Tag: Samuel Wagan Watson

This is the End

SoutherlyBlog

by Samuel Wagan Watson   In the past few weeks I was hoping that, as a weekly Blogger for Southerly, I’d be able to do something for my writing. I mean, this is a wonderful opportunity and I am grateful, but I’m still obsessing that somewhere in my journey I missed the turn-off? I thought I would have found my way by now and be more content with the end product in my daily work. But no…I don’t feel I’m even close yet! I was also determined to hand some work into my publisher this week and that’s just not…

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Crime and, inevitably, Punishment!

SoutherlyBlog

by Samuel Wagan Watson Writing is a misdemeanour of self-indulgence; therefore an escalated fit of writing could be considered blatant criminal activity. I took two words from the English dictionary before I even dressed this morning, and being an Indigenous writer its questionable as to whether or not these two words were ever my property to begin with. Suffice to say, I’m not giving these stolen items back, and I will attempt to profit from their acquired value. I was born into a family of writers and I was conceived on the lamb. Mum and Dad got hitched in 1971…

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The Sound Of Music

SoutherlyBlog

by Samuel Wagan Watson My next collection of poetry should now be a semi-completed manuscript in the custody of my publisher. It should be, it would be, it could be…shoulda, woulda, coulda…Truth be told, I rounded a jagged edge a couple of weeks ago in the writing and now I’m stuck on a splinter-curve in the pages. Getting around this particular corner is dangerous. I’m not writing enough to progress and I run the risk of writing too much in the wrong direction and could easily jack-knife my journey all together. I am notorious for allowing a manuscript to cook…

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Flat-Lines

SoutherlyBlog

by Samuel Wagan Watson 2:23AM I probably don’t need to shake-it for another couple of hours.  I’m flying out at around nine o’clock from Brisbane airport, and it’s a Thursday.  Tuesday mornings are the worst.  Traffic is congested on the Gateway Arterial from 6.30am until around 9.  No one knows how to merge onto the Gold Coast motorway!  In my day-to-day work as a writer I need to know this because I haven’t missed a flight…yet.  I dread the moment that happens.  I’ve never paid for a flight in my life, and I wouldn’t know how to, and my agent…

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New monthly blogger – Samuel Wagan Watson!

SoutherlyBlog, News

An enormous thanks to Fiona McFarlane for her inspiring posts. This month, our blogger is Samuel Wagan Watson. His bio is below. Samuel Wagan Watson is a full-time writer for hire. Born in Brisbane in 1972, Samuel is of honourable ancestry of Munanjali, Birri Gubba, German, and Gaelic descent.   He was the winner of the 1999 David Unaipon award for emerging Indigenous writers with his first collection of poetry, Of Muse, Meandering and Midnight.  Since then he has written three more collections; Itinerant Blues (2001, University of Queensland Press), Hotel Bone (2001, Vagabond Press) and Smoke Encrypted Whispers (2004, University…

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