Things That Are Making Me Happy This Week

01. The Mourning After is a project that invites people to explore grief in all its forms. It’s focused on grief as a social practice and aims to improve ‘grief literacy’. The project currently includes an exhibition – it’s really wonderful. Continue reading

Things That Are Making Me Happy This Week

01. Putting the whole going-to-space fiasco aside, Katy Perry sure knows how to put on a fabulous, fun concert. Hit after hit, brilliant costumes and so much energy. Although Teenage Dream will always be my absolute fave, her concert remix of I Kissed a Girl was the standout. Continue reading

Long Island by Colm Tóibín

Sequels are a tough gig. Colm Tóibín’s Long Island – the sequel to Brooklyn – is exquisite. And, I’ll go as far as saying that I enjoyed it more than Brooklyn.

There are already dozens of reviews of this novel; it’s front-and-centre at every bookshop you walk into; and the reservations at my library number 120+ (of which I was one). Fortunately, I popped by the library last week and spied it on the ‘Most Wanted’ shelf (one week loans, no renewals, and bad karma for borrowers who don’t observe the rules!). Needless to say, I snapped it up and started reading immediately. Continue reading

Things That Are Making Me Happy This Week

01. Edinburgh Book Festival (beamed all the way to me in Melbourne) – Colm Tóibín, interviewed by Caoilinn Hughes. I love how much Colm laughed at Caoilinn’s questions. He was a great sport, especially when she opened with describing him as “…Costco’s hottest product – from the aisle between the shovels and the underwear… it’s either a very, very good book or a very, very bad book.” She then continued with a five-minute rundown of his stellar career, and when she got to the end, Colm dead-panned, “Thanks for that lovely introduction Caoilinn, although you left out quite a lot…”
Continue reading