sydney writers’ festival

swf I’ve lived in Sydney for nearly four years now, and somehow the Sydney Writers’ Festival escaped my notice until a month ago. This event is a must for anyone who loves writing or reading. The week long schedule is packed with thought provoking discussion from authors writing in all different genres.

Not knowing what to expect, I only bought tickets to one event. This was a mistake. The hour long discussion I attended, A Life of True Crime, left me eager to read the books discussed by the three authors profiled (The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama by Julie Szego, Have You Seen Simone? by Virginia Peters, and One of Us by Åsne Seierstad). I can only imagine how much longer my to-read list would be if I’d attended more sessions. I also regret not immediately booking a ticket to see author and mortician Caitlin Doughty discuss her memoir, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematorium. I went back and forth about whether I wanted to go into the city two days in a row, and when I finally decided to just do it, the event was sold out. (Yes, I’m well aware my tastes are on the morbid side.)

Next year I plan to make a day of it. Or maybe two. I might even take a day off work. (There were several events I wanted to attend, but didn’t because they fell on a weekday.) Though my interests this year were purely in non-fiction discussions, I’m interested in hearing more from fiction writers as I work on my own story. I also never know where I’ll get my next creative idea, and the diversity of topics presented lends itself to learning something new or unexpected.

I’m glad I finally found the Sydney Writers’ Festival, even if I only dipped my toes in the water at this year’s event. Now that it’s on my radar, I’ll commit to a fuller schedule next time.

i miss nyc

My husband and I finally got around to watching the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special. It was hilarious, but I was left with a single sad feeling: I miss New York City.

Of all the places I’ve travelled thus far, NYC is up there on my list of places to revisit. We were there for 10 days, and only barely scratched the surface of what the city has to offer. There are still so many museums and galleries to visit. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were undergoing renovations during our visit and deserve a do-over. We never did get around to that picnic in Central Park. I only got to eat at Shake Shack eight times.

It’s been over two years since New York and we still talk about it. My husband and I seem to constantly be saying things like, “The next time we’re in New York…” It’s a forgone conclusion that we will return one day, we just don’t know when exactly that will be. We have trips planned into 2016, but none that will be taking us back to NYC during that time. Beyond next year we have plans that will likely limit our travel for sometime. It seems the Big Apple is just not in the cards for quite some time.

But I will return someday. I know that much for sure.

{All images were taken by me and posted to my Instagram account}

on writing

I’ve decided to try my hand at writing a novel. (Or maybe a short story or two. We’ll see how it shakes out in the end.)

This is an idea I’ve attempted over the years, starting a few pages here or there, but eventually abandoning my efforts. I was never pleased with what I wrote, often questioning how good my ideas or writing were. Sometimes I simply became too busy, or misplaced my budding manuscript.

But 2015 just feels like the year to give writing another go. I’ve been incredibly inspired by the movie review blog my husband and I have been writing since December 2013. Forcing myself to write and edit nearly everyday is not only good practice, it’s helped spark my imagination. After watching 400+ films (and counting), you inevitably start to think about how you’d write some stories differently.

I’m also working on not being so hard on myself. So what if my first draft is crap? That’s what first drafts are for. Hell, that’s what second, third, and tenth drafts are for. This is probably the biggest hurdle to writing, one I plan to finally overcome this time. Worst case scenario is that I discover I’m not good at writing fiction. No worries, I have other hobbies I can focus on.

As for being busy… well, that’s life. When is it ever not busy. Taking time off to just write is the dream, but it isn’t realistic right now. I’ll definitely be setting some deadlines for myself, but ones that I can actually meet. Again, I won’t beat myself up if I miss a date by a day or even a week. I’ll only start to worry if I reach June and haven’t even started. (Actually, let’s move that up to April.)

(The only foil I can confidently say I won’t be succumbing to this time is losing my notes or story. I’m much more organized these days. It also helps that I don’t plan on moving in the foreseeable future. That’s a surefire way for things to go missing.)

So I’m now armed with a notebook of story ideas, Stephen King’s On Writing, my library card, and The Elements of Style. I’m seeking inspiration wherever I can: reading, watching the news, visiting art galleries, meeting new people. And most importantly, I’ll continue writing whenever possible.

Let’s just see how this goes…

books i’ve read, 2014

I was very disappointed with my reading efforts this year. Five novels and a handful of single comic issues? I can do better.

But maybe I’m being too hard on myself. I actually read a lot this year.

I read news articles every day in my efforts to keep up with what’s happening in the US and to better understand Australia’s political and cultural landscape (there were many articles on international news as well). I read countless blog entries on Jezebel, Cracked, and Lifehacker (many were actually very informative and insightful). I also read two excellent long-form articles– The Overprotected Kid (via The Atlantic) and The Strange Tale of the North Pond Hermit (via GQ) that I highly recommend.

People get too hung up on what counts as reading, myself included. My husband reads the newspaper at least once a week and finishes dozens of comic books each year, and yet people don’t consider him a reader. I don’t think he even considers himself a reader. But maybe he should. Maybe it’s time for us recognize that so-called “light reading”– the kind that comes from pages other than books– is still important reading. There’s still a lot to be learned, and it often leads to reading books.

So, without further ado, here is the list of the book-reading I completed in 2014. Though it is in no way more significant than all the other items I read throughout the year.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Free Comic Book Day issues
- The New 52: Future’s End #0 Special Edition
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Archie Digest
- Rocket Raccoon
- Bongo Comics Free-For-All!
- All You Need is Kill
- Raising a Reader!
- 2000 A.D.
One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (reread)
11/22/63 by Stephen King

Best Book:
This is a toss up between Gone Girl and Dark Places. Gillian Flynn has quickly become one of my favorite fiction writers, and I honestly can’t decide which novel I liked most. What the two have in common is that Flynn manages to make the reader care about some really unlikable protagonists. Her characters are incredibly flawed, but you can’t help rooting for them. (I also highly recommend the movie version of Gone Girl. Flynn wrote the screenplay, so it is incredibly true to the book. It also has some excellent performances.)
Worst Book:
There really wasn’t anything I read this year that I hated. The ending of 11/22/63 was a tad disappointing and the story dragged on horribly in parts, but overall I did enjoy the story. Not sure if I’ll be seeking out any other Stephen King books based on this one. I think I’ll stick with the film and television versions of his work.
I also reread To Kill a Mockingbird for a book club, and wasn’t as impressed with it as I was when I was first introduced to it in high school. It’s still a great novel, I was just expected more.
Looking forward to in 2015:
I have so much reading to do, that I purposely asked for as many non-book items as possible for Christmas so I can clear my shelves and Kindle app. Still, my husband got me Amy Poehler’s memoir, Yes Please, which I’m excited to start. I also have two Erik Larson non-fiction books to finally get to. We’ll see how successful I am this year, given that I’ve also resolved to focus more on my design and art work, dedicate more time to this blog, and will be continuing the movie review blog.

It’s going to be a busy year!

post-free comic book day wrap up

Yesterday I participated in my first Free Comic Book Day!

For those not in the know, every year on the first Saturday in May comic shops around the world give away comic books and other freebies. This is a great event meant to promote the industry and local shops. It was great seeing so many different readers gathering together to celebrate the art form.

When my husband first asked if I’d be interested in going this year my mind immediately went to Archie Comics. The Riverdale gang were my first introduction to comic books as a kid (along with Barbie, Scrooge McDuck, and Casper the Friendly Ghost), so they’ve always held a special place in my heart. I’ve also been impressed with stories of how the books have changed with the times, most notably by introducing LGBT friendly story lines.

So of course when I discovered that an Archie Digest was available today I knew I’d be choosing it. I look forward to getting reacquainted with Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the rest. I’m also excited to discover some new characters (Guardians of the Galaxy) and learning a bit about the source material of some of my new favorite films (Dredd, via 2000 A.D.).

Only 364 days until the next Free Comic Book Day…

books i’ve read, 2013

Unfortunately, I did not read much this year. But then, it was a very busy 12 months. I planned a wedding from a foreign country, started a new full-time job, and purchased a new home, among many other things. Given that, I think I made an admirable effort.

+ Tales from a Midwife by Jennifer Worth
+ Fables: Witches by Willingham, Buckingham, et al.
+ Fables: Rose Red by Willingham, Buckingham, et al.
+ The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
+ Shades of Earth by Beth Revis (Awesome trilogy! Loved the ending, and want to buy the first book so I can read it again.)
+ Reached by Ally Condie (I don’t know why this series was optioned for a movie. The first two could make exciting enough movies, but this one would be incredibly boring to watch.)
+ Fables: Super Team by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+ Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky (Moral of the story: Do not be a jerk and tip the staff.)
+ The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (reread)
+ Sailor Twain or The Mermaid in the Hudson by Mark Siegel (Great fairytale, but I wasn’t crazy about the art style.)
+ Total Recall by Arnold Schwarznegger (A very engaging read, but I get the impression he’s still holding a lot back.)
+ The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling is such a great author! Hoping there will be a sequel.)

Best Books: Given my love of Harry Potter, I was worried that The Casual Vacancy and The Cuckoo’s Calling wouldn’t live up to my expectations. Happily, J.K. Rowling is an incredibly talented writer, and both of these are great reads. I enjoy how she has her finger on the pulse of society, whether she’s writing about social injustices or our celebrity obsessed culture.
I also really enjoyed Arnold Schwarznegger’s autobiography. Having never been a big fan of his movies, I wasn’t sure it would keep my attention. But the man has lead an entertaining life, and it makes for a fun read. Still, it’s clear that he’s still holding a lot back. No doubt the real, unfiltered story is even more interesting.

Worst Books: No real disappointments this year. Reached, the final installment of the Matched series was a bit of a let down, but not entirely disappointing.

Looking forward to in 2014: I just started reading Gone Girl, and am interested to see where it goes. Other than that nothing is really on the docket just yet. I’ve been thinking of joining a Sydney area book club, and also encourage people’s suggestions!

side project

My husband and I have started a blog. In it we review the 1000 odd DVDs in our collection, in (mostly) alphabetical order.

I’m excited to watch the many movies I haven’t seen, and revisit a few favorites. I also hope that writing on a regular basis will spark my creativity and help me keep up with this blog as well!

Feel free to join us over at From The Abyss to Zoolander!

welcome

This is the new home for the Art of Sally MacKenzie blog! Here you will find my latest projects, the occasional Etsy shop promotion, my reading lists.

I’m having some trouble moving posts from my former blog, so for now I’ll be leaving it open. Feel free to peruse and comment on those old posts, and let me know if you see anything there that you’d like to hear more about here.

I look forward to sharing with you all, and hearing from friends, fans, and customers!