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The Meditations is a curated series of reflections on writing and storytelling from contributors to Going Down Swinging No. 35. This reflection comes from Amaryllis Gacioppo on her piece ‘Interstate 15’. It was Whisky Pete who waved us out of Nevada, a…
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The Meditations is a curated series of reflections on writing and storytelling from contributors to Going Down Swinging No. 35. This reflection comes from Jonathon Lawrence on his short story ‘Kujiragatari (Whale Story)’. Once we have captured the animals, we drag…
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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Paul Mitchell considers the question of vocation when it comes to writing and its worth. A true story: one of Australia’s leading writers is watching a documentary. A surgeon performs a live-saving operation on a child. The leading Australian writer…
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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With editors scattered across the country like a rather wild connect-the-dot drawing, the production of Going Down Swinging No. 35 has proved a unique one. Co-editor Rhys Tate gives us the low-down on remote editing from rural Victoria. I’m a…
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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After a triumphant Melbourne Fringe run, Sean M. Whelan reflects on the process behind writing his first full-length play, Everything All the Time. What do I know about writing a play? After writing and staging one, it turns out what…
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Rob McGere, alias Paul Mitchell, ponders poetry from the construction site ahead of his Melbourne Fringe performance, Being a Wheel Family. This is one of them Bogs, isn’t it? Yeah? Nah? A Blog you call it? Oh yeah? Short for…
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Lily Fish unravels the creative process and mythologies behind her upcoming Melbourne Fringe performance, Yarn.
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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Paul Mitchell reflects on his experience running Australian Poetry-sponsored workshops with the Aboriginal community at Lake Tyers, Victoria. I’m standing on the balcony of the Lake Tyers Indigenous Training Centre, with a view to the water. It’s a grey day,…
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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Jennifer Compton revisits, ponders and critiques one of her earlier poems, ‘Woman With Japonica’, from her first book of poetry. I went out for a walk and a wander yesterday, because winter’s back had been broken and it was time…
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Anne M. Carson writes on confronting grief through ritual and poetry, and discusses the creative process surrounding the upcoming collaborative performance of her poem, ‘The dresser removes the Kimono of Mourning’. Back and forth, her hands are tireless, eddying like…
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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It was the Church that taught me first about the body.
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In February this year, I had my second child. Having a baby is a wonderful time in a writer’s life – if you’re like me, you swear black and blue that you’ll capture the beauty of each new feeling and…
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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It was the late ‘90s and I found myself riffing poetry for a then start-up company calling itself ‘Crumpler’. These bike couriers had realised the bags they’d sewn for themselves to carry packages were a better business proposition than making…
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Writer and past Going Down Swinging editor Jessica Friedmann reflects on birth, language, and the wavering world. I’ve lost words. Eighteen months ago I had them; neatly lined up in a vast internal storehouse. I love words – always have…
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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The concept is so crazy, it’s genius. Hire a red double-decker bus and stick two poets on it.
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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Going Down Swinging co-founder Kevin Brophy on confronting the fear of writing.
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So The Monthly’s editor, John van Tiggelen, recently made public his spat with former editor (now Good Weekend editor) Ben Naparstek. If you didn’t catch it, it was all about what John perceives as Ben’s lack of ideas, and his…
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“Today,” I announce enthusiastically to a school hall full of fidgeting Year 8s, 9s and 10s, “we are going to be doing… poetry!” My professionally beaming smile is met with 350 horrified expressions, and then my ears are filled with…
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Adam Ford tracks down poets and asks them the most difficult of questions: ‘Why do you write poetry?’
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Every three weeks, seven-time Going Down Swinging contributor Paul Mitchell will provide insight into the practicalities of a writing life: from staying inspired to surviving. Once people get over their amazement that I remain a writer despite not having written…
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Photo / Steffen Pedersen From storytelling to social work, rural Victorian writer Neil Boyack is a man with a fair bit to talk about. He’s also just released his debut poetry collection, Self Help and Other Works. I talked words,…
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