Category Archives: Music

Rhetoric Images

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Lachlans, Old Government House, was a charming setting for Rhetoric Images 2nd March. I haven’t time for a detailed report but Code-Mixing Poetry (FB Page) has photos and bios. I love the way Mihaela Cristescu welcomes music and art into her literary events. It was an honor to present beside writers Carol Amos, Jason Gray, Šime Knežević, and soprano Felicity Amos. The collage is blurry – all from old books I read as a child and have survived umpteen house moves. I was an early reader and also dived into Dickens and Shaw, but the books about nature were the treasured ones. Of course then I grew up and read other stuff… Collage: UK waders, my favorite bird as a kid, the Eastern Rosella (Aus.) and my favorite writer back then, Konrad Lorenz (who is being groomed by a Jackdaw). Cristescu gave us all the unusual chance to reflect openly on what influenced our writing and thinking. 

 

From top clockwise: Jason Gray, Carol Amos, Mihaela Cristescu, Group with Felicity Amos, top row centre, Šime Knežević

2019 fun with writing

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Been working with Carol Amos and Mihaela Cristescu in preparation for a busy year. We have been writing, editing, talking and eating rather well. Our first three events are all in collaboration with other people … and then there’s the rest of 2019

NEW Writers’ Group Inc welcomes writers back to UNE Sydney in search of great characters (PPT and discussion) and a laugh about love (Valentine’s Open Mic Comp – with an emphasis on humor – there are book awards!) February 9

Lachlan’s Old Government House for RHETORIC IMAGES which involves images, champagne, a soprano, lots of hats, revelations from writers … March 2

Launch of Between Dusk and Dawn – Cristescu’s third Romanian/Australian anthology at the State Library of New South Wales – which will also feature imagery, music, readings and great food… not sure if we’re wearing hats … March 23

Pounding the Pavement in 2017

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PTPImagesmallerMihaela Cristescu and NEW Writers’ Group Inc are already planning Mihaela’s next event at the State Library of NSW booked for 25th March, 2017.           Pounding the Pavement is being written right now – an anthology featuring Cristescu’s poetry with guests writing in English and Romanian. SEE
FB Page: Code-Mixing Poetry

 Some photos from this year, 2016.

Annamaria Beligan

Annamaria Beligan launched IT Solander by Mihaela Cristescu and paid tribute to the poetry of Loredana Tudor Tomescu

Her Excellency, Mrs Nineta Barbulescu, Romanian Ambassador with Mihaela and Sue Chamoun

 

Romanian Rhythm 26 March ’16

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12512699_1664541220470521_3928732469975471150_nFive writers from NEW Writers’ Group Inc  have been invited to read short pieces of their original work at this event. NWG has an ongoing friendship with Romanians in Sydney  through sharing each other’s writing, cheering each other on. We much admire our colleagues who create works in more than one language.  Mihaela Cristescu’s latest Romanian / English poetry volume IT Solander will be launched by author and filmmaker Anamaria Beligan. Other writers and performers offer poetry, music, puppetry.  Details Here

Saturday, 26th March, 2016, 11:00 am in the magnificent Dixson Room at the State Library of New South Wales. Free entry, refreshments included.

The Question of the Ninth

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mahler_10th-symphony_manuscript_scherzo2-end

extract of Mahler’s draft Tenth with personal notes

“It seems that the Ninth is a limit. He who wants to go beyond it must pass away. It seems as if something might be imparted to us in the Tenth which we ought not yet to know, for which we are not ready. Those who have written a Ninth stood too close to the hereafter.”

Just because Mahler died while writing his 10th symphony doesn’t mean anything to me, I try not to pick up more superstitions than the ones already grafted into my subconscious. And after all, counting/numbering musical works is a fraught business. Nonetheless I like Schoenberg’s famous line (Schoenberg declined to complete the work). I think writers (of books) often seem less than ready to write their topic or style and we can imagine we all have an invisible fence – but I figure Schoenberg included readers/listeners at that dangerous barrier. Provoking. Thanks to Classic FM for an illuminating session.

Music – live

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Just read a post by a publisher on how sad it is to see wannabe writers’ blogs out of date. True. So let’s talk about music instead. Heard the SS0 play the New World by Dvorak recently and now listening to it on headphones from a super careful recording. Nothing beats live though! Pic from the second row….SSO - Concert Hall