A quick reminder that Pub Lunchage is happening this Saturday. I just booked the table, under my name, in the band room.

If you missed the details:

Comedy Festival is over. The Emerging Writers Festival is about to start. In the few spare weekends in between, we'd love to catch up with you all.

Usual deal: rock up if you can make it, no big deal if ( Read more... )

The Grunge Novel got its first rejection letter yesterday. (Well, rejection email.)

That's fine. Rejection is part of the process.

The bit that's depressing me is the reason for the rejection. The book alternates between teenagers starting a band in the early 90s, and the band reuniting in the present. And the editor felt teens wouldn't be interested ( Read more... )

I had my first ever interview about my writing last week, for the TaleTeller podcast. It's up now on their website, and subscribable through iTunes: http://taletellerpodcast.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/episode-7-david-whiteveen.html

Listening to it is a bit weird - do I really sound like that? I also talk too fast, and repeat myself. I was nervous, and ( Read more... )

From writer and Gaurdian columnist Damien Walter: 7 literary Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels you must read

I've read one of them: The Magus. But I read it as a teenager and don't really remember it. It was one of those weird books I used to find on my parents bookshelves and wonder how it got there, since it seemed so unlike anything they would enjoy.

(Yes ( Read more... )

Comedy Festival is over. The Emerging Writers Festival is about to start. In the few spare weekends in between, we'd love to catch up with you all.

Usual deal: rock up if you can make it, no big deal if you can't.

Where: The Wesley Anne, 250 High St, Northcote. (menu here)

When: 1:00pm-4:00pm, Saturday 18th May, 2013

Why: Because we love you. And ( Read more... )

Adrian Edmondson playing folk versions of classic punk and new wave songs.

I was debating whether or not to go see The Bad Shepherds, flipping between "that sounds cool" and "I've spent too much money lately". In the end, some friends said they were going, and that was enough to tip me into buying tickets.

We met up, had dinner upstairs at the Corner ( Read more... )

Just finished watching the Doctor Who episode "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS".

This isn't really a review. It's just some thoughts, about environment and imagination. But be warned:

( Spoilers Follow... )

I was going to save my money and not see any Comedy Festival shows this year.

11 shows is almost the same as none, right?

This is what I saw:

Dave Bloustein - Grand Guignol
Humourous horror stories from this clever stand-up. Sadly, opening night issues meant we saw the potential, rather than the polished show.

Hannah Gadsby - Nakedy Nudes
A lecture on ( Read more... )

First book off the ranks in Project READ ALL THE YA. I actually finished this book a week ago, I've just been too busy to blog.

All I Ever Wanted

Mim Dodds is 16 years old and determined not to grow up like her mother. Which is understandable, given her mother is an overweight drug-dealer who lives in the crime-and-poverty ridden neighbourhood of ( Read more... )

I wasn't really paying attention to the news on the weekend, so I'm only just reading up on this.

Labor has announced a $2.8 billion cut to tertiary education in order to pay for the Gonksi report recommendations for primary and secondary education.

The cuts are:

• $1.2 billion - students will have to repay Student Start up Scholarships
• $900 million - 2 ( Read more... )