OITNB

It may come as no surprise to everyone and anyone who has asked in the library for a DVD recommendation that I LOVE Orange is the new Black. I've read the book twice... and as I don't have Netflix access have to wait out for the second series to be released here in OZ, but while waiting there's always something else to find....
Here's the Blog set up for the real Piper when she was incarcerated and Here's an article with the real Nora/Alex and there's a cookbook too! 
Happy stalking!!

Total Fan Girl Moment

Linda Jaivin has been one of my favourite authors since my ex-best friend told me about Rock and Roll Babes from Outer Space 15, 16, could it be 17? Years ago.

Last night Linda came to little old D’town.

I have theory in life that cheeky-ness gets you everywhere. People have been asking me how I organised it. I just asked her! I sent her some fan mail, told her if she wanted to we’d love to have an event with her and it grew from there! Very disappointed in the numbers, but considering all of the people who showed up had only heard of her through my ravings, and she won over everyone who was there and now has a bunch of new fans I’d call it a success. Yay!

Just thought I’d share my intro with you...

Hi my names Allison and I’m a librarian and I have a confession to make... I judge books by their covers. But it wasn’t a cover that brought me to Linda’s books, but the title. Over 15 years ago a friend told me about this book called “Rock and roll babes from outer space” well how could I go past that. The next one I read was called “Confessions of an S & M virgin”. It just kept getting better!

I’m having a little fan girl moment tonight because Linda is one of my favourite authors, she’s got a new novel out call “The empress lover” which we’ve got for sale here tonight. But if you are far to clever and academic for fiction, Linda was also the writer of the last Quarterly Essay, “Found in translation” which I found to be a great accompanying piece to this novel.

She’s a lady with many strings to her bow... and she’s got great hair! Please join me in welcoming Linda Jaivin.

Gen Xed

This year has been all about looking back into the past, oh my god that was X amount of years ago, being shocked at how old I am, etc. etc. So whilst on this nostalgia trip I thought I might as well run with it and re-read some of those defining texts of my generation blah blah...  I re-read Generation X by Douglas Coupland recently, and in doing further investigation (because I can't just leave it at that) came across this little gem... The original article titled Generation X that was the basis for the book contract which turned into the book which gave name to my generation... 

Stupid (depending upon who is judging) Obsessions...

I do go and get myself all obsessive about things, like particular authors.
Like Lisa Carver.
Or Lisa Crystal Carver.
Like when I see a book I want to read.
Then another one.
But I can't seem to find them anywhere.
And I'm embarrased about how many Interlibrary loans/document deliveries (depending upon which library world you live in).
So you go searching.
Then you find that you've read one years ago.
So you think about your frind Nettie who you've lost touch with.
Then you get more obsessive about it.
Then you find that you can buy them directly from the author so you do.
But you hope you get to the Post Office first because you shouldnt be buying any more books because your trying to save and YOU WORK IN A LIBRARY!
But you buy them anyway and you can t wait to read them.
Like I cant wait to read these...

 

Jealous much...

A guy I used to work with just had his novel published. I feel a strange sense of jealousy. It's not that I feel I should have a novel published. I don't even like reading novels that much, let alone have any desire to write one. And it's not that I don't think this guy is deserving of literary success, from what I can tell he's worked damn hard on his literary career in the approx. 8 years since I worked with him. I think it's that this guy was goddamn dodgy... He was pretty open about his cheating on his girlfriend (with us anyway, definitely not with her!), the obvious pash rash on female work colleagues and calling in sick to me and telling me that "he was still drunk"... The guy even writes under his new name... nah well. At least it's got me back on here thinking maybe I should do some more writing...

Ms G does C

Here's another tasty morsel I discovered on a lazy afternoon in front of Youtube...

Love you Professor Greer

Miss Concept (ions)

Naomi Wolf's Misconceptions was beyond a doubt the best book I have read about Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. It's personal and political and spoke to me about exactly how I was feeling, making me feel not so alone, guilty or wrong for the mixed feelings I was going through. One of the things that bothered me most at that time was that no matter how equal you thought your relationship had been before, when the baby comes along that the stereotypical gender roles come to the forefront. I've ranted about all this before... even sung the praises of this book way back in (gosh so long ago) 2008, but in this interview she talks about another one of the things I related to about a woman coming home from major surgery after a Cesarean, its like sending a person who has just had major heart surgery home with this tiny dependent creature pretty much reliant on you. Even if you didn't have a Caesar, it's still a pretty massive physical thing your body has had to go through and women are so hard on themselves feeling they have to still be the be all end all to their families.

"That's not how it works, you have to move here on faith, then you'll find a way" - Beverly Donofrio's friend in Looking for Mary.

I'd been trying to track down this book for years, I loved her Riding in cars with boys (though ashamed to admit I didn't know about it until the movie came out) and I'd seen it on the shelf in my book slave days and then suddenly it disappeared into thin air ...spooky!... anyways, good old Document Delivery service at the uni (bet they wish they hadn't have taught me how to use that!) and there it was for me. It was OK, journey of self discovery, blah blah. Then  on about the second or last page when I was just trying to finish the book (I always get a bit frustrated when I see the end in sight and   just   want   to   get   the   book   finished!) when that line just blew me away. It just perfectly summed up the last 6 months of my life!

Yay me!!

Rats...

I made the mistake this week of reading two books too similar in their content so now they are just kind of swimming around blended together. They were both good books, just not so close together.

Lets review to get this straight in my head;

Rat Girl

Kristen Hersh

Set in the 80's

Founder and main songwriter for mostly girl band Throwing Muses

Bipolar & Pregnant

Likes Rats

Petal Pusher

Laurie Lindeen

Set in the 90's

Founder and main songwriter for all girl band Zuzu's Petals

MS

Hates Rats

Riot Grrrl goes Academic...

Best bit about working in an academic library? Access to a whole bunch of new books... Not only through my own uni but also through the Bonus+ affiliates.
I've been, once again immersing myself into the world of Riot Grrrl with...



and...



And today picked up these tastly morsels with which to keep myself out of trouble and strife...

This weeks reading...

Happy National Year of Reading!

Sorry it's a day late, but I started the year off grumpy... (but reading!!)



This weeks reading...

Batty but Wishful...

I just finished Wishful Drinking by one Ms Carrie Fisher, yes she of the Star Wars fame (come on... arn't you all over that by now??? but unfortunately no mention of her other great works e.g. The Blues Brothers, Charlies Angles, Jay and Silent Bob strike back and who could forget her best ever film Drop Dead Fred!!!

I don't know, I just loved her free flowing un pretentious totally honest ranty style of writing,and it also helps that she's completely batty...

I liked it so much I've used my last precious reserve (only 15... bah!) on her follow up Shockaholic.

Guess that makes him 43 3/4

Found out this week that I just missed the 30th Anniversary of my favorite ever literary character one Mr. Adrian Mole...

Break in transmission...

I finally give myself the space- both physically and mentally, to write, and I seem to have given myself the old 'block'. You see I don't want this to turn into a big winge fest about poor me... But that's the majority of my emotional state at the moment. The world, along with everybody in it, seems to be driving me crazy (and I'm not even pre-menstral!) There are lights at the end of my tunnel so to speak, but even those are going to mean a compromise of my principles as well as my pride. But I must stay focused, I need to keep my eye on that long term prize, do whats best for me and my family and get over the fact that I might have to let a few people down in that process. I feel there's been a bit of a break in transmission from feeling myself, time to get that back I think!

OK OK lets get on with it and focus on a few positives;

Bought myself some shiny new Red Roller Skates so I guess that means I'm pretty serious about running away with the Derby... that and I got a decent tax return which I need to get my fair share out of before the boy spends it all! I am beating myself up about not doing it sooner, but hey, better late and all that. Made some new friends already including a skunk haired* Drag King who likes to talk about her kidney transplant!

I am also getting myself back into reading at least a book a week, even if it does mean getting up at 6.30 am to fit it in! Last two books I read were pretty good; Norah Vincent's Self Made Man and Thirty something and the clock is ticking by Kasey Edwards which I would consider the most sensible book on motherhood I have ever read!

I also managed to escape for three fabulous hours all on my lonesome today... Imagine it... ALL alone! I even treated myself to a cheeky afternoon glass of wine... ohhh naughty!

Who knows... with all this getting back to me stuff going on, I might even manage to get out Realia #3 sometime in the near to medium future!

*hopefully my new drag king friend has seen Ladies and Gentlemen the fabulous Stains and therefore understands this is most definatly a majorly positive thing!

Wet...

I loved this book, I could not put it down, but I'm apprehensive to recommend this book to anyone at the library lest I'm accused of sexual harassment! Or of being a bit pervy, but well... It was great! The "makes the vagina monologues look tame" quote on the front kind of sums up what you can expect... head in if you dare!!!

Radar...

Here's a few things that have been showing up on my (very tired) radar of late!

Earlier this year JA and I took an adventure to an Australian 70's musical legends house under the guise of picking up a DVD for the Sharpies night at the library... Somehow JA managed to steer the conversation, as she steer's all conversations, to the subject of Joan Jett... Said music legend had some stories to tell including one about this band whose lead singer was murdered and Joan Jett got involved with the rest of the band to raise money to hire a private investigator etc. We had never heard this story and were fascinated... here's a movie we've found since...

One of my most recent reads was Portia De Rossi's Unbearable Lightness. If I had to use one word it would be "Intense"! She's certianly not afraid to bear all about her struggles with eating disorders and I've found a new respect for her. Not that I didn't before, to be honest I didnt really feel anything much for her efore other than a, 'oh look, she's on the telly and she grew up in Geelong, thats pretty good' kind of thing...



But I Reading the book made me dig a little deeper and you know what, I think she's pretty great now. I also love that she's out and a whole new role model for gay women who really doesnt fit into the stereotype of what a lesbian should look like, dress like, or be.

So anyway all this looking lead me to Ellen of course and I realised I'd never actually seen the famed "coming out" episode of her sitcom... Here's the last part of it...

And yes it is very cheezy in bits, but also some genius moments too... Oprah as the theripist (apparently she got HEAPS of hate mail!), kd lang as the folk singer/waitress ("Good for you, I'm your waitress") and Melissa Ethridge and the toaster oven! Love it!!

I'd seen the Maysles documentary of Grey Gardens a few years ago and became a little fascinated with the story. I finally got to see the tellemovie biopic of it made last year with Drew Barrymore (who I love!). I was a little sceptical about it but I think they did a brilliant job. Drew nailed the voice and the ageing make up was done amazingly!

I've out this clip on which was an extra on the DVD, it shows some of the scenes from the original and the recreations... Enjoy!

And here's a book I've been meaning to write about for ages... The girl in the song a look at 50 classic pop songs and the muses behind them... and it's got Marianne on the cover!

You know I love a good prossie book, and although the Belle De Jour books might not be the best ones, well I love the TV show as a bit of light trash so of course was very happy to find this interview with Miss Billie and the 'Real' Belle De Jour, outed in the last few years...

This one was a little bit of a disappointment, I expected it to be juicier, but still some interesting stories...

And Last but not least... I have to mention Go the f*ck to sleep!

Here's former Play School host Noni reading it... enjoy!

Mummy Manners...

I had higher expectations of this book... I used to love Elle McFeast and thought this would provide a bit of bitchy fun to get one through the fraught minefield that is the Mothers Group, Playground etiquette, Child's birthday parties and the like. But to be honest it gets a bit boring after the first 5 minutes. At first I liked the LCSH type subject headings but that too gets very boring and really just makes it look like she's trying to be too cleaver for her own good!

I just don't think it brings anything new to the table. And managed to piss me off... Inferring that a woman's greatest achievement will always be her kids, and that the other reason a woman would go back to work is financial. Goddess forbid she make like her own life, or her career may be also of importance, or daddy could stay home, or she may need to go out to work to keep her sane! And you can send your kids to childcare for reasons other than you have to go to work for financial reasons and NOT EVERYONE FEELS GUILTY ABOUT THAT! And maybe I'm just a bit tired and over sensitive and over analyzing what s supposed to be a comedy book!

Tiny things and all that...

Well they do say tiny things please tiny minds...

But I always get a laugh when you come across an unfortunate call number!!

Magazines I can stand!

Sometimes I feel like magazines are the enemy of the thinking woman, filling our lives with trash (not that that's always a bad thing!) and basically cheapening our lives in general. I used to be a bit of a magazine junkie, then all your who's and your NW's came out and I kind of swung the other way and wouldn't enter a newsagent if my life depended on it! But I am pleased to report in the last few years I have come across some magazines that I can stand... and a few recent articles that have tickled my fancy... I'm a regular subscriber to BUST: the magazine for women with something to get off their chest. Though I think they may be getting a little too slick and mainstream for their own good. They LOVE the DIY (as do I, in fact they may be responsible for my taking up knitting... just so you know who to blame!) and their latest 'food' issue contained this fab little project. Bitch Magazine has kind of stuck more to its feminist roots than BUST and I'm only a recent subscriber (though I used to always read it when I worked You-Know-Where!) LOVED this take on those ridiculous baby-nappy basket things... It kind of reminds me of one of my favourite episodes of Sex & the City called 'A woman's right to shoes' where Carrie is forced to remove her Manolo's at a friends party coz said friend doesn't want dirt coming into her house with her kids and blah blah, Carrie's shoes get nicked, friend refuses to pay for them, Carrie realises that she has bought that friend an Engagement present, Wedding present, Presents when each of the 3 kids were born, but what do singles get... a big fat nothin' Bring me a PMT cake over a baby thing anyday!! My newest favourite mag is Femme Fatal: Kustom Kulture for Dames. (when are you guys going to bring out another issue???) Being so out of the loop on stuff, I only came across it a couple of months ago, and immediately sent off for a copy and low and behold; The first issue contained an article on my lovely tattooist Jane! Issue #2 Had an article on Sharpies which is also definitely worth checking out too! For other magazines worth checking out I would say; Frankie, Milkshake and the Derby mag Hit and Miss. P.S. while were sort of on the subject... I just put the glue stick down from creating my first Zine (hey I did warn you a while back!) Now just got to sneakily use mum's photocopier over Easter (hope she's not reading!) Its doing that thing again where it wont let me put in line breaks... AAARRRGGGHHH