of inspiration’, this was the first Truman Capote book I’ve read and it really opened my eyes to his talent (and has since led me to open more of his books). I love how he creates flawed characters which you can’t help but love, or at the very least, characters you want to know more of. Without this book I would not know of ‘the mean reds’ as opposed to suffering from ‘the blues’ and that would be a very great shame indeed. 
4. How To Be Idle  by Tom Hodgkinson - Contrary to the thoughts of many, being idle does not necessarily mean being lazy. This book describes itself as being a ‘manifesto for living’, and I wholeheartedly concur. Hodgkinson presents the ways in which we can reclaim our right to take control of our lives against the demands and busyness of  modern society. While this is at times a funny book, I resent the fact that it is often presented for sale in the ‘humour’ section of bookstores as it actually presents serious ideas and philosophies. 
5. Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard - This was the first Elmore Leonard book that I read and I have to say that I’ve been hooked ever since. His writing is clipped and succinct and yet he still manages to say so much. This is the story of Deputy US Marshal Karen Sisco and her relationship with bank robber Jack Foley, and was later adapted for the screen in a film featuring Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney. Set against disturbing insights to the seedier, crime-filled side of the streets, I am in complete awe of Leonard’s ability to build chemistry between unlikely characters. Sexy, fascinating and completely absorbing, there is little more to ask for in a really great story.

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books eleven to fifteen on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald - I first encountered this book at high school for an English assignment, and have pretty much loved it and Fitzgerald ever since. Gatsby, Daisy and Nick illuminated the world of the ‘roaring twenties’ for me. Fitzgerald presents these characters in an ultimately tragic story which lurks beneath the surface of all the glitz and glamour. Forever more I have found myself believing in the green light.
2. The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton - Again this is another that I haven’t read through in completeness (yet), but it’s one that I read from on the odd occasion. I am a very big reader of Alain de Botton and I absolutely adore his friendly, conversational writing tone and the way he cleverly delivers philosophical ideas in an entertaining (and pop culture friendly) way. This book contains input from a range of famous ‘travellers’  such as Flaubert, Wordsworth, Van Gogh and Ruskin who were inspired by travel. While I haven’t travelled too much yet, I hope to soon and I find this book inspires just for being what it is.
3. Walden by Henry David Thoreau - I have spoken on the site about my love of this book, time and time again and probably at much length, but I really can’t help myself. This is a soulmate book. I connect with this book in so many different ways, and often reflect on Thoreau’s thoughtful words. If there was one book to carry with me always, this would be it. I love it so, and as we know, ‘true love lasts a lifetime’. 
4. The Music of Chance by Paul Auster - This is a strange, wonderful, completely fantastic book which I’m still thinking about a couple of years after I first read it. The characters are slightly ‘off’ and the situations they find themselves in are almost unbelievable, and yet Auster’s words make anything possible. 
5. Footsteps: Adventures of a Romantic Biographer by Richard Holmes - As mentioned earlier in my book listing, I love a good outdoorsy walking adventure with a literary cast, and this book is no exception. Holmes retraces the steps of Robert Louis Stevenson’s journey through the Cevennes. Holmes is a wonderful biographer, he has an ear for an entertaining story and is adept at connecting the present with the past, bringing a cast of real-life characters expertly to life. This is wonderful, wonderful stuff and inspires as much with its words as with its content.

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books six to ten on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Page after Page by Heather Sellers - There are countless writing guides available, but often they leave me feeling a little flat and more likely not to write than before I started reading them. Not this book though. I recognised much of myself amongst these pages and more importantly feel like I have actually gained something from reading it. A book to turn to from time to time for some positive feedback or a gentle push.
2. Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes - This is a multi-layered book which has it turning from a literary biography, to an analysis of language, to a story of obsession, to a thrilling mystery and a thoughtful examination of the meaning of fiction. This is a real adventure of a read which had me moving from here to there, before I even had a chance to think about where I was going. A legendary storyteller.
3. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf - This is a day-in-the-life-of tale to end all day-in-the-life-of tales. Woolf is elegant and perfectly balanced in her use of stream-of-consciousness storytelling technique. This story is warm and real. It feels like it was ever so simple to put down on paper the thoughts which run through a person’s head on any given day … when of course it is anything but.
4. After Dark by Haruki Murakami - This book drifts between and across reality and through to another dream world. I love the use of a ‘real-time’ timeline, with events unfolding from late one evening. As ever with any Murakami tale, there is an eclectic mix of strange and wonderful characters who each have a direct or indirect role to play in eachother’s lives. Like Auster, Murakami messes up my brain in a really, really good way. I never know whether I ever really understand where he’s taken me in his stories, but that seems strangely less important than going on the journey.
5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman - Who can go past the tale of Buttercup and Westley? Well certainly not me. A classic book which is often described as having everything (and it’s probably true). Where else will you find fencing, fighting, kidnapping, romance, true love, giants, beautiful women, beautiful men, pain, death, resurrection, passion and revenge (to mention just a few of the themes)? Wonderfully funny and charming writing combined with an irresistible tale. 

Presented in no particular order of significance or importance, here are books one to five on my bookshelf of inspiration:

1. Possession by AS Byatt - I love the blending, contrast and overlap between historical and modern fiction. The story moves quickly and as it does the two main characters unravel clues and embark on a great literary adventure to unlock the mysteries of the past. The romance between the two modern characters grows, as the secret relationship between the two lovers of the past is brought to light. This book is a great demonstration of the successful intersection of plotlines across time. A lot of people hated the film adaptation of this book, but I thought it had its charms.
2. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - Death and the nature of grief are topics that I often reflect on. We all love and unfortunately we all have to face the loss of those we love. Too often grief is treated as something people are expected to just ‘deal with’ and that they should ‘move on’ with their life. This is a powerful book which deals with the reality of life and the tragedy which is found within it. 
3. A Scandalous Life by Mary S Lovell - The story of Jane Digby in the hands of Mary Lovell had me completely absorbed and utterly enchanted. The book leaves me satisfied and yet hungry to know more of Jane and her entirely extraordinary and wondrous life. A heartbreaking, inspiring, romantic and fascinating tale.
4. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster - A master of building worlds within worlds and stories within stories, this volume clearly demonstrates his incredible talent. The stories collected here springboard from traditional detective stories into something more wonderful and more indefinable. He creates linkages and connections to people, places and plots which in theory should not be possible. What can I say? Paul Auster messes with my head and I love it.
5. An Inland Voyage by RL Stevenson - I haven’t actually read this book through in completeness (yet), but I often flick through the pages and read a passage here and there. Stevenson has a wonderfully ‘real’ way of writing that puts you in the moment along with him. I’m also a complete sucker for walking adventures with a literary bent, so this tale has me donning my metaphorical hiking shoes. Also something tickles me about the idea of undertaking ‘an inland voyage’ … going on a voyage of one’s self.