‘A Hollow Path’ by Luciana Nedelea
Jingi! This month I was very happy to be picking up my project where I left off back in February. March was full on with book publicity and promo, so I took an intentional hiatus from my research for that month. It was very nice to be back to regular programming…kind of.
I took a few sick days / mental health days in the middle of the month. I’ve been feeling stretched so thin and on the brink of burnout. All I want to do is work on my project but still, there’s just so much extra stuff happening at the moment: publicity, promo, curating, editing. I recently went through my inbox like a dose of salts and said no to a bunch of stuff, and I took my website’s contact page offline, and already I feel so much better.
RESEARCH
While I spent the last few month on my project rereading black spec fic texts to refamiliarise myself with them, this month I began reading two brand spanking new texts,
I was asked to endorse Ambelin Kwaymullina’s new book Liar’s Test. I couldn’t make the deadline but the publisher kindly sent me her manuscript anyway. I am part way through, and already this is classic Kwaymullina, but where the Ashala Wolf series was future neo-tribal science fiction, Liar’s Test is more medieval court intrigue with a Hunger Games twist. I would classify it as YA fantasy, and an allegorical dystopia.
I also began reading Sharlene Allsop’s The Great Undoing, which has the coolest cover I’ve seen in a while. This one is set in the future, here and in Europe, and has science fiction and dystopian subject matter. Allsop writes gorgeous sentences that’s for sure.
PUBLICATIONS
Lebanese Rites on Dharug Land, Justine Youssef – Somewhat Eternal, Institute of Modern Art 2024
- I wrote this essay for the Lebanese artist Justine Youssef last year, and it’s out in her art book this month. I went and saw Justine’s show at UTS in October too, so it was special to experience the artwork that my writing was relating too. I’m in this book with Chi Tran and Latoya Rule. I loved writing this piece. I’m always asked to write from an Aboriginal cultural standpoint, but here for the first time I’ve published something from my Lebanese cultural standing. In this piece I wrote about the First Station funeral rites for my favourite, most beloved cousin who passed away in 2018 and who I miss very dearly.
Poetic tapestries – review of Woven edited by Anne-Marie Te Whiu, Australian Book Review 2024
- I really loved this book. Some of the poems blew my friggen mind. I learnt a lot not just from the poets and their creations, but also from the curation and commisioning of the editor.
TEACHING & TALKS
I taught a class at Macquarie University on This All Come Back Now, focusing on Ellen van Neerven’s story ‘Water’ and my story ‘Terranora’. Given that Ellen’s story was part inspiration for mine, I focussed on the similarities between the stories.
Speaking of Ellen van Neerven! They invited me to speak on a panel at the UQ Museum of Art with Lisa Reihana. I saw Lisa’s incredible work last year at the Art Gallery of NSW, in the new building. It floored me and I sat and watched it and loved seeing thriving Indigenous futures. So very cool to meet her and talk with her on this panel Ellen curated and hosted, and we talking about Indigenous futures and story and utopian/dystopian stuff.
Now, for one of the highlights of my career: I have been a big fan of David Naimon’s Between the Covers podcast since I first started listening in 2017. At the time I had just moved to Melbourne from Sydney, and had just finished up my second and final workshop class at Sydney Uni. I knew I would miss nerding out and learning about literature from brilliant minds so I searched for ‘best literary podcast’ and one in particular came up in all the listicles: BTC. I listened religiously, walking to and from various public workspaces and getting the best education a budding writer can get. I signed up as a supporter of the show on Patreon, and started emailing with David the wonderful host about how great his show is. We then touched base over the years, mostly with me praising particular episodes of the show or sharing bits of my research which was greatly enhanced by his show. I sent him a copy of TACBN when it came out too, and some emu feathers, and he was so taken by Alexis Wright’s writing that he began inquiries about an interview. Fast forward to a few months ago when he confirmed her for the show and asked me to contribute a guest question. This is something he has been doing for a few years – asking others writers to contribute questions of their own which he incorporates into his own wonderful talking points. So, I sent mine in. Here is the episode. I was thrilled to hear it and super grateful for David giving my book a shout out. Please listen, and consider supporting the show if you can afford it. It really is the best education you can get in creative writing craft and context.
OTHER
I started mentoring Kalem Murray this month. He won the Boundless mentorship this year and asked for my help and I couldn’t be happier to work with him again. Kalem’s story ‘In His Fathers Footsteps’ is in TACBN, and I loved woking with him on it. He was keen and responsive to work with, a dream writer really. So we’ll be working on his novel manuscript over the coming year. What I’ve read so far is really great.
I was beyond stoked to hear Daniel Browning review Always Will Be on ABC’s The Book Shelf. Not only is Daniel the best journo woking in this country but he is a fellow Tweed Breed. It meant more to me that he enjoyed my book than anyone else, because after all I wrote it for the Tweed mob.
Finally, I’m very excited to return to Melbourne Writers Festival next month, and proud to be guest curator. I have been working on my introduction for Let it Bring Hope and talking points for Alexis. No pressure!
Bugalwan,
Mykaela
Thursday the 2nd of May, 2024
Mykaela Saunders 