The Australian Baby Boomer Podcast

Short stories and a poem from storyteller, Bea

As promised, some of the episodes on this podcast will be celebrating creativity. In this episode, Bea reads some of her short stories. The first is based on an old Jewish folk tale, and features a silk jacket. The second will resonate with anyone who has dabbled in amateur dramatics. Another is about a married couple negotiating their retirement dreams, and yet another involves a mysterious lady, a man, and a pansy-decorated umbrella. The poem, a villanelle, honours Monet's garden. Enjoy!

Historical fiction, the publishing industry, and all things writing

Professor Ian Reid is the author of a dozen books - fiction, non-fiction and poetry.  His work has been widely anthologised, awarded prizes, and translated into several languages. We met to discuss his writing, his views on how the publishing industry has changed over the years, and advice he might give to other writers (and himself). Ian has an excellent blog, which is accessible from his website:

http://ianreid-author.com/

 

Dual creative endeavours - music and writing

Today's guest, Barbara Gurney, is a writer and a musician in a pipe band. In this podcast she talks about how each form of creativity informs the other.

Barbara lives in Perth, Western Australia, and writes across several genres including fiction for adults and children and free verse poetry. She enjoys creating memorable characters and exposing life experiences – often of the ordinary person. Her next novel, Doors of Prague will be released in March 2021. Find more on her website:

www.barbaragurney.webs.com

Sailing around Australia - the Recollections of a Blue Nomad

Jillian spent four and a half years sailing around the top end of Australia with her husband following his early retirement. Here she shares stories of some of the many adventures they had along the way. 

 

Hi there - returning to the podcast after time away

Hello friends and followers. It's been a while. I'm hoping that the coming year will be a happier one for everyone. In coming episodes I will be making room in this podcast not only for more audio memoirs and reflections, but also for some of my writer friends to share samples of their creative work. I hope to grow this podcast as an inclusive platform and am excited to see where it goes in the coming months. For those who tune in, I hope you find it entertaining and inspiring. 

The Portrait Painter

In this episode of The Australian Baby Boomer Podcast, I speak with Kath Moore. Kath has always had a love of making art, of drawing and of seeing the beautiful colours in the world. Her artistic expression has formed the background of her work throughout the time she spent in the teaching profession. Now, since her retirement ten years ago, it has again come to the fore. As soon as she retired, Kath enrolled in "everything" at the Claremont School of Art, and then travelled to Florence to the Angel Academy of Art for an intense Summer School (web address below) which concentrated on life drawing. I was fortunate to be invited to Kath's home to see the beautiful range of artwork that she has made, and to talk to her about her art. 

 

http://www.angelartschool.com/

Growing up on someone else's time - Part Two

This is part two of the interview with Stewart. His post-Duntroon career has ranged from the CSIRO dung beetle project (see link below) to working with early technology related to the internet, and more recently to being involved at the forefront of current technological innovations across a range of industries. The interview ends with his views on how training and education approaches in Australia have changed over the years. 

 

https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/BF/Areas/Invasive-species-and-diseases/Biological-control/Exotic-dung-beetle-to-tackle-Aussie-flies

Growing up on someone else's time - Part One

This episode contains information that some listeners may find distressing and a link to Lifeline counselling services is included below. 

Today's guest is Stewart. He quips that he did his growing-up in the army, at the Royal Military College of Duntroon. Because he had been a year ahead of his peers in high school, he had not yet turned seventeen when he was admitted into Duntroon. While he took well to the basic training, when his year-group returned to Duntroon, things turned sour as they were subjected to the now notorious process of bastardisation. This is his personal account of encounters with this system. 

The episode is in two parts; the first deals with his time at Duntroon, and the second follows his career afterwards.

 

https://www.lifeline.org.au/

https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/marking-time/2831588

The Builder

Today's interview is with Trevor. After finishing his carpentry apprenticeship, Trevor found work in the north-west of Australia, a place where the heat is extreme and desert stretches across the continent. At times, the days can reach 50 degrees centigrade. It was the late sixties. He'd just begun his working life when his number came up and he was conscripted into the army.  He was facing the prospect of being sent off to war in Vietnam.

Then Gough Whitlam's Labor Party came to power and conscription was ended. Trevor was able to leave and return to work in the building industry. He'd met a mate in the army and together they formed a successful building company that went on to build in remote Aboriginal communities. This was a pivotal time in his life. Trevor learnt much from this work, and his love of the desert country and people has never left him.

The interview ends with reflections on the way in which the drawing up of building regulations and checking jobs has changed over time, and perhaps not always for the better.

The Storyteller

Once upon a time there was a storyteller called Bea. In this episode, Bea talks about her many years of experience as a professional storyteller, travelling all around Australia and to other countries sharing her stories with children and adults alike. Enjoy!