A quiet place to write

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A quiet place to write.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

A quiet place to write. I’m an expert at finding them. Since around 2008 I haven’t been able to do any serious writing at home. (Except the other night at midnight!) Just too many distractions – housework, the internet, dogs to be walked, books to read. The list is endless but at a cafe as long as it’s not too noisy or in the middle of a food court I can be found writing on the weekends.

I now have a new favourite location. It is the The Press Book House and I will be there writing this Saturday 1st February from around 10.30 till 11.30. Come and do some writing, researching or simply say hello and browse the shelves including the bookshelf of Australian poetry!

Hope you can make it.

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Starving in a Garret has a new home!

The Press Book House

Thank God! It is lovely to have such a friendly place with good coffee where I can relax and write and do my Starving in a Garret sessions. The Press Book House is the perfect place to catch up with friends, browse for books, have a meeting and talk writing!

Ivy and Murray are the proprietors and the bookshop is now selling the books featured on Starving in a Garret which are pictured down the right hand side of this blog. As you can see from the photo above there are plenty of books to choose from and there is also a comfy lounge. You’ll find me on that most Saturdays mid morning. Pop in and have a coffee and buy a book!

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A new session on Saturday and a new location!

I’m back after a short break (and a holiday in New Zealand) with another session of Starving in a Garret. I will be at The Press Book House
https://www.facebook.com/thepressbookhouse this Saturday 30th November between 10am and approximately 11.30. I’ll have my laptop and my blue box and look forward to catching up with anyone who drops by. The range of books at The Press are extensive and the coffee is excellent. Come and say hi and bring along any books you have to sell.
See you there!

 

 

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Churchkey Espresso

Only a few weeks ago I met Catherine a like minded soul who has opened a new cafe at 488 Hunter Street, Newcastle – knowledge, beans and machines. The perfect place to have a session of Starving in a Garret. I will bring my blue box along full of poetry books for sale and enjoy Michael Phelps’s Recognition exhibition. I will there between 10am and 11am. Come along and have a coffee, a chat, peruse art and poetry! What more could anyone want?

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A change of venue and day!

Poetry books and more

Poetry books and more!

As I’m wandering around a cemetery on Saturday (yes, I know history buffs are strange people) I thought I would hold Starving in a Garret on Sunday, 4th August and for a change at the excellent Agosti’s Cafe on Darby Street, Newcastle. I’ll be there from 11.30 to approximately 1.30pm.

Above is Starving in a Garret in its current form – a moveable feast of books and information. Only five poetry books at the moment but I will be adding to the collection for sale as I continue to meet more people interested in the artspace and co-operative.

Come along and say hi. I am also available for advice regarding finding the time for your creative project. I’ve had to do a lot of juggling – jobs, children, housework, dogs etc over the years and I’m sure I can offer some insights on how to keep things buzzing along.

 

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Three new poetry books for sale!

With One Brush by Jan DeanYes, three new books! I had a wonderful time at Poetry at the Pub Monday night. It was the launch of the book Notes for the Translators, the work of 142 Australian and New Zealand poets, and a lot of excellent poetry was read and talked about.

In between breaks I managed to speak to three poets, all very devoted to their craft. I have long admired the work of Jan Dean and I now possess three copies of With One Brush to sell through the co-operative. Jan’s collection “ranges from lyricism to dramatic monologues, from humour to domestic tragedies and pleas for world peace.”

The Lyrebird thumbnail copy2I met Mark for the first time last night and he graciously gave me three copies for the garret. Here’s a bit about Mark. “Mark Tredinnick’s contribution to literature spans a remarkable range of forms and styles. His poetry has won many major awards: the Newcastle, Josephine Ulrick (second), Gwen Harwood and Blake Poetry prizes, to name a few. Mark has worked as a publisher, editor, and (once upon a time) a lawyer.”

Collecting CobwebsI also had a wonderful chat with Janette Hoppe about the difficulty of finding time to write with children. I struggled with two children eleven years apart! Janette has five! I don’t know how she manages it. She is currently working on her second collection. I grabbed three copies of her first for my blue, green and white cardboard box which is in disguise as the Starving in a Garret bookshop. Her bilingual poetry is a must read and as she writes herself: “I am able to express so many more ideas, thoughts and feelings in a few short words of Maori than in a whole verse of English.”

The Starving in a Garret box goes with me wherever I go so contact me below or by email lakelady2282 at hotmail.com to purchase any of the books here. More to follow!

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Open for Business with a new book!

Fragile DiamondsAt the moment Starving in a Garret is working out of Suspension Cafe, 3 Beaumont Street Islington, or wherever I find good coffee and a place to write. I hope though to team up with Sarah Birch of Inner Vista again soon. As I have had a very hectic day today – the Losties Walk, Tabu at 12pm at Towers Cinema as part of the Travelling Film Festival and then Christmas festivities at Grossman House, Maitland – I will be glad to actually sit quietly tomorrow at Suspension and relax!

Last night at the wonderful City Evolutions Light Show on Watt Street I ran into Mark Liston, Newcastle’s very own Poetry Cafe Poet in Residence at Sprocket Cafe for 2012 and 2013. He kindly agreed to let me have five copies of his poetry collection Fragile Diamonds published by Picaro Press to sell through SIAG. I picked them up today at the Hunters Writers Centre where Mark was conducting his poetry group meeting with a very impressive attendance. Well done Mark!

As mentioned above I will be at Suspension Cafe, Beaumont Street, Hamilton tomorrow morning from 10.15 to around 12.15. Hope to see an odd face or two or new faces who are interested in being a part of this co-operative.

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My aims and what I’m working towards!

Hello everybody! Just doing a quick post to outline my aims for the Starving in a Garret workspace and sanctuary. They are baby steps at the moment until I round up more volunteers but here they are:

1. to eventually staff (with a roster of volunteers – even an hour will do) a workspace/sanctuary for writers who can’t work at home.

2. to create and run a workspace, small room, whatever eventuates! Even a big table somewhere to showcase and sell Hunter writers’ books – fiction, poetry, non-fiction, history. Also to eventually compile A LIST, a bibliography of these books that can be emailed or printed out for interested parties.

3. to facilitate interaction between elderly people who have life stories to tell and other people who are interested in history and can volunteer some time to get these stories down for others to read and enjoy.

Well these are my aims! I’m open for business again. Drop in and have a chat. I’m at Inner Vista, 63 Stewart Avenue, Hamilton tomorrow, Saturday 25th May between 10am-1pm.

Hope to see you then!

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It’s a juggling act, finding the right balance!

As much as I’d love to do have Starving in a Garret open three days a week, I can only manage three hours on Saturday mornings at the moment due to my work commitments. But that’s life these days, isn’t it? We are all busy people and the trick is keeping all the balls in the air. That’s why I’m looking for volunteers to add a few hours to the time we can stay open.

I’ve also been away the last two Saturdays, the first for family and the second to attend a publishing workshop which was an exciting experience. It will be nice to sit quietly on Saturday, 18th May, the third session of Starving in a Garret and catch my breath.

I am still making enquiries in regards to rounding up would-be historians. I’m afraid it is as I feared – a real lack of people willing to do the work of interviewing our elderly residents on a volunteer basis. I’m sure I can track down a few though! I am meeting with Vicki Williamson from Eastlakes Historical Society this Saturday afternoon to discuss ways and means. Wish me luck and maybe pop in to see me this Saturday between 10am-1pm and say hello!

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We are open for business!

Great Northern Reality by Meg Dunn

Tomorrow is the first session of Starving in a Garret. I will be at 63 Stewart Avenue, Hamilton from 10am to 1pm and I have books to sell! Three but it is a start. Meg Dunn has kindly given me five copies of her poetry book Great Northern Reality.

Jennifer Compton has also donated a copy of her poetry book Parker & Quink. I also won a copy of Stephen Edgar’s Other Summers at Club Sandwich’s Poetry Night. Proceeds from both these books will go into the kitty.

Come along and say hello and have a look at Sarah’s wonderful reproductions!

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