The story so far
I'm from Adelaide, but I'm living in Abu Dhabi right now. One day, I saw a gold leaf four wheel drive. It made me cry.
My first novel, Black Dust Dancing, was published by Wakefield Press in March 2009. It looks like this:
Tag Archives: family
One year down, one to go
I took the lads back to Berri (the mister’s home turf) via Adelaide for Christmas while the mister stayed here Abu Dhabi. Landing in Australia, putting credit back on my Australian SIM card, I felt the relief that you feel … Continue reading
Posted in Adelaide (far) from Adelaide, being, Dispatches
Tagged Christmas, family, friends, grief, life goes on
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Rite of passage
My youngest boy quickly realises that commission-based flyering isn’t the deal that he thought it was. I have told him that for each person he convinces to come to the show, I’ll give him one pound – after only one … Continue reading
If you need me, I'm standing over the suitacases wondering where to start
We went back to Adelaide for three weeks. My boys and I had three weeks anyway, the mister, because of reasons, could manage only one. I had to go and finish clearing out my Dad’s shed and we had to … Continue reading
Desert camping
We went desert camping. When little boys see sand dunes, they can’t stop themselves: And when I see a sunset, I just can’t stop myself: Look, more sand: This time with scorpion tracks: Wherever we go, there’s uno: And, less … Continue reading
Dog Person
IMG_1506 Originally uploaded by adelaide writer Because it is more likely than not that we will be moving, we had to find a new home for our dog. The woman we chose did not think I was mad for crying. … Continue reading
That bit about the pelicans is true
It happened just as Adelaide was throwing her second u-turn on the road she would later discover they didn’t need to be on anyway. Her eldest boy said, ‘Mum, haven’t we already been here? It’s half past twelve and we … Continue reading
Exhausted, 7.30 am
“And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Dylan Thomas, Do not go … Continue reading
Tagged family
28 Comments
Nothing a couple of panadol won't fix
Its enormity, which I believed I understood, has been settling on me in waves. Like yesterday, as I sat at the side of the bed of a man I love, a woman I have been smiling at all week but … Continue reading
He's chewed the new grapevine, but not the iceberg roses
So, we’re calling in the ‘we come to you’ dog trainers. It’s all very middle class working families, isn’t it? But as the mister said ‘you’ve got a station wagon and a beagle…if it walks like a duck and talks … Continue reading
Feathers everywhere
So I was in my garrett, writing a new story that begins like this: “If he asks, she will tell him she grew the flowers. In the garden bed behind the shed. She’d planted them in May, forgotten she’d even … Continue reading


