Retro crime fiction, the Razzie Awards roasted over an off-colour nomination, plus hobbies that’ve changed my life
A special book giveaway this week – a SIGNED copy of Jane Harper’s ‘Exiles’!
A glowing ember of good news – a few days ago, Sherene Strahan wrote a post called ‘Marketing for Freelancers – How to Do It Right’ and included my website in a list of writers who are doing a decent job of marketing themselves. Cheers, Sherene! I try, as icky as it feels as a creative type to be all self-promotion-y. Honestly, Sherene should be naming herself in the list. Her website is clear, colourful, and calming to navigate around. Also, if you haven’t already and you have any writerly leanings whatsoever, take a tour around Lindy Alexander’s site where Sherene’s blog post was published. It’s absolute gold for writers, especially her posts where she openly reports on her earnings and how she made them.
Speaking of self-promotion, yesterday I was sitting outside a library café with a writer friend, chatting about the pleasures and pitfalls of the industry. Suddenly, the couple on the next table got up and the fella approached us. He’s one half of a podcast team (the other member being interstate). He invited my friend on the show to talk about her newly released debut novel. (For those who weren’t reading Becks and the City at the time, I’m talking about crime author R A Wodecki – catch up on my Q&A with her here about how she crafted her gothic novel.)
So, the point is: holy accidental networking, Batman! How cool is that?! I’ll keep you posted once the episode comes out, probably sometime around March. From this, we’ve concluded we should be loud and obnoxious in cafes all around Adelaide if opportunities flow from it. Now we’ll be even more insufferable, lolz.
Anyway, that’s it for now. Until next time…
News
1. Each year, the Razzie Awards propose the actors who’ve turned in the worst film performances. Even the best actors have at least received a nod at some point, if not won, one of these dubious awards. This year, for example, Tom Hanks has been nominated for two films – his version of Geppetto in Pinocchio and his role in Elvis. Harsh. But even more deeply uncool? Naming a child in one of the categories. Twelve-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong was listed in the ‘Worst Actor’ category for Firestarter. Like, come on, man. Following the backlash, the Razzies have announced they’ve retracted the nomination and are introducing a new age rule so no one under 18 can be nominated in future. Now let’s put in another rule – no one aged 18 or above can be named in the running either. Awards celebrating artists can be problematic enough with all the backdoor manoeuvring and vote-buying, how about we limit public humiliation, no matter the number of candles on your last birthday cake?
2. Super-keen to read some of these beauties. My most-wanted picks are: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld; Prettier If She Smiled More by Toni Jordan; and Can I Steal You For a Second? By Jodi McAlister.
Reviews
1. Have you tried this rockstar stuff – Mecca Cosmetica’s To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen Oxybenzone Free Formula? I’m probably on to my sixth tube by now. It’s not the cheapest on the market, but by golly it’s worth it. Genuinely non-greasy, it’s slightly glowy under foundation, but feels matte when it goes on and steers away from being too shiny. I’ve never gotten sunburnt when I’ve used it (which I’m very susceptible to) and the subtle tint in the formulation means it looks great without foundation on top, if you’re into light coverage. I can’t speak highly enough of this stuff. If the price doesn’t put you off ($42 for 75 grams), give it a crack.
2. I’ve seen this crime fiction series on library shelves for many a year, but never actually taken the plunge and read one until now. First published in 1986, ‘A’ Is For Alibi by Sue Grafton is, not gonna lie, a very retro read. Obviously, the technology has changed (remember paper phone books?), but the voice of the main character remains surprisingly fresh after all this time. Kinsey Millhone is a private investigator in California. In this novel, she’s tracking down the killer of divorce attorney Laurence Fife, who had a long list of enemies. I stayed up in the bath until 1:30am, so it was the very definition of a page-turner. Sadly, Grafton apparently died before the series made it to ‘Z’ (she got tantalisingly close at ‘Y’), but that still leaves us with plenty of compelling detective novels to read with (yay!) a female protagonist. Rated it.
Raves and Faves
Hobbies that have changed my life, for real
In search of new experiences, I’ve tried plenty of hobbies in my time. In my teenage years, for example, I played tennis both for the school team and my local club. I relished the mental challenge the tactics posed, admired the toned legs it gave me, appreciated the boost to my overall fitness… Did it set my world on fire, though? Nah.
There are plenty of pastimes in the same category of tennis – I enjoyed them, for sure, but that was about it. The ones listed below, on the other hand – they rocked my world. Without being wanky and weird about it, they changed me in some way. I thought I’d share in case you’d like try them. No guarantees you’d gel with them, too, but hey… you never know.
1. Entering competitions
This was the hobby that made me realise anything was possible. I got into it while I was a cash-strapped uni student, and after I started entering every giveaway I could find and winning a few things (a Kookai clothing voucher, CDs, movie tickets, etc), my thinking shifted from believing I was inherently unlucky, to recognising luck as a numbers game. Sure, you’ll lose more than you’ll win, but that makes the prizes you do take home all the sweeter. Plus, it’s loads of fun – devising answers to ‘25 words or less’ questions, taking quizzes, solving clues, doing scavenger hunts… Sometimes the process of competing was almost more fun that finding a prize in my letter box or a ‘Congratulations!’ email in my inbox. Almost.
2. Aerial arts
I’ve been a pole dancing student now for well over ten years. I’ve been learning aerial hammock for two years, and recently dabbling in the lyra as well. I’m quite mediocre at it, truthfully. I’m afraid of heights and frequently freak out when I’m only a metre or two off the ground. But these apparatuses/sports/artforms, whatever you want to call them, have changed my thinking around my capacity to achieve goals, particularly physical ones. Almost every week, you see a new trick that looks impossible, but then you work towards it, break it down to its elements, and eventually you startle yourself by being able to do it. It might take half a lesson, it might take (more likely in my case) several years. The personal satisfaction you get when you nail it, though, is immense.
3. K-pop
I try to keep my fangirling over K-pop to a bare minimum in this newsletter because I’m aware it’s not everyone’s scene, but seriously… I think it should be. I never thought I’d be the type of person to like K-pop at all. In 2020, when the world went topsy-turvy, I was probably mentally crying out for something fresh and freeing. I saw BTS perform their (then) new song Dynamite at the Video Music Awards (VMAs) on TV. I’d barely heard of them, but I was blown away by their catchy tune, perfect vocals, profound stage presence, and athletic dancing. I searched up their interviews and live performances on YouTube, I decided I just wanted to learn their names, and that was how I was drawn into this strange, obsessive, whole new (to me) music world. It's hard to describe what it is about K-pop, but the amount it’s added to my happiness over the last few years can’t be overstated.
Giveaway
The winner of last week’s prize – a copy Who Gets to be Smart by Bri Lee – is Daniela Spadaro. Yay! Daniela, I’ve emailed you.
This is a bit thrilling – this week the giveaway is a signed copy of Jane Harper’s latest crime novel, Exiles (which is a ripper, just quietly). Pop your name and email address in here to enter.
Playlist of the Week
Punk for when you want to spew glitter on your boss’s desk:
1. SLO - VUKOVI
2. PANIC ATTACK - Pussy Riot
3. Reflections - We Are In The Crowd
4. Soap - Stand Atlantic
5. No Lover - Jetty Bones
6. i'm gonna tell my therapist on you - Pinkshift
7. Personal - Against The Current
8. Mark My Words - Doll Skin
9. I Love Myself for Hating You - DIAMANTE
10. My Bones - The Pretty Reckless
11. Sweet but Psycho - First to Eleven
12. Oh! - The Linda Lindas
13. Moonlit - Rivals
14. Crybaby - Destroy Boys
15. Fugitive - Halflives