Sally Murphy's Blog, page 17

Worse Things than an Awesome review

It’s always delightful to stumble on a review of one of my books, but when I cam across this review on Youtube this week, I was blown away!  Dionyy, a librarian at Greater Dandenong, took so much time not just to give an opinion on the book, but to really delve deep into the characters, themes, settings, structure, illustrations and more.  So thorough!

Librarians truly rock!

Poetry Friday: 500 Perfect Words

I’ve been head down working on a verse novel, having set myself  a goal of finishing the current draft by the end of the month.  I love the feeling of knowing it’s almost there after a lot of struggle to bring together three different voices to highlight a little piece of history I feel is important.

This week, though, I found time to browse in my local bookshop and felt compelled to pick up a little red book called 500 Beautiful Words You Should Know.

I guess it’s no surprise that I was attracted to a book about words, but it surprised me how much I straight away wanted to read the book, cover to cover. It’s clever. each word is accompanied by a paragraph or two with a definition, discussion of its origins and examples of usage. this could be quite dry and dull, but it’s done in a way I  find entertaining. And the words themselves are delightful, thought provoking and/or amusing ranging from quite common words to ones less known.

At home I was inspired to see if I could work some of these words into my poetry but, when my notebook came out, I found myself instead challenged to use the words as titles. Could I write poems each using one of these words as the title, and the poem itself inspired by its meaning? I’m trying not to simply define the words, but to think a little outside the box.  I’m not sure I’ll write 500 of these little poetic snippets, but I’m having fun with the prompt and the challenge, dipping in to the book until I find a word that inspires me and then writing a short response. Here’s my first  three.

 

Accost

How could you? I ask

How dare you?

But the person

in the mirror

does not reply.

How can I?

(Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

Imprimatur

Mwah!

Sloppy toddler kiss

gives approval

for Granny’s baking.

(Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

And lastly, this one, inspired by  my recent desire to write about  jellyfish. The video that follows (which I have shared here before) might help explain the poem.

Bagatelle

Drifting

above sandy floors

and rocky shallows

at first you seem

just a  blob of jelly

but then you twist

and tiny party lights

show your hidden talents.

(Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

I’m off to get that novel draft finished, but there’ll be some more writing inspired by 500 Beautiful Words in my near future. I’m also ready to check out the Poetry Friday Roundup. You’ll find it here.

Poetry Friday: A Definition

It’s Poetry Friday and it’s also April 1, which means it’s the start of National Poetry Month (NPM) in the United States. Here in Australia, our Poetry Month is in August – but I choose to think that EVERY month should be poetry month, so I am going to celebrate in April AND August, as many other months as I can – even Octember!

I thought I might start the month by considering what poetry is. Having completed a Doctorate in children’s poetry, it is probably surprising that I find it hard to give a simple answer tot his question. But, if youlvoe poetry, you’ll understand: poetry is different things to different people.

So, for me, I find it easiest to define by using a poem. I have given this definition in workshops and classrooms for quite some time – and was delighted to then be able to include it in my book Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose last year. And now, here I am sharing it with you to celebrate  NPM.

 

A Poem

(by Sally Murphy)

A poem

is a whole lot of words

a plethora of words

a smattering, a scattering

a shattering of words

thrown on a page

in carefully created

chaos

to make you wonder.

 

It’s not a definite answer – but the best poems aren’t – they leave you with something to ponder – maybe a depth of feeling, maybe a sense of joy, or maybe even just a giggle.

I’m off to wonder at the other offerings for Poetry Friday. The roundup is being hosted by Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe.

March Reads

Time for  reflection on my reading for the month past, and I am happy to report that I did indeed get some reading done. My tallies in January and February were abysmal – so low I was a little embarrassed to report them – but I turned this around in March and managed to finish 14 books.  I’m pleased with this, and also pleased with the big range of books that have filled my life – from quirky board books, to dark, but beautiful, novels.  Here’s what I read:

Books for ChildrenTravels of an Extraordinary Hamster, by Astrid Desbordes and Pauline Martin (Gecko Press, 2015). A funny chapter book/graphic novel told entirely through illustrations and speech bubbles. Hamster is selfish, and yet somehow endearing and his adventures will entertain young readers.Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume (Bodley Head, 1979). I love Judy Blume, and picked this book up in a second hand shop a while ago.  The adventures of Peter, a fourth-grader whose biggest trouble in life is his little brother, Fudge.Interned, by Pamela Rushby (Walker Books, 2022). Wonderful historical fiction set in and around the internment camps in rural Australian in WW1. Some tough subject matter, told with compassion and a gentle touch.Everything You Want to See, by Kyle Hughes-Odgers (Fremantle Press, 2022). This is such a cute little offering, in board book format with rhyming text and whimsical illustrations, showing young readers the things they want to see.  Sure to be a firm favourite with my grandies.Wombat Can’t Sing, by Katie Stewart (Fremantle Press, 2022). A lovely picture book text about knowing one’s own strengths, and not trying to please everyone. As you can see from the cover, Wombat is  gorgeously wrought.The Last Light Horse, by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Brian Simmonds (Fremantle Press, 2022). The fourth and final instalment in the breathtaking Light series, this historical picture book focusses on the story of Sandy, the one light horse who was returned to Australia.Answers to Brut, by Gillian Rubinstein (Omnibus/Puffin, 1998). An op-shop find. and a Rubinstein book I hadn’t heard of. When Kel finds Caspian’s bull terrier, Brut, he decides to borrow him for a little while. It isn’t right, but he has no idea just what adventure it will create for him, and for Caspian, when Brut goes missing and they have to try to rescue him.The Echidna Near My Place, By Sue Whiting & Cate James (Walker Books, 2022). This adorable picture book made me smile even before I opened it. Look at the gorgeous cover!  And the author is one of my amazing author  friends, so I knew it would be good. Combines the story of a child and her Nana and their encounters with a local echidna, with facts about echidnas, in a satisfying blend – with stunning illustrations by a new-to-me illustrator.The Wearing of the Green, by Claire Saxby (Walker Books, 2022). Another book by one of my closest author-buddies. Of course it is hard to be unbiased when you love the authors as much as I love Claire and Sue, but I do what I can. And Claire’s way with bringing historical fiction to life is wonderful. The story of an Irish orphan and her life in colonial Victoria. I was very late to bed the night I read this – I had to finish it before I could sleep.

 

Books for Adults

 

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Arthur Conan Doyle. Continuing my listening of the audio collection, read by Stephen Fry. It’s been months since I started listening to the complete works, and I still have more to go, but I’m not sick of it yet.The Gallerist, by Michael Levitt (Fremantle Press, 2022). Set in Perth, this is part mystery, part later-life romance, set in Australia’s art world, with the main character a gallerist who sets out to investigate the provenance of a painting.After Darkness, by Christine Piper (Allen & Unwin, 2014). It wasn’t deliberate that I read two books about internees this month (see Interned, above), but it was interesting to see two stories, one from young people’s perspectives and one from an adult one. Tomakazu is a Japanese doctor who is interned in South Australia during WW2, but we also follow this backstory, gradually learning of his past in Japan. Well woven.The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle. My second Sherlock for the month. Still three more go to have read The Definitive Collection. It’s a marathon, but I’m still enjoying it. The Silence of Water, by Sharron Booth (Fremantle Press, 2022). Not an easy read in places, because of its subject matter, but absorbing and beautifully written. A fictionalised story of a real man, Edwin Salt, a convict sent to Western Australia for the brutal murder of his wife and, importantly, the story of the impact of his actions on that wife, Mary Ann, and three generations of Salt’s family.

This brings my total for the year to 24. Still a way to go to reach my goal of 153 for the year – but there is indeed a lot of the year to go. Onwards and upwards.

 

What have you been reading?

Poetry Friday: Seaside Me

As I left the beach this morning I smiled at another swimmer who had also just got out.

‘Don’t you feel like a new person?’ she asked.

‘Absolutely!’ I replied. ‘I’m a much nicer person when I’ve been to the beach’

We chatted a little more, and I filled my new friend in on the names of the some of the fish she had seen, and I left smiling.

Back home, I pondered what I’d said though. Maybe it’s sad that I’m not always nice, but I also think it’s worth celebrating when we know what our happy-place is, and we seize opportunities  to go there.  Because if it makes me happy, makes me feel nicer, then chances are it also benefitting those around me.

And, of course, this generated this poem draft:

The Many Faces of Me

Before I head to the beach

I am cranky-me

Busy-me

Overloaded-with-thoughts-me

 

When I reach the beach

I am  breathe-in-salty-air-me

Rush-to-get-in-water-me

Slightly-awkward-landbound-me

 

In the water

I am look-at-this-me

Look-at-that-me

Wonder-awe-and-peaceful-me

 

When home time comes

I am happy-me

content-me

Feel-like-a-new-person-me.

Hope-this-feeling-lasts-me.

(copyright Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

and this, in turn, generated a further thought – I’m also a nicer person when my creativity is flowing. Any day with a swim and a chance to write is a great day.

If you don’t have the chance to immerse yourself at the beach today, here’s a video from a few weeks ago that might help.

And, when I went looking for that video I remembered this one – made when it was too cold to swim, but when I was happy just to dunk my toes:

I hope you have happy toes. In fact i hope you’re happy all over.

The thing that is going to make me happier today is visiting all my poetry loving friends. It’s Poetry Friday and 0 is hosting 0. I’m off to 0, and you can swim along.

Poetry Friday: Pool Bugs and Busy bees

It’s Autumn here, and the rosemary hedge in my front yard is looking, smelling and sounding divine.

Sounding?  Yup! My hedge is humming with the happy song of hundreds of bees, who love the rosemary as much  as I do, it seems.  It’s a lovely sound.

And with so many flowers to choose from, it’s a bit like a bee buffet, bees bustling from flower to flower, as if they want to sample every one.

 

 

Bee Buffet

 

I can’t decide

where to sit

from table

to table

I buzz and flit.

(Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

I went looking for another poem to go with this one, from my archive.  I was surprised that this seems to be my only other poem with a bee-reference, although I’ve written several about flies, spiders and ants.

 

Pool Bugs

 

The pool is for people

So why do dragonflies

Dip and dive

At the edges

From dawn until dusk?

 

The pool is for people

So why do bees

Buzz and bustle

Near the steps

Busily bumbling?

 

The pool is for people

So why do wasps

Whizz and whir

Scaring little kids

As they wildly wing?

 

The pool is for people

So why don’t the bugs

Just buzz off now?

 

(Sally Murphy, 2014)

 

Not that I necessarily want the bugs to vanish – but it actually makes me sad when I find a bee in my pool, because they often drown. Unless I get there first with my net to rescue them, of course.

I do love autumn and the signs of life that re-emerge after the harsh summer heat. Something else I love is Poetry Friday, where I get to buzz around and see what my fellow poets have bene up to this week. You can hum along, by checking out the roundup, this week hosted by Ruth. 

On Pigeons, Audience Tastes and Making People Smile

If you visit this  blog, or my Instagram or other social media, you might notice that I tend to share photos and videos of things which tickle my fancy, meaning that along with writing and books news, I have a fairly eclectic online presence. My Youtube offerings are no different. Although I have the videos you might expect an author to share – reading from my books, sharing poems, glimpses of appearances and so on, I also have just as many that are not book related – often snorkelling, dolphins or other beach wonders.

But, this week, I was alerted by an email that there was a new comment on a video I posted way back  in 2016.  The video, which I took sitting in Adelaide’s Rundle Mall features a beautifully coloured pigeon pecking around the mall, while a busker plays a banjo nearby. I titled it Dancing Pigeon.

 

To be honest, I’d forgotten about this video until the comment came by email. And the comment?

That bird did not dance

Now, when I looked at the account it came from, I’m pretty sure the comment is spam, but it did give me a chuckle.

It also alerted me to the fact that video has more views, by at least double, of all the videos I’ve shared.

Is it the incredible cinematography? (I think not)

The  amazing synchronisation of the bird and the music? (Again, I think not – as the commenter has above has pointed out, the claim of dancing is a bit of a long bow to draw, but hey, I’m creative!)

A worldwide fascination with or concern with pigeons? (Maybe – one of the few other comments on the video does point out that pigeons do not really belong in urban environments)

Or something else I’m missing?

 

I think it’s this latter. Someone – or some bot maybe – has shared the link to this video somewhere, or the odd title has resulted in unintended search engine hits, or something. I don’t know.

But what I do know is that, when I watch it, it still makes me smile, and I hope it makes other viewers smile too, however they arrive at the page.

And in the end, that’s what I hope to do when I write, or when I share films and photos, or when I speak to audiences. I want to make the world a better place.

I hope you have smiled today. And if you haven’t, here’s another of my videos that makes me smile every time I view it – an octopus shooting itself from a cannon (I wonder if someone will comment and tell me the octopus didn’t actually ‘shoot’ out’?) filmed on a snorkelling trip last year.

Thank you, random commenter. I’m sorry the pigeon didn’t really dance. But I hope the video made your day a tiny bit brighter. I filmed it at a really tough time in my own life, and I know that random pigeon made me smile then – and still does.

 

February Reads

At the end of January I was surprised at my low tally. My February tally is even lower – only three books finished – but I’m less surprised, because in February I did a lot of other things:

swam around the Busselton Jettyplanned and prepared for the start of a new university suggestion, among growing Covid numbers in our statesnorkelledrearranged my whole house, with the arrival of new carpet meaning most of our possessions had to packed up, moved and then moved back and unpackedwrote a tiny bit.

And that’s just the main things. Anyway, in spite of all that busyness, I did mange to complete three books, as well as start another three, which I am sure I’ll finish soon.

Here’s what I finished:

Books for ChildrenTwo Weeks With the Queen, by Morris Gleitzman (Pan Macmillan, 1989). I first read this not long after it came out,  and was curious how well it would stack up more than thirty years later.  it still moved me to tears. Funny but also very deeply moving, dealing with childhood cancer, AIDS and more.Where the World Ends, by Geraldine McCaughrean (Usborne, 2017). I picked this one up because I have been doing a little research of an event set in St Kilda, Australia. I quickly realised the St Kilda in this story is in Scotland, but was intrigued anyway. Based on a true story, a group of boys set ashore for a summer of sea birding is marooned when no one comes to collect them. Beautifully wrought, I am so glad I did find this one.Books for AdultsThe Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V. E. Schwab (Titan, 2020).  This was recommended on Audible, and I wasn’t sure, but really enjoyed it. Addie is 300 years old – having given her soul for the promise of time to live. The only catch is, she can’t own anything and no one remembers her once she is out of their sight. When she meets the one man who seems to be able to remember her, it seems too good to be true.

 

 

 

 

So, that brings my year to date total to ten. A slowish start to the year reading-wise, but there’s still plenty of reading time left in the year.

 

What have you been reading?

January Reading

It feels like 2022 has only just begun, and yet here we are one month down already. AT the end of 2021, when I posted my monthly reads, I wasn’t sure if I would keep posting each month, but I’ve decided to keep listing them. I have been experimenting with an app called Storygraph which also allows me to track my reads, but for now I quite like listing them a little old-school.

In 2021 I read 153 books, and I am hoping to match that this year. Keeping a monthly tally should also help me to keep to that – it motivates me on the days when I find myself a little distracted from reading.

Anyway, in spite of that aim, I find that I am reaching the end of January with a pretty low tally of only seven books for the month, even though there are some wonderful reads.. Here’s what I read:

Books for Children

(all three of these books came as review copies from Walker Books Australia)

 1. Michael Rosen’s Sticky McStickstick, by Michael Rosen & Tony Ross (Walker Book, 2022). I love all of Michael Rosen’s books, but this was extra special, as it does something very difficult – dealing with the impact of Covid-19 – with aplomb. This is Rosen’s personal account of how he learnt to walk again after being critically ill with Covid 19. It is gentle, honest and very child-friendly.

2. A Good Place, by Lucy Cousins (Walker Books, 2022). Look at this cover! Why wouldn’t I fall in love with this picture book? It’s happy and bright and has a gentle environmental message too. Can’t wait to share this one with my grandchildren, the Murphlings.

3. Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast, by Sue Whiting (Walker Books 2022). Wow! I have to confess that Sue is a good friend of mine, and so I am always excited to read her books, but putting that aside, this books is excellent. Adventure, a little humour, and a character whose best friend is a pig. What’s not to love? And I am pleased to see that Pearly and Pig will be back for more adventures.

Fiction for Adults
Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. I am glad I finally read htis, having seen it mentioned in so many places since it was released. I finally downloaded it on audio and listened to it fairly quickly. I know an audio book has me hooked when I start listening to it in the house instead of just saving it for the car. Beautiful, sad and mysterious in equal measure.

2. Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell (Headline, 2020). Another one I am super glad I read. The story of Hamnet, William Shakespeare’s son, but also of Shakespeare and his relationship with his wife (Agnes) and family. I really felt drawn to Agnes – very well wrought.

3. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle. Continuing my  read of Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection, read by Stephen Fry on audio, I got through another book this month. Nothing nicer than driving along listening to Stephen Fry, who is a wonderful narrator, and really enjoying the writing too.

 

Nonfiction

Atlas of the Heart, by Brene Brown (Penguin Random House,2021). I was really excited to read this, having read all of Brown’s earlier books, and adored them. She explores emotions in ways that are accessible and ‘real’, and this new offering is, although a little different than her others, extraordinary. I read it cover to cover but plan to reread and dip in to further digest. And I am going to try to find time this year to reread her backlist.

 

 

So, only seven books this month, but I loved them all. And, only 146 to go to match last year’s tally. I’m up for that!

 

What have you been reading?

Poetry Friday: Blowfish and Other Friends

It’s Poetry Friday and my first post for 2022 – so, Happy New Year to you!

It’s summer here in Australia and summer, for me, means swimming, enjoying the sunshine and, as often as I can, snorkelling! I cannot believe that, until two years ago I had never been snorkelling. Now, I would go every day if I could.

Last week I drove south  verrrrrry early in the morning so that I could beat the crowds at a spot which is becoming increasingly popular, known as The Aquarium – a natural rock pool that is people sized!  And I was lucky enough to get there when, although there were other people, I had the water to myself for about half an hour. Even luckier – I spent about ten minutes floating above a beautiful octopus. I was especially intrigued by the wrasse that seemed to be following the octopus. Friends? A guard? Or was the fish perhaps waiting for the octopus to catch dinner, so it could have the scraps?

This week I was in Perth for work, and met colleagues for a swim, walk and breakfast at the beach. After we said goodbye I couldn’t resist seizing the opportunity for another quick snorkel before heading to work.   No octopi this time (though I did spot some of the tell-tale shell piles which indicate their presence) – but I was not lonely. The warmer water off the coast at present has lead to big swarms (schools?) or blowfish (blowies) which have been reported in the media and discussed in my various snorkelling and beach groups. At Woodman Point they weren’t swarming, but there were more than usual – so you can see in my video that there are more bowies than anything.

Blowies like to nibble on absolutely anything, which is not always the nicest sensation, although I have been amused when they’ve nibbled my toes in the past. Luckily, though, this week they did not choose to nibble on me, instead following me so that I felt like I was the leader in a watery game of follow the leader, and photo-bombing my videos. They made me smile, and they are, I think, quite photogenic with their big eyes and their smiles. So, all up, I feel like blowies are my friends, and have written a poem in their honour.

Blowie Friends

When blowfish puff
it means stay away
stay away
but when I snorkel
it seems that blowies
simply want to play.
Some complain
about these mice of the sea
but I can’t help
but smile along
when they
smile at me.

(Sally Murphy, 2022)

Speaking of friends, my friend Mary Lee is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today, so swim over there and see what other poetry goodies can be found.