The final say from Dr Fiona Mackay in a robust and feisty conversation on the state of contemporary feminism. 'Why Feminism Matters?' was a Sydney Ideas forum with leading international political scientists and Australian academics and researchers including Mary Fainsod Katzenstein, Fiona Mackay, Rebecca Huntley, Karen Beckwith and Sue Goodwin. Watch the session on Slow TV or listen to a podcast of highlights on Radio National's Life Matters.
Susan Hawthorne has just written a new blog post following up on Jo Case's guest post "On Women's Writing". Check it out, and join the discussion on your favourite women writers.
Ex-Cleo editor and blogger Mia Freedman has given some positive airtime to our 2009 bestseller, Getting Real, but she seems to have gotten a bit gun shy after an article in the Australian portrayed her as the poster girl of the anti-porn movement. A bit of backpedalling in an attempt to distance herself from 'conservative or religious groups whose true intentions are to turn back the clock on all sorts of other things' has created an outcry on her blog.
Spinifex director Susan Hawthorne leads the charge with her response:
Dear Mia, As the publisher at Spinifex Press I want to thank you for mentioning Getting Real again on your blog (after your earlier positive comments on Getting Real). Getting Real is resonating with members of the community who come from a wide range of political views and life experiences. All want to bring about real change to girls’ – and women’s – lives – in exposing the pornified world we have to live in for its harmful ways. It has been incredibly gratifying to see a large and still growing number of international reviews from media outlets of all persuasions about Getting Real. Melinda Tankard Reist deserves full credit for putting together such an inspiring book. We are proud to be its publisher.
For a sampling of the many reviews Getting Real has received, visit the reviews page.
Put soft porn out of view & Emily Maguire on 'bad girl backlash'
An article in Melbourne's Age reports leading child experts -including Getting Real contributors- calling for a ban on adult magazines in newsagents, milk bars, convenience stores, supermarkets and petrol stations.
Plus there's another interesting piece in the Age by Emily Maguire on 'bad girl backlash'.
Long out of print, Spinifex Press is releasing Remember the Tarantella as an eBook this week. Remember the Tarantella is a novel that leads readers on a merry dance. It could be a dance to keep away the forces of death, but really it’s a dance of thrilling life.
Helen Daniel said of Remember the Tarantella: 'A visionary and questing novel of startling energy, intelligence and passion, its form shaped to its own image. It is the work of a major writer.'
Poetry To Pages: Jordie Albiston at Readings Carlton
Lizz Murphy, writer of Two Lips Went Shopping and editor of Wee Girls is facilitating a workshop in Goulburn called 'Time to Write'.
Lizz Murphy invites you to take a walk with words. A walk through memory or imagination, a walk through town or around a corner shop, a walk by the river, a walk through your own day … Turn your walks into poems or prose pieces. Add detail, develop your characters, pick up your step, pick up the pieces... Go for a real walk (just a short one, weather permitting). You never know what you might find. Exercises to get you thinking, remembering, imagining, writing. Tips on writing challenges. Whether you are an aspiring writer or an old hand take TIME TO WRITE.
Date: Saturday March 27 10.00 am – 3.30 pm Venue: Goulburn Library Civic Centre Address: Bourke Street, Goulburn Cost: $25/$15 unwaged, members of ACTWC or Miles Published writer
