dannyboy
Okay, so I was waiting for you to ask the first questions and get this whole
ping pong thing started but I'm an impatient prick so I'll start. I always
want to know why, why the writing? Secondly, how do I explain the magpie's
warble to pinchus who clearly has no idea of the gorgeous sound the bird
makes which is more akin to Tibetan bells than a song (this part is just so
we can mention how Aussie we are, and how great that is, and to ensure there
is a reference to a poem of mine because I am an egotistical bastard)? And
when you're not writing, Jeremy, what the fuck do you do, if anything?bika
oh no, impatience is a good thing - saves me from having to think about what
the hell to ask you to start - far too many questions to choose from. like
why do you look so much like Jimmy Barnes and is it a good thing yanks
probably don't know who the hell he is?
Why writing? Why is the sky blue? The trees green (or brown, the last few
years)? Why is it any time I try to hear the ocean in a sea shell I always
end up with sand and water in my ear and half deaf for the rest of the day
trying to get it out?
But mostly because I'm an angsty, guilt-ridden bastard with too little
opportunity to properly deal with the emotions and other crap in my life
that I should have dealt with years ago. And it helps me learn to
communicate better. With myself, with others. How about you? Your writing
more often than not leaves me speechless. Is it all about things you've
experienced? Or do you write about whatever takes your fancy?
Oh the magpie thing is easy. We have a forum for recordings. Either that or
we con him into flying out here so he can experience it for himself. Which
works better for me. It's a great place to be. Everybody should come and
visit. And the single ladies, just let me know flight dates and times, and
everything else will be taken care of ;-)
isn't having an ego a requirement of the board?
Not writing sees me working for a power company doing IT support (yes,
that's the reason I have suppressed emotions. yawn) and looking after my two
boys, Alex (4) and Zach (3). That pretty much makes up the bulk of my days.
I think one of the first poems I posted was about that, actually, on that
other board. Oh, does half-heartedly chasing women count?
How about you, db? Seriously gorgeous pictures of family, nice looking house
in the background, plenty of writing going on. I know you're local - I was
in the Glenroy area until the start of this year for about three years, and
you've mentioned places around there a bit. Lifelong locale? Ever get out to
the country? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and
why?
hmmm better take a breath there, I think ;-)
dannyboy
I grew up in Glenroy in the 60's and early seventies - I remember when the
roads were unmade, you could see all the way to Faulkner cemetery and the
dunny man's cart and horse still clip-clopped once a week to empty the crap.
Nowadays everything is disguised. I now live in leafy Ivanhoe and hate it
but the kids are settled in to local schools and stuff so we'll be here for
a few years longer. Jen and I lived in Korumburra for about seven years -
its the rolling green hills which I thought was the Irish in me but a few
years ago I went to Irish town in Tasmania (my dad's family came from there)
and there was Korumburra (rumour has it that the word means blowfly) all
over again. Which brings me to my writing. Resonances. Everything I write
comes about because something resonates inside me. As for the amount of
writing, I am extremely lucky. Many years ago I applied for a job (I wrote a
play and sent it to them with a note). The work is exciting and stimulating
and, best of all, comes with more holidays than you can poke a stick at. So
I write.
I have written since a very clever teacher gave me a term off English to
write something. I wrote a 40 page crappy story of teenage angst and she got
a whole term without me in the class - classic win/win. My wife and I are
happy, the kids are healthy and life is pretty easy, which shows just how
clever I am.
Anywhere in the world... Inside my head is as good as it gets. The outside
world is just fodder for what goes on in there.
But enough, I ramble as always, yes I can talk the feathers off a chook. So
back to writing. Do you write on paper or straight onto the screen? Have you
an end goal? Major influences? Shit like that.
bika
I'd like to see that. A chook with its feathers talked off, that is. Would
have to beat seeing a headless chook held under the arm of a teenage boy,
who was playing it like bagpipes when I was about 6 years old. But that was
up country, before I moved to the big smoke.
Ah why is it always the english teachers who are smart/cool? I had one who
was big into fantasy (smoked dope too, but that's a whole 'nother story) and
he was very clever in the way he handled his students. Never charged with
anything though.
As to your questions - paper is so last century. Most paper in my house is
either junk mail (which my boys lay claim to as quickly as it arrives in my
mailbox) or used a4 for them to draw on and write letters to various and
sundry people. Straight on the PC for me. Notepad is a wonderful program -
the epitomy of the KISS principle. Shame M$ lost the plot after that.
An end goal? Women, of course. Fame and fortune come secondary to my persuit
of women. Women in uniform. Women out of uniform. I write for women.
Seriously, though, no, while I harbour dreams of eventually producing a
book, I'm afraid I lack the self-discipline to ever finish one, and as such,
my goals are simply to improve my communication.
Major influences are the writers on this forum. I don't read much other
poetry, and my novel-reading of late has been dominated by escapism typoe
stuff. You, gary, jen and jr mainly. A poem by lans was what prompted me to
try my hand at it initially.
Do you still have rights to that initial play you wrote that landed you your
job? And if so, would you ever consider posting it in part or in whole on
this forum? Does your wife read these forums? Do you bounce your writings
off her?
dannyboy
That play is lost in one of the many trunks of writing I have scattered
around the house. I'll see if I can ever find the floppy it may be on. My
wife does not read these forums, nor my work for the Carlton football club
either. She is very patient with my obsessions. As for the poetry, she will
occassionally read one. It is actually something we've talked about and I
think she is determined to overcome her revulsion (at poetry not at me....I
hope)
My son and daughter are far more interested, mary often reads my poems and
is surprisingly accurate with her inperpretations. She's writing herself, as
is the lad (and also a nephew who has just started a creative writing
course) so it'll be interesting to see where that leads.
I hope the woman thing works out for you. I find the intimacy frees me up
for my writing, whereas in the old days (way back when) my energy was far
too directed at the flesh rather than the word. the pen might be mightier
than the sword but the sword, unused, demands a lot of attention!
Hey I hope you are keeping all this to pass on 'cos I haven't a foggiest how
to do that. I have learnt the basic needs of computing and the rest I leave
up to everyone else.
bika
bugger about the play. I hope you find the floppy, though. I can't believe
such an intelligent guy could possibly barrack for the Blues. If you'd said
Collingwood, I could understand it 'cause they incite all sorts of madness
in even the most rational people... but Carlton? Oh My God. You DO have a
good wife! I'm guessing it was just a typo, but do you really mean to say
your wife doesn't overcome her revulsion of you?? ;-)
Have you pointed your kids at LM? I don't know if I'd be brave enough. My
mum threatened to look it up (she's a retired english teacher) but I think
I've gotten her to hold off long enough to organise which posts of mine I
need deleted first.
The woman thing. Yeah. It'll work out. I'll go my way and they'll go theirs
and never the twain shall meet yadi yadi
And damn straight, keeping the
blade sharp with no whetstone is a bloody hard endeavour. huh. Change of
topic. Descending far too close to hodge and Ilan for my liking. Who's your
favourite author? Do you have much interest in watching stage productions?
Are we going to get any decent rain in the next twelve months? Who's on
first?
Yes I'm keeping all of this. Will even tidy it up before submitting, so it
comes out alright (ie making me sound far more witty and intelligent than
you). Which, I must admit, willl be an impressive deception should I manage
to pull it off...
dannyboy
It should be pointed out my wife is a Collingwood supporter and yet we
somehow survive (though I did agree to sacrifice my daughter's soul for the
sake of balance) - and no one will really understand this will they...
Favorite author, hmmmm I have favorite books rather than authors, favorite
poems rather than poets. I love portrait of an artist and I love Momo (a
children's book). Currently I am ready T.S. Eliot's poems and loving them
all over again and hope soon to meet with Robert Gray who has a residency
where I work.
No my children do not access this site, although my son is often reading
over my right shoulder. Mums and writing....One of my published poems
(doesn't that sound like there are thousands, nay millions of them,
scattered around the literary universe, being read by dreamy teenagers who
think only I undertand them)was a poem about my father - I let my sister see
it but have never told my mother or brothers about it. I'd end up with her
tears and their fists. Truth is an exploration of a state of mind not an
objective fact but try telling that to a brother's fist as it collects your
left eye and lips.
Theatre is somewhat lost to me though lately I have been dreaming. For
twenty years I have been developing a set of
drama exercises for would be actors that I call my box exercises - I have
started dreaming about using them (in another context than my teaching) so
maybe I will return to the stage - though I knocked back a part in a Brecht
play last year, so maybe the treading is done. Most theatre bores me. I hate
realism. Prefer the intuitive poetic theatre than the crappy intellectual
stuff they put on most places. I still go because I must with work and
because its a habit or old friends are still performing, but on the whole I
prefer a good German film or a Katie Demarco (?) kid's book.
Rain... well according to our American friends there is nothing to worry
about but I fear things will get worse. At least water management has
finally become a political focal point.
What's on second? And I am much more a Laurel and Hardy man than an Abbott
and Costello. Laurel was a comic genius and that reminds me of one of my all
time favorite movies - Laurel and Hardy go to Mother Goose Land - the scene
with the marching soldiers....
What about you, a favorite film? What other hobbies do you have? Have you
ever posed nude? I once acted nude with a very beautiful girl - it was the
only play my very Catholic mother ever came to (my father drove around the
block for an hour and a half luckily). Funny thing is, she hated that play.
So come on spill some beans....bika
hmm sacrificing a soul for balance makes sense. I suspect the rivalry will
be understood, even if the teams and sport aren't. But see, there you've
lost me, for of those books and so on mentioned, I've of (and read,
amazingly enough) only TS Eliot. The rest... a 747!
mmm oh yes, siblings can tend to be rather uhm. blunt. in that regard. I
think I showed one of my poems to my mum, but fortunately or not, I emailed
it to her and thus did not see if or what reaction it provoked.
What about ballet and/or opera? I wouldn't call either of them exactly
realisitic. hmm. Then again, I wouldn't call many Gilbert and Sullivan
operettas realistic either. Still, dreams are good. And dreaming of the
stage... well, I think I do that every day. For me, though, the put off is
the egos and politics involved. Hodge could take a pointer or two. heh.
Water management indeed. Only ten years too late. Still, better late than
never.
Ah Laurel and Hardy I never really got into. I'm more inclined to
60s/70s/80s British comedy, Are you being served, The Goodies, B;ackadder
and so on. Oh. Monty Python, of course.
Favourite film... not really sure I have one, although the only movie I've
ever gone to see more than once in the theatre was The Matrix (first one).
I don't even have a favourite actor. Each is good/bad in their own way. Ahh
hobbies. Yes, I remember them. Seriously, I'm a very boring person. I
half-heartedly chase women, write poetry, play Magic the Gathering, go to
the gym, work, look after and play with my kids and that pretty much takes
up most of my time.
The closest I've gotten to nudity in a play was... hmmm. Wearing a kilt for
Brigadoon. One episode of not keeping my knees together at a dress rehearsal
and I don't think I sat so casually again for close to six months. Half
naked playing in the band a few times. Half naked in ballet performances a
couple of times. But given I was like 12, that really doesn't count, huh?
Haven't posed nude either, but that is actually one of the things I have on
the list of 100 things to do before I die. Course I'd like to get in a bit
better shape before I do it. Wouldn't everyone?
Life before kids... actually life pre-Melbourne was more ... exciting. Sex,
drugs and rock n roll and all that jazz. Damn I'm glad it's over
dannyboy
Closest I come to ballet is wearing a cod piece (with a red rose poking out
of a front pouch) while singing 'what is it women most desire?' Amazing what
you'll do when young, hey. Yes sex drugs and street poetry kept it all
pretty wild for a while. I remember boozing on during one reading at a pub
and then being taken along by a woman to a wedding that night and reaslising
her motivation was simply to absolutely piss her rather wealthy family off -
it worked, I got all the piss and food I could handle and then staggered
home sometime the next morning laughing my head off.
But comes a time as Neil Young once sang - and in the end if i ever wanted
to get serious about anything I needed to actually start working regularly -
you know 4 or 5 days a week (something I avoided doing until I was in my
thirties), But work leads to a whole other string theory and so then came
love and marrage and kids and a rather calm, sort of orange-pearl life I
currently lead. I still walk around the house or work shaking my head
wondering how it all sort of happened. Lucky prick I am (with my yoda
voice), luck of the irish and all that.
So what bands? I'm curious I once dated a rather lovely singer/bass player
(but can no longer remember the band's name) which lead to a whole new set
of drinking/drug adventures. You rock and rollers you! Did you release
music? Video clips and stuff? Your kids going to follow in your footsteps?
Momo is by Michael Ende who wrote Neverending story - I think momo is a
brilliant book. Monty Python is my years second form through to 5th form
where we'd sit/stand around quoting things like 'your majesty is like a
stream of bat's piss'. Loved 'em. Only show that ever made me fall off the
couch laughing.
Funny thing that gym thing hey? Comes a time (bloody Neil Young again) when
the guts says hey either I get seriously bigger or you get to the gym and
start working out. I was once extremely fit - thanks to acrobatics but then
the joints start to scream and now i mnust use treadmills and cross trainers
and fucking rowing machines! i think sometimes the ancients had it right -
die young and die gloriously.
But then I remember I haven't actually written my good stuff yet so I put up
with the decay for the sake of art. (and the fact i enjoy life a tad too
much).
Oh I forgot that question about anywhere in the world some ways back and
wanted to say the single thing really left for me is to live by the ocean.
Most of my family have now moved close to the sea and that's my final place
I think. Me, Jen, a few dogs the kids visitng and the ocean singing me into
senility.
What part of the country are you from?bika
Western Victoria - grew up in Hamilton and Horsham, but once I left I never
went back. Farming territory. Stinking hot in summer and not much better in
winter. Weekends were great. Sport all day Saturday on a rock hard ground
ten degrees higher than anywhere else, then out to the pub that night and
crawl home at some stupid hour of the morning. Simple stuff.
mmm sounds like the white picket fence thing you've got happening there.
Except for the yoda voice. Can't imagine him in a domestic situation, try as
I might. Domestic bliss?
Never recorded with any bands, never gigged anywhere but Horsham, and can't
even remember the bands' names. Currently considering getting something far
more serious together than anything I did in the past. I have a few more
contacts now than then, and more opportunity in terms of resources. Helluva
lot more fun than programming for a living.
My oldest certainly appears to have a talent for singing - he'll pick up a
song on the radio and sing it right back after one listen. My youngest just
likes hitting things.
yeah, Monty Python still do that to me. Holy Grail and Meaning of Life. Not
so much Life of Brian which most people seem to love. Ah Never Ending Story
wasn't bad. Might have to look for Momo.
Heh. Die young and die gloriously - thought that was the credo for rock n
roll, not vikings Not a helluva lot of difference really, though, if you
think about it. Both stink, have wild hair, carry axes and scream
bloodthirsty and inarticulate.
When do you think you'll get around to writing your good stuff? Do you
think, perhaps, you need to enjoy life a little less before that happens?
Suffer for your art?
The ocean singing you to senility presents an interesting image. White
picket fence, a mermaid or two, a bottle of (good) scotch and the sun going
down over the ocean waves...
dannyboy
so, get the band together and get going....The hitting things I understand.
My daughter has an excellent temper. Domestic bliss? Its just what it is. We
are happy, we work hard at it and sometimes we give each other the shits. My
wife often works with couples so I get to be analyzed about every aspect of
our lives - keeps me on my toes!
I think my writing is finally improving at a good rate. For a long time it
was fairly stagnant, I think because I did buy that suffer crap and so
figured I was a bit too happy and really couldn't write that much. Now I see
its about exploration and intuition. We have have emotions, events, and
stuff, so i just explore - mainly the stuff stuff.....
As for picket fences, the only good fence is one you're burning on an open
fire because you've run out of cash and can't afford the wood. For all the
things I've given up (all for the better either physically, mentally or
planetary) I cannot give up the fire. No more pipes (20's thinking it made
me a poet), smokes, hashish, port and stray, nubile women, but I still enjoy
lying in front of the fire just drifting into the ether...
One day I plan to drift and not come back.bika
What a beautiful thought/phrase/idea to finish this on...
thanks db
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