Rainforest Writing Retreat

withMrMarsden John Marsden and June Perkins

On the weekend I attended the Rainforest Writing Retreat organised by Charmaine Clancy and was blessed to meet author John Marsden.

What a humble and gracious human being, patiently signing books and answering the questions of fans. I wrote a creative piece from one of the writing exercises he gave us during the masterclass and volunteered to read it.

The exercise: ‘Write about a Rainforest without using the letter a.’ I had to describe a waterfall, rainforest, and a mountain climb without saying any of those words.

We had 5 minutes to write. I was so delighted that Mr Marsden liked my poem, and said it was publishable.

He encouraged me to stand up and read it loudly and confidently.

(More stories on the Rainforest Writing Retreat coming soon).

roleplayjohnmarsden Master Class Role Play – Don’t use an s

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Last Week for Preorders

Gumboootspearlz

One more week to go for preorders for Magic Fish Dreaming – email gumbootspearlz@gmail.com

For those living in Brisbane you will be able to purchase at the launch later in the year.

Further announcements on distribution later.

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Cast Away

JunePerkinsNoosaAzamatBE173 — Noosa (c) June Perkins

“Blessed is he who, in his sore longing after Thee,

hath cast away all else except Thyself.”

-Baha’u’llah, Prayers and Meditations

For more photographs and meditations visit Nineteen Months

Those who Inspire Me

Gumboootspearlz

This Friday Morning I read some Maya Angelou.

I think about what it is to be human and how

to be the best human I can be.

Can we dare? Can we dream?

And stretch, stretch, stretch!

How her thoughts spread, spread, spread!

I read them, internalise them and think

about the rainbows she puts in the clouds.

and how I can be the rainbow in another’s clouds.

Thoughts stretch, stretch, stretch

fingers unfurl

tap, tap, tap

and I dream, dream, dream!

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Picture Riddles Hint Magic Fish Dreaming

This is just a portion of a Magic Fish Dreaming illustration, a teaser, a riddle to make you wonder what the rest of it looks like.

This is so the book will mostly be a surprise when you receive it and read it for the first time.

The illustration process is nearly complete, and soon meetings with the printer will take place and the designer, Heidi Den Ronden, will be taking the reins and working her magic to bring the poetry and the illustrations together on the page.

The lovely Helene had this to say recently on her facebook page:

“I have almost completed the whole work, and I wish I could continue illustrating many other of June’s poems. I enjoyed each minute and instant working on this project. The collaboration with June Perkins is just delighting and always very constructive. I will tell and explain more about the story behind the book (I have so much to say), but I will do it a bit later on my blog.”

Thanks so much for all your support.

Preorders are still available, but only until the end of this month. You need to email June at gumbootspearlz@gmail.com

For those living in Brisbane there will also be books for sale at the official launch later this year.

Mother Made it So

Gumboootspearlz

To celebrate Mother’s Day.

I was a well groomed young lady because my mother always made it so.

She stressed ironed clothes, well brushed hair, and the best selection of hand-me-downs and St Vincent Wear, with the occasional new bargain thrown in.

Early photo albums always show her well dressed, but not conventionally so.
Sometimes she’s in saris, other times she’s in mini dresses with bee-hive hair.
Sometimes she’s in a grass skirt with a bikini top (because it’s Australia) ready for national dress events.

Make-up carefully applied, long lashes, now she looks like a Supreme.
Later there are leopard print clothes and bright vibrant purples and blues.
She’s usually slim, sometimes a little well- rounded, but only for a short time, then she’s slim again.

She moves (on a budget) with the times.
She moves with new geographies, Australia, not Papua New Guinea now.
She was generous…

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