Screeny stuff to watch…
Here’s a permalink to ABC TV Big Ideas online version of the Byron Bay Writers Festival panel called “It’s Not Easy Being Good”, where I shared the stage with Charlotte Wood, Hannie Rayson and Caroline Baum. About 54 minutes of footage.
Here is another to a conversation held at the Cervantes Institute in Sydney, in the company of the hilarious and witty Richard Glover.
This is a link to the extended conversation I had with Monsignor Tony Doherty. It runs for about 100 minutes, and includes the introduction and audience questions. It took place the day after George Pell’s 2012 press conference about the abuse of children within the church, and is coloured by that.
This link will take you to a video of me reading a beautiful piece by Michael McGirr.
This one will take you to a talk I shared about Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, one of my all-time favourite plays, at Melbourne’s Wheeler Centre.
And here, you can watch me read my piece for My Enduring Love Affair With Writing at the Rotunda event organised by the amazing Bruno Lettieri. The love affair may be a bit dysfunctional, but there we are!
Radio and podcasty stuff for a quiet moment…
Click on the blue link words to hear one of my favourite conversations ever, on one of my best-loved programmes – The Spirit of Things, hosted by Rachael Kohn. We were joined by Monsignor Tony Doherty, and talked sins, faith and walking.
Here is a link to my session from the 2013 Sydney Writers Festival. I shared the stage with the beautiful Caroline Baum and Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild. It was a great chat.
I’m really proud of my episode of Radio National Poetica, and hope you can spend some time with it. Take a minute to scroll down and read the comments too. The one from “Johnnie Walker” took my breath away. The interconnectedness of us all!
Tuesday 21st May 2013 Amanda Muggleton reads Sinning for ABC The gorgeous Amanda selected Sinning when asked about her current reading habits. It’s great to hear her read from it!
Sunday 10th February 2013 Australia All Over You can get a podcast here of the monologue I wrote, and the subsequent conversation I had with Macca about going home. My bit is in the last ten minutes of the hour.
Monday 9th July, 2012 10am all over Oz Radio National Books & Arts Daily I had a great chat with Michael Cathcart about Duchess of Malfi . Have a listen here:
Thursday 5th April 2012 10 pm around the country Late Night Live – Radio National Talking sins with Mr Adams. The man in black.
Sunday 6th May 2012 at 9pm Sundays with Safran – Triple J Crazy crazy hyper pilgrim. Slow down, pilgrim snail!
Sunday 3rd June after 8am ABC Local radio I talked sins on Australia All Over with Ian Macnamara. Sinning Across Australia! I also read a short extract from the book.
A little bit of print that is not under “Other Writing”…
On Sunday 9th September in the Sydney Sun-Herald, there was a review. Here is a photo!
Yeeha! Not walking… running! Can’t wait to be at some of these events.
And I will be very grateful for your smiling face!
Ailsa.
I’ve just come home from a wonderful weekend at Airey’s.
And for fear of sounding like a groupie – you were totally the highlight.
I stood in the queue for your book, but all sold out!
Thank you so much for your wit and courage and honesty with all us strangers.
All the best
Sally
Dear Sally,
What a beautiful message to receive on my homecoming from that extraordinary weekend. Weren’t we lucky to share it? And thank you for your kind comments. I know that Nic is ordering more copies, so hopefully if you can’t find one closer to home, you will consider a spin down to that paradise again! I want to go back just to remind myself of all the wonders. I keep seeing Paul at that piano, and rachel’s light, and Hannie’s smile…and all those wordsmiths…
SO lucky.
Thank you for confirming that I wasn’t dreaming, and for your generosity. If this is what it is to have a groupie, I’m in!!
Happy remembering and reading.
Ailsa
Hi Alisa,
Just letting you know you have inspired and moved me with your book, Sinning Across Spain. Your honesty, energy & perserverence has been an inspiration. I just finshed reading it for the 2nd time. I hope to do one of the Walks in Spain next year. So thank you, kind regards Karuna
Hi back Karuna,
You have no idea how much you have moved and inspired me with your comment! There are days when I wonder if the book goes into a void, and other days whether I wonder if it has any worth as an offering. Your generosity in seeking me out and giving me such feedback is hugely appreciated – particularly as I sit here doing my tax papers! Something that is guaranteed to make anyone feel a bit reduced. Buen camino with your plans to walk. I have no hesitation in saying that if it calls to you, you will love it. The roads are full of such kindness, and the Spaniards need us to care just now. Gracias, peregrina. xxx
Just heard your interview with Monsignor Doherty on Richard Glover’s program.
I am amazed and disgusted that you had no comment to make to Monsignor Doherty’s comment that the cover-up behaviour of senior priests from years ago needs to be looked at through a “different lens” from the sharp lens of today.
I am afraid that senior priests covering-up and “moving on” paedophiles which enabled those paedophiles to rape more children and then moving them on again and again in order to allow them to rape more and more children was always WRONG WRONG WRONG no matter which lens you look through. There is a reason that hiding a serious indictable offence is a serious crime, whether that crime was committed during the 1960s or the 1990s.
Shame on you for remaining silent.
Dear Greg,
I also believe that the crimes you describe were WRONG WRONG WRONG. Tony certainly does too. We spoke long and hard about it afterwards – before I had read your comment here – and I felt clearer about what he was attempting to say.
However, if you are interested, Tony would like to write to you about this himself, either on this forum, or to you via email.
I am sorry you felt disappointed in me.
Dear Ailsa
You are forgiven. I know the interview had run way over and Richard was winding up.
I want to ask Monsignor Doherty one question about contrition. Real contrition. Is there a single Australian catholic priest who engaged in concealing and “moving on” paedophiles, who has voluntarily come forward and confessed this heinous crime to law enforcement and accepted the legal consequences of committing these crimes? Is there even one? I am sure the answer is that there is none and this goes to the hypocrisy of Cardinal Pell and the other leaders of the Church. It is easy to say sorry if you have no skin in the game. That is not real contrition.
What do you think?
Dear Greg,
Just a quick note to say that I will respond to this – and show it to Tony – tomorrow. I’ve had two incredibly heavy work days, and so have not had a chance to draw breath. Not avoiding. Just want you to know I’m not ignoring. Hasta pronto.
Hi again Greg,
Tony has sent me this note and asked me to post it for him.
Ailsa
Dear Greg
Your mail makes me realize the inadequacy of my comment about ‘different lenses’ on the Glover programme.
The best I can offer is that I was hurrying to make a point which I think worth making – that saying sorry about an action is seriously inadequate without in some way making a genuine attempt to ‘carry the pain’ that has been inflicted. In the context of the unspeakable destruction of the lives of children, I am still grappling with my own personal confusion and distress as to how to do that.
To your question ‘ is there a single Australian Catholic priest….who has voluntarily come forward’ I have sadly to admit I know of no-one inside the church, or in any other institution for that matter, who has come forward voluntarily to acknowledge such a crime.
I have no intention, or appetite, to defend such inaction.
Ironically, one benefit from this exchange may be that I am left with a deeper appreciation of the argument of the Piper book of what it means ’to carry the sins of others’.
Tony Doherty