Better off Read

As you may know by now, this year I’m producing a series called Beyond a Joke where I speak with writers and other artists using something that has made them laugh as a jumping off point to discuss their work. Anthony is an incredible fiction writer and you can read more about him and his work on his website  www.anthonylapwood.wordpress.com Anthony brought a painting as a starting point. A painti...

I loved talking to Jordan so much. I’ve been a fan for a while and it was so great to sit down and chat about poetry and humour.     Jordan Hamel (Image by Ebony Lamb) Jordan’s new book Everyone is Everyone Except You is out in May 2022 with Dead Bird Books.  Click here to read more       Cover by Matt Mitchell  https://linktr.ee/mattmitchell   To launch the book Jordan is having two launch events...

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Subscribe to Better off Read on Substack In this, the first episode in this series I speak with Anna Jackson abouta single cell from a Peanuts cartoon where Snoopy is pretending to be a cow. This turns out to be a really great way into talking to Anna about her amazing new book Actions & Travels: How Poetry Works (Auckland University Press)

In the last couple of weeks I’ve been recording and editing the first episodes of the new series Beyond a Joke. In this series, I’m asking guests to bring an object that has made them laugh. Using this object we discuss what makes us laugh, what arts practice can learn about the structures of humor and jokes and so far, quite a lot about where the ‘serious’ and the ‘ridiculous’ overlap and interse...

Due to Covid the session I was chairing with Andy Southall and Bridget van der Zijpp for the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts was cancelled. I'm really grateful that Andy and Bridget agreed to record a session where we talk about their books under the session theme of Time, Love, Memory. Andy Southall speaks about his new novel Both Feet in Paradise (The Cuba Press)

Due to Covid the session I was chairing with Andy Southall and Bridget van der Zijpp for the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts was cancelled. I'm really grateful that Andy and Bridget agreed to record a session where we talk about their books under the session theme of Time, Love, Memory. Bridget van der Zijpp speaks about her new novel I Laugh Me Broken (Te Herenga Waka University Pr...

In the third episode in the Character season of Elements, I talk to Tatyana Kulida about character and how it relates to her work. We use Henry Miller’s book ‘To Paint is to Love Again’ as a starting point for this discussion. Here is a link to Tatyana’s website

In the second episode in the Character season of Elements, I talk to Tara Black about character and how it relates to her work. We use René Magritte's 'The Treachery of Images' as a starting point for this discussion. Some of the things we talk about are: Here is a link to Tara's website We talk about the books of Scott McCloud Understanding Comics, Making Comics, Reinventing Comics. Here is a lin...

In the first episode in the Person/Character season of Elements, I talk to Rachel O'Neill about character and how it relates to their writing. We use Andrea Arnold's film Milk as a starting point for this discussion. CW: Please be aware that Milk contains the death of a baby and deals with the grief resulting from this. Here's a link where you can watch Andrea Arnold's film Milk Here's a link to R...

In the fourth episode in the Point season of Elements, I talk to Kirsten McDougall about point of view and how it relates to her writing. We use as starting point for this discussion first-person perspective. Some of the things we talk about are: Here’s a link to Kirsten’s new book She’s a Killer Here’s a link to Maggie Shipstead’s book Great Circle Here’s a link to Olga Ravn’s book The Employees...

In the third episode in the Point season of Elements, I talk to Ebony Lamb about point of view and how it relates to her work as a photographer and song-writer. We use as starting point for this discussion Ebony's portrait below. Which you can see here: https://better-read.com/2021/09/08/ep-103-elements-17/  

Some of the things we talk about are: Here's a link to Cassie's website which includes information about all of Cassie's work Exercise: Cassie and I talk about using existing structures. Maybe you could think of a 'type' of story - a romance, a whodunit, a first contact novel. Now spend 30 seconds writing everything about that type of story that you know. Now take another type of story and write i...

In the second episode in the Point season of Elements, I talk to Emma Hislop about point of view and what it is to write it. We use as starting point for this discussion Daisy Johnson's short story 'The Hunt' which is part of 'The Scattering: a story in three parts' and is published in Johnson's amazing collection Fen. Here's a link to more information about Fen Some of the things we talk about ar...

First of all, thank you so much for helping us reach 100 episodes. I am very grateful to everyone who has been on the podcast and everyone who has listened. Thank you. Show notes at: https://better-read.com/2021/07/09/ep-100-elements-14/

https://better-read.com/2021/06/21/ep-99-ash-davida-jane/ Ash reads both poems at the start of this podcast but you can read ‘Kiss of the Sun’ by Mary Ruefle here https://www.ronnowpoetry.com/contents/ruefle/KissoftheSun.html And ‘pool party’ is in Ash’s collection How to Live with Mammal is published by VUP Some of the things we talk about are: Heather Christle’s The Crying Book Intan Paramaditha...

In this bonus 'Place' episode of Elements, I talk to Richard Larsen about the first Glass Vaults album 'Glass' as a way to talk about place and music in place Some of the things we talk about are: We talk a lot about one of Richard's projects Glass Vaults. Glass Vaults are Richard Larsen, Bevan Smith, Rowan Pierce + friends. Bevan makes music as Aspen, Introverted Dancefloor and Signer. Signer has...

Formula 1: Drive to Survive is a Netflix Original series which you can read about here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_1:_Drive_to_Survive Doug's film You Could Have Seen The Mona Lisa is showing at the 2021 Doc Edge Festival 4-11 June https://festival.docedge.nz/film/you-could-have-seen-the-mona-lisa/ Doug's podcast which he makes with Steve Skeet and Darren Waugh is Ludicrously Specific ht...

Laura chose two of her poems to talk about, you can read them here: ACTIVITIES by Laura Vincent, The Friday Poem in The Spinoff https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/12-07-2019/the-friday-poem-activities-by-laura-vincent/ Anecdotal happiness by Laura Vincent, The Friday Poem in The Spinoff https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/10-01-2020/the-friday-poem-anecdotal-happiness-by-laura-vincent/ Some of the things w...

To raise awareness, and hopefully some money, for the Wellington Rape Crisis Annual Appeal we live-streamed this episode of Better off Read on Sunday 2 May at 8.00 pm. I talked with M. Darusha Wehm about their work with a special focus on narrative and plot. I'm particularly excited to talk to Darusha about their new work The Qubit Zirconium a riotous science fantasy novel from the smash hit game,...

In the second episode in the Plot season of Elements, I talk to Dan Kois about plot and narrative and what it is to write it.  Some of the things we talk about are: You can read about Dan's novel Vintage Contemporaries here https://www.dankois.com/vintage-contemporaries We talk about Laurie Colwin's book Happy all the Time https://www.lauriecolwin.com/books Jenny Offill's Department of Speculation...

In the first episode in the Plot season of Elements, I talk to Ingrid Horrocks about plot and narrative and what it is to write it.  Some of the things we talk about are: Ingrid's new book is Where We Swim published by VUP https://vup.victoria.ac.nz/where-we-swim/ Ingrid wrote a great piece for The SpinOff about reading during a pandemic and you can read that here https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/28...

In the sixth episode in the Place season of Elements, I talk to Ann Shelton about place and what it is to write it.  Some of the things we talk about are: You can see and read about Ann’s work at her website  https://annshelton.com/ Including ‘The Witch’  https://annshelton.com/works/a-lovers-herbal A Lovers’ Herbal can be viewed on the Denny Dimin Gallery website here  —   https://dennydimingalle...

In the fifth episode in the Place season of Elements, I talk to Kerry Donovan Brown about place and what it is to write it.  Kerry's essay 'Queer Debris: A personal essay on queer love and loneliness in response to Sam Duckor-Jones’s People From The Pit Stand Up and Chris Tse’s he’s so MASC.' https://pantograph-punch.com/posts/queer-debris

In the forth episode in the Place season of Elements, I talk to Charlie Pearson, Helen Lehndorf and Marolyn Krasner about place and what it is to write it. This episode was recording the morning after there incredible show From the 4410 to the 4412. Snails: Artist run spaces is an amazing place in Palmerston North you can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/snailsartistrunspace/...