Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: inspiration

  • Poets Speak

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    It was awesome to be in the city last night, in a funky little laneway bar listening to poets reading their poems from issue 2 of Mantissa Poetry Review. I have raved about this journal before – it's my favourite print journal because of it's amazing design and layout as well as the exciting content editor Erin Lyon curates within its pages.

    On top of all that, Erin does a great launch with poets from the issue reading their poems plus an extended set by Sam Morley, author of Ear Shot which I just had to buy after hearing his poetry. We also heard poems from Ruby Davis, Jocelyn Deane, Guido Melo and FM Papaz.

    It was great to rub shoulders with other poets and I finally got to meet the emerging Greek-Australian poet, FM Papaz who was in town from Brooklyn, USA which she now calls home. I first 'met' Papaz on Instagram and published her poem, Empty-handed, Open-hearted, in Issue 6 of the Pocketry Almanack. She is a beautiful human being and a poet to watch!

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  • Escaping

  • Poetry As Memoir

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    Over the last few years I have done a lot of online poetry workshops and I am super grateful for the technology that has allowed me to do so. However, there's something super special about being in a room of other people, all of whom are writing a poem at the same time. I don't know what the word for it is. I did coin the word craftyr a long time ago to refer to the experience of crafting together so perhaps writyr could describe the experience of writing in the company of other writers. Whatever you want to call it, it's magic – the act of writing in company.

    On the weekend I travelled to the gorgeous little Victorian country town of Woodend where I attended the Poetry as Memoir writing workshop run by Amanda Collins and Dave Munro. I know Dave through my monthly poetry group and have published both him and Amanda in the pages of the Pocketry Almanack so it was super special to spend a morning with them in the Woodend library, talking and writing poetry. We did some great exercises and mind mapping of the senses and talked about joy, appropriation and consent.

    To top it all off, we kept the poetry going by heading out to lucnh at a nearby cafe afterwards to eat and drink and talk some more. Even better, it was a crisp Autumn day and the drive there and back was delightful. I'm looking forward to more regional poetry experiences in the coming year. What about you? What are you looking forward to this year?

     

  • Top of the World

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    I've been living in Melbourne for over twelve years, driven through the city countless times and seen the Eureka Tower but never been to the top. When the girls were little the phrase 'I can see Eureka tower' was a bit of a running joke with them imagining they could see it in all sorts of places like Sunshine and Nunawading.

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    All that changed yesterday when we took the family to Eureka tower to celebrate our oldest girl turning seventeen. Seventeen! Can you believe it? I certainly can't. It feels like a heart beat ago when she was a baby lying on the floor at the mum's group catch up in Sydney. A mere breath since she took her first steps and spoke her first words. A flicker of an eye lash since she went into a shop in Buenos Aires and ordered some bananas, in Spanish. And now look at her – smart, stunning and funny. I love talking to her and hearing about all the things she's learning. How did she get to be so wise?

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  • Sabotage and Tradition

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    I was originally put off seeing this exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria by the poster which showed a mash up of lipstick covered mouths. But my almost seventeen year old daughter was keen to go so I agreed (go on then, twist my arm to visit a gallery). I am super glad that she insisted and that I agreed to go. It was a good lesson in not judging book by its cover or an exhibition by its poster.

    Alexander McQueen, Mind Mythos and Muse was an excellent exhibition of the designer's work spanning a series of collections from his career. Sadly McQueen is no longer alive and the first room of the exhibition showed the collection that was two thirds complete when he died.

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    McQueen took images, be it from a medieval panting or the crystalline structure of gem stones and had them woven into fabric which was then cut and made into clothing. He used materials such as leather, wool and synthetics to create his designs which played with and deconstructed form and style – think super low crotch pants and upside-down lapels. His tailoring was equisite and made me want to visit a tailor and get a custom made coat! 

    Seeing this exhibition made me want to go out and learn as much as possible about McQueen, his life, career and design process. I am fascinated with how things are done and seeing behind the scenes. I appreciated the shots of the models getting dressed and goofing around backstage.

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    The gallery also commissioned Michael Schmidt to make a series of headpieces for the exhibition so we had a double dose of style and talent.

     

  • The Mousetrap

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    When I originally saw The Mousetrap in London way back in 1998, it was the world's longest continually running play. I'm not sure if it's still going in the UK but it's most definitely playing here, down under.

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    Last night I took the whole family to see this delightful and quintessential murder mystery acted out on the stage at Comedy Theatre in Melbourne. The play has all of Agatha Christies's trademark elements with red herrings and twists and turns a plenty. It's a very English drama from the golden era of crime writing created by the Queen of Crime herself.

    I can't say too much about the play because I have been sworn to secrecy but I can say that if you are a fan of murder mysteries and a fan of Agatha's, you're going to enjoy this play!

     

  • The Circus of Similes

    The Circus of Similes Logo (without borders)

    Imagine a place where poetry goes to play. Where words dangle on the trapeze or whirl around the ring. Imagine you can download PDFs, print them out and play. Well you don't have to imagine any longer because it's now a reality!

    That's right, I have created The Circus of Similes where you can download writing resources filled with prompts, games and more to inspire your creativity and fuel your poetry. Best of all, it's all free!

    The Circus is a mashup of word games, children’s toys, paper craft, book binding and poetry. You can download and create all sorts of paper ephemera and instant books to brighten your day, inspire your writing and create new poems.

    It’s a place where you can forget the daily, for a little while and you are welcome to wander through its rooms for as long as you like.

     

  • Spontaneous

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    Third time lucky they say and they're right. I booked tickets to see Hamilton in Sydney last year in May and then we were locked down. I spent hours agonising over choosing our seats (stalls or balcony?) for the best view. Then took out a small loan and hit book. After all that effort and excitement we were locked down. It was a huge disappointment but we rescheduled for August and …. wait for it ….  (you know what's coming don't you?) …. we were locked down again!

    I figured we'd missed our chance but then the production came to Her Majesty's Theatre on Exhibition Street in Melbourne. It's been a busy year and a challenging one too, getting used to being on the move and out and about again, so I hadn't really thought about booking tickets to see it here. But then on Thursday I suddenly got the urge to finally go and see Hamilton.

    I checked for tickets online and there were three incredible seats in row G. Almost close enough to touch the actors. And Miss Twelve was already going on a sleepover at a friend's house with meant the Lovely G and I could take Miss Sixteen along to see a brilliant musical.

    It was, of course incredible. The set and costumes were brilliant. The performances amazing. The choreography and singing top notch. And of course the script itself was fantastic. Imagine if every history lesson was this good?

    I'm still on a high after seeing such incredible live theatre. 

     

  • Kaleidoscope

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    A maze of mirrors.

    Coloured lights.

    Mesmerising music.

    And no exit signs.

     

    Welcome to Kaleidoscope where you have to find your way out!

     

  • Eating Out

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    One of my favourite things about this trip has been not having to cook dinner. I am feeling thoroughly spoilt and lucky as we have eaten out most nights even though we have been mainly staying in self-catered accomodation.

    With all my dietary requirements, it's usually a nightmare for me to eat out but all the places we've been to have had gluten free and vegan options marked clearly on their menus. It may seem a like small thing but it's the difference between feeling ostracised or included. When you can eat anything on the menu you take it for granted and revel in all the choices. When you can't, you stare at it the menu despair trying to figure out what won't make you sick or interrogate yet another waiter to find something you can actually eat for dinner. For me that's usually a super expensive steak and thank goodness I'm not vegetarian or I'd never be eating out.

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    Cycles at the Empire in Deloraine had the most amazing house-smoked trout omelette with roquette and aoli for lunch. Thai at Bushman's in Strahan served the most incredible prawn pad thai. The buffet on board the Spirit of the Wild had the best Tasmanian cold smoked Atlantic salmon (pictured) I've ever had – and probably spoilt me for life!. In Swansea at the Artifakt Cafe and Gallery I ate smashed avocado with poached egg and a salad with a most delicious dressing.

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    But the icing on the cake or the dessert to end all desserts was eaten at the Japanese inspired Raiida in St Helens. Coconut mousse topped with roasted rhubarb, coconut jubes and strawberry granita. It was so good people that we went back the next night just for dessert!