Scott-Patrick Mitchell

‘I think my poetry is about passion and extremes. Curiosity and a verbal exhilaration fuel it. When it works, it has a theme and a charge that some readers have forgotten poetry can have.’

So said Dorothy Porter when I interviewed her back in 2000 for the Perth Writers Festival she was attending here in Perth. She was an abrupt woman. Determined. Concise. As a young writer I was intimidated by her, but so in awe of her majesty, of the language she created and commanded. (more…)

Global Gathering (as well as the smaller, inaugural VROOM! Festival) happened on the weekend, and with the sluice of outstanding, block rocking tunes, came a plethora of the good, the bad and the downright ugly fashion wise. Which made me think – since when did festivals become such a haven for the badly attired? I mean, the setting itself is beautiful – nay, epic, particularly with the skyline so close it’s almost breathing down on you – so why can’t some of the people be beautiful? I mean, there are some beautiful people, but there are so many, many more ambassadors for trash. (more…)

More clothes should come with warning labels. No, seriously: they should. And I’m not talking about the washing instruction ‘do not put this white top with colours’ (clearly) or ‘do not iron this plastic print because, well, if you do you clearly have no concept that plastic melts under extreme heat’. No, not those kind of warning labels. (more…)