I read every night before I sleep, so there is always a small pile of books and comics on my bedside table. I have made a selection of these, which follows, omitting certain things that I am just not so fussed over, and will probably abandon before long. As well as those which will potentially do further harm to any already-tenuous allusions I may have to literary coolness or sophistication.   The Secret History of Wonder Woman/Jill Lepore I’ve enjoyed this immensely. Not necessarily for Lepore’s writing so much as her attention to detail. Like many of the early superheroes, […]

It was the chilly mid afternoon of 9 June 2018, the internet chugging along with its usual lazy chaos, when stand up comedian JooYung Roberts posted a statement on Facebook that began: Today… marks four years since Tom Ballard, host of the ABC television show Tonightly, indecently assaulted me. The public post went on to detail what had occurred, and the way this had affected Roberts over the proceeding four years. It ended with a call for the importance and rewards of truth prevailing, the need for justice, and a hashtag: #MeToo. Later the same day, Tom Ballard posted a […]

It’s the Fourth of July, and here in Brooklyn, New York, it’s 31 degrees. On the street I can hear the ice cream truck, and without needing to look, I know that there’s kids chasing their shadows in the fountains of cool water that jet up from the pavement in the park across the street. It’s hot, it’s a holiday: the kids are there. I know they are because the sound of soft serve on wheels ringing in my ears reminds me of home. It reminds me of long hot Brisbane summers filled with nothing but bubbling tar on the […]

I want to live inside a reality television makeover set with good lighting and a trio of style experts who promise to fix me. I want someone to really see me, to interpret and diffuse my essence into a natural makeup look, a flattering haircut, and outfits that are conventionally fashionable with a unique personal twist. I want my face shape to determine my future successes, my good features standing out like city lights on a horizon, calling out to people, making them want to aspire to be like me, too. I want to get really good at using highlighter. […]