My dear friend
Did you see they announced the Miles Franklin winner? It was a few weeks ago now, so maybe you’ve forgotten what with one thing and another and the gentle passage of time that is so typical of contemporary life.
When they announce the Miles Franklin winner it always reminds me that I haven’t read any of the books from the year before, and then I get that scritch-scratch in my brain reminding me that I never keep up with reading, I haven’t read enough, I’m running out of time. And it’s easy to blame social media, but in truth, I think it started with minesweeper, eh?
So, anyway, I thought I’d make a start on the 2020 shortlist and I began with Tony Birch, The White Girl and I finished it and I was like, ‘How did that not win?’ Oh my gosh, the writing … it is perfect. It carries you along like your floating down a river. At first my heart was swollen with sadness and then my lungs were tight with fear, and when I finished my body was shaking with the truth of things. The characters are among the most complete I’ve ever read. Odette, she is real to me.
How did it not win? But then I started on Tara June Winch’s Yield. And I was like, Oh, okay. The impact of the opening pages of this book is immediate. I haven’t finished it, but how did they choose between these?
A different newsletter
I have re-started my daily(ish)* newsletter Here if You Need (Once a Wing Attack, Always a Wing Attack), this time in the form of a serialised piece of fiction about characters I have not yet invented doing things I am yet to imagine. It’s a story, but I’m drawing on my love of soap opera to create a story with no internal logic, so you can pick it up whichever day you start. If you’re interested you can subscribe to it here. I am trying to keep it lighthearted and entertaining to offer a momentary escape from the rest of everything that we are living through. I would love to offer you something more substantial, but I don’t have much in the way of practical skills. Chapter 4 is just about ready for lift-off.
Escapist television
Starstruck on iView. As I said to the mister, ‘It’s pretty light, isn’t it?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, light, but tasty.’
Sending love
Take good care of yourself. I know that’s easier said than done, but I am sending you every love and I really do believe that easier times are not too far away.
I made a playlist of songs that came in and out of my week. In case you need a new song or two. I know spotify isn’t so awesome at making sure musicians get paid, so I’ve started buying CDs again. I know vinyl’s the thing, but I’m getting ahead of the trend for when CDs come back again.
I might not write this newsletter next week, because of the daily(ish) newsletter (did I tell you you can subscribe here), but I’ll probably think of something I’m desperate to tell you.
With every love
Tracy xx
Thanks for all of this, Tracy!