call it an afternoon off

Yuletide

pene — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 22:58:33 GMT

This year for yuletidde I wrote, and LOVED writing:

After the Boys of Summer Have Gone

It's Shelter (2007) which is a movie runpunkrun introduced to me and she beta read for me along with stultiloquentia and they are darlings and it's more important that you watch this dear sweet inarticulate movie than read my fic because I love it and these boys so much. And they're adorably in love and they create this family together.

If you can find it. It was miraculously available on youtube while I wrote but is now disappeared.

*

And I received a beautiful thoughtful Earthsea fic about Tenar and Tehanu, about the everyday details of life and how they matter as much as the large magics and dragons, and about women. It's gorgeous.

Amber Eye

pene — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 12:41:09 GMT

Hello! I'm sorry I've been so scarce... it is a goal to come back here but there's been a lot on.

Aside from the children, who are delightful torments and I love them and would recommend having none...

And Robbie needing a new job (she's sorting it, smart thing) and me having worked at the same place for TEN years!!

Aside from those things, the biggest thing is this !!!novel!!! (oh my goodness) that I'm writing. Much to my surprise. I love it dearly. I'm almost finished with the draft and have another 5 weeks before the manuscript is due with the publishers.

They announced it on tumblr, see here? That's me. You'd all recognise me by the ludicrous biography that is all true.

These are the lovely photos my talented friend Laura took of me for the purposes of having a face.

pene — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 03:41:57 GMT

There's a thing where people are asking for input on topics to post about (every day) in December. It's fairly great.

I mean, I post fairly regularly right now. And also it's 4 December.

But if there is something I should address, whether topical or practical or personal, let me know! And I'll do it!

Originally posted at dreamwidth where there are comments. Feel free to comment here or there.

This is public.

pene — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 04:04:13 GMT

Oh Robbie bought me tickets to see Neil Finn at the Opera House next March. I am breathlessly happy. He is the most exceptional songwriter and that voice and his whole self and person seems beautiful. I hope I like the new album.

Dear yuletide writer

pene — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 23:42:06 GMT

Thank you so much for writing for me. I am thrilled about any of these potential stories and hope you are happy with what has landed on you.

Basically my take on yuletide is that the story I will love the most is the one that appeals to you as writer so feel free to ignore or mess with anything I say! I read and am happy with gen, het and slash, all kinds of stories. I am not a huge fan of people cheating on partnerships and would prefer any sexy times outside a canon relationship are somehow agreed within that relationship or some equivalent. I love stories that show kindness to characters whether the story is fluff or angst or a character study.

I am not wedded to anything in particular really ever. I will be so interested in how you explore the characters or canon or whatever world you create or build on.

If you need anything I am happy to answer. You could talk with furies or therealjae both of whom know me well - but please don't worry that anything will be a problem.

pene — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 01:37:48 GMT

In lieu of content I bring boys on a tree stump, Joss fishing and Cary adventuring. This at Robbie's older sister's place, looking over Port Stephens.

pene — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:29:43 GMT

Pictures of Joss and me on mother's day. I know they're kind of the same, but he is so different in each. Love.

pene — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 02:11:46 GMT

Dear Yuletide gift writer,

Thank you so much for writing for me! My basic theory is that you know what you love to write better than I do. So please, if the story leads you in a direction I mightn't contemplate or if you think it wouldn't appeal to me, go with your pen/keyboard because I won't mind.

To give you a feel for what I love...

Stories that give you a specific sense of place and time. Stories that deal with people as individuals rather than an example of a person. I like stories which are generous in the way they portray people. I don't know, I love stories about the tiny every day moments of a person who is not that special but I also love stories where someone exceptional heroically changes the world. I love the practical bright eyed details of romance. It turns out I also love action and stories where stuff happens.

I am not being helpful this year. If you have questions unwinding or furies know me well (furies is more present here). Or see what I've written and recommended on AO3. Or just go with the yuletide flow.

Thank you already!

pene — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 06:44:52 GMT

I've been newly discovering the pleasure of listening to music on ear-bud things from my ipad while commuting. I feel oddly like I'm in a bubble, and with it I feel the kind of confidence I developed in New York to meet those crowds of people walking wherever I was. Also I get to listen to music.

This morning I listened while reading Mark Sinnett's Some Late Adventure of the Feelings, a book of poems all about his love for S. There are some poems that really speak to me in here.

excerpts:

from Hymn
There is no disproving any of this
unless I go after them, brave the ill-tempered dogs,
the blue heat and steeple chasing rain,
abandon you here, leave you
unguarded. Which is unthinkable.

from Again, With Feeling
It happens in a lifetime over and again _
without knowing, it is the last time.

A restaurant frequented and then
inexplicably forgotten. Or else bright affection
touches no more the deeper, leaping
and skittish places in the body.

from Wishful
I would see you in all the doorways, it's that bad

**

My playlists

Can't feel the ground - this is crush music
Chapter 5 - writing music
Eeese - cheesy music
Essentially this stuff is dance - but it's not really it's hip hop or trip hop or electronica
Mild day - mostly folky music
Not as brave as you were - fighting action music kind of
Not the girl - music where the women sound like men and vice versa
Once a stone - sort of soul and blues and maybe some electronica
Punk rock hair - music I'd play if I wanted someone to think I was cool
Sweetheart come - where sadness and love meet
Things we're all too young to know - Love songs
Took my love - music from The Voice
Travel - this is just the stuff I liked that day, a list where you can't tell what will come next which is handy for travel
Without measure - more love songs, just in a different order I suspect

Originally posted at dreamwidth where there are comments. Feel free to comment here or there.

pene — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:48:33 GMT

I've edited my lj friends list. Simply to do with whether we have an even vaguely mutually communicative relationship on livejournal.

Some people I adore and find fascinating have been edited out because I adore them in person or in email and can communicate with them there, but they are genuinely never here and don't have an lj (or dw) presence so it seems silly to add to the dissemination of information about me and my family to people who would rather talk to me in person. And here I can talk to the people who are talking back.

If you return to lj/dw and I have removed you then let me know.

pene — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:58:16 GMT

Dear Yuletide Writer

Repeating myself from last year and the year before:
Of course all of my optionals and suggestions are simply that, optionals and suggestions. I'd rather you wrote what inspires you than follow anything I've said and just made suggestions in case one sprang a story for you. I’ll be delighted with pretty much any story in any of these universes and any of the characters listed. I am also happy if you include characters I haven’t listed.

I am ordinarily happier with hopeful stories than unbridled hopelessness though I’ve enjoyed pure angst on occasion. I enjoy gen stories and relationship-based stories, slash and het. I am not really into unadulterated erotica or the PWP.

Here are some quick thoughts on what I love most in the sources:

Val McDermid - Tony Hill and Carol Jordan
The love between a beautiful driven reserved woman and a rumpled tortured genius of a man is one that I always enjoy. And these two especially, with their real and adult understanding of each other and their loyalty and morality. If you can give them a relatively happy ending I would love it. The poor things keep getting tortured in the most horrible ways. Alternatively gen stories with these characters showing their skills and tenacity would make me happy.

Earthsea:
I feel Earthsea and its good and evil and morality are beautiful and intriguing. I’d love to see something that explores that morality. I mean, you don’t need to be obvious, but I enjoy the depth in these books. I have such a forever soft spot for Ged and how rich he is but I’d love to dig further into any of the women I’ve mentioned too. There is so much going on in Earthsea that we don’t see and if you show any of it I’ll be thrilled. Oh. I’d generally prefer none of the characters cheated on their canonical relationships (I don’t mean they can’t have sex outside those relationships if that makes sense within the context of the relationship, just that I’d rather they didn’t cheat on what they’ve promised one another.)

Reginald Hill - Dalziel and Pascoe series
I find all Hill's characters credible and intriguing. I also love the Yorkshire setting. Wield seems to have two lives – one where he's an unfailingly perfect policeman, always focussed, and another where he is developing some kind of menagerie and moved in with a man he just met. I like that he only shares the duality of himself with a few people. His relationship with Digweed makes me giggly for him. His friendship with the Pascoes is warm and excellent.

Famous Five - Enid Blyton
I feel like George is a bit of an outsider even among her cousins. I'd love to see how that works internally for her. I think she has a lot of ferocity and talent and it's often underused with the boys around. Perhaps a grown up George, perhaps an adventure with just Anne, where the girls can demonstrate their own skills without being rescued. Happy for slash or het relationships if grown up. p.s. It's a narcissistic exercise as I share her name, though I'm not much like her.

I am thrilled that we share whichever of these universes you elect and I am excited to see what you write. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALREADY.

Oh… p.s. Between two families and a 3 year old, I suspect I won’t be on the internet on the 24th/25th (I’m in Australia so the reveal often strikes early) but I will be thinking of my story waiting for me and will be around as soon as I can thereafter.

pene — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:44:03 GMT

Any recommendations for accommodation in LA. My friends are attending a taping of Ellen which is, I guess, in Burbank.

pene — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:04:38 GMT

*The last two days I have had four of five strangers, women, youngish or my age (I count me as young but some of you don't) smile brightly at me on the train. The reason is simple. I am reading Bridget Jones' Diary which I am finding amusing and they probably see the laughing inside my head. It's sweet that they beam at me, as though we are in a secret club.

pene — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:42:15 GMT

Now I am going to copy rebism and keep a list of Books Read in 2010 for my reference.

January:

Bel Canto - Ann Patchett (gorgeous. so engaging, made me want to forget the situation they were in, forget the future and live for the moment. everything was perfect save that I wanted it all to be different)
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club - Dorothy L Sayers (fun)
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy (so good and really too depressing for me)
Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding (making me laugh)

February:

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - Helen Fielding (not as funny as the first one and kind of ludicrous)
blindness - Jose Saramago (extraordinary and gripping and engaging and worrying)
Lydia - Clare Darcy (indistinguishable from other stories but still delightful. not quite as good as Heyer but less misogynistic)
Allegra - Clare Darcy (as above)
These Old Shades - Georgette Heyer (deeply problematic but I love regency romance)
An Infamous Army - Georgette Heyer (lots of historical detail which bored me but again I love regency romance)
sure there were others...

pene — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:12:14 GMT

Hello my favourite Yuletide writer!

Bravo to you for writing for me!

Of course all of my optionals and suggestions are simply that, optionals and suggestions. I'd rather you wrote what inspires you than follow anything I've said and just made suggestions in case one sprang a story for you. I’ll be delighted with pretty much any story in any of these universes and any of the characters listed. I am also very happy if you include characters I haven’t listed as well.

I am ordinarily happier with hopeful stories than unbridled hopelessness though I’ve enjoyed pure angst on occasion. It’s important to me that the stories aren’t turned into just stories about white people. (Of course you’d struggle to manage that in Earthsea.) I enjoy gen stories and relationship-based stories, slash and het. I am not really into unadulterated erotica or the PWP.

I put all my story thinking into the requests but here are some quick thoughts on what I love most in the sources:

The Boxer:
I am happy that this song can be taken in any direction and I am happy for you to do it. I love the fact that the song keeps moving with a sort of lightness despite all the drama and anguish. I love the line “the fighter still remains” as though in the end even when he’s lost all his boxing preciseness and flourish he is a fighter. And, of course, the image of the Boxer carrying reminders of every glove that laid him down sticks with me - the precise way we remember our failures.

Neverwhere:
There’s so much thinking and intelligence in almost every sentence of this book. I like the wit and the little throwaway thoughts that you come back to. It’s a universe that captures you so quickly. I’d be interested in new characters alongside those I’ve mentioned.

Earthsea:
I feel Earthsea and its good and evil and morality are beautiful and intriguing. I’d love to see something that explores that morality. I mean, you don’t need to be obvious, but I enjoy the depth in these books. I have such a forever soft spot for Ged and how rich he is but I’d love to dig further into any of the women I’ve mentioned too. There is so much going on in Earthsea that we don’t see and if you show any of it I’ll be thrilled. Oh. I’d generally prefer none of the characters cheated on their canonical relationships (I don’t mean they can’t have sex outside those relationships if that makes sense within the context of the relationship, just that I’d rather they didn’t cheat on what they’ve promised one another.)

I am thrilled that we share whichever of these universes you elect and I am excited to see what you write. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALREADY.

Oh… p.s. Between two families and a 2 year old, I suspect I won’t be on the internet on the 24th/25th (I’m in Australia so the reveal often strikes early) but I will be thinking of my story waiting for me and will be around as soon as I can thereafter.

pene — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:00:17 GMT

while meandering on the Margaret River, we ate a late lunch at Cullen Winery. It's all organic and sustainable and delicious. The restaurant looked up a slope of vines and it was stunning.

I ordered dosa with chana dahl, and a salsa of avocado, tomato and black lentils. And now I must make dahl. But I worry that dahl can be so bland and this was ridiculously delicious so that I am dreaming of the meal.

Does anyone have in their brain or to hand a recipe or thoughts about making dahl?

pene — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:15:55 GMT

Hello and thank you. I am writing this because my journal has so little fiction in it (I write about two stories a year) so I thought some idea of the things I love in these people might help.

Every one of these women is excellent and my favourite thing ever so any story you write will be received with joy.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Sarah/Jesse

To my mind Sarah Connor is just the finest tough-girl ever. And I love Jesse's fierceness and ferociousness. I think they'd provide an interesting foil to one another - can't imagine them not fighting. I'd love to see them in the midst of war (which they always are) or on a mission together. I'd love to see them providing each other with things they need.

I have never written Sarah Connor Chronicles and I think you are brave.

Bones: Angela/Camille; Angela/Roxie

Angela is warm and gorgeous and so generous with herself. I'd love to see her lose herself and have to fight for something. I'd enjoy cosy home stories or some sort of painting adventure story or anything.

I've never written Bones either.

The Mentalist: Lisbon/OFC, Lisbon/van Pelt, Lisbon/anyone anywhere

I'd love to know more of Lisbon. She's very reserved and I'd like to read anything that delves into her private space. I love how physically confident she is. I love how she moves economically. I love how she's visibly human, quite small, yet unshakeable. If you write Lisbon/van Pelt I hope you find some way to deal with the fact that one is the other's boss (which makes me uncomfortable... but they're such gorgeous characters)

I have written very brief (and unbetaed 48 hour) Lisbon here

Crossover - the Mentalist/NCIS: Lisbon/David

Now that is a very strong woman/strong woman kind of a pairing. I like the idea of two women who'd essentially respect each other. I think it could mix funny and hot or traumatic and hot in equal measures. I think David would find Jane really infuriating which could be cool. I took this as a chance for me to suggest a Lisbon pairing I thought would work.

Blue Crush - Eden/Anne-Marie

Eden is one of my favourite characters. So very gay. So very protective. So ridiculously hot. I love seeing these two in their element, among the surfing. I'd love to see them happy with their lives.

I've written Blue Crush here and here

pene — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:27:17 GMT

Most of this journal is friends locked. I pretty much focus on "here is my life and the life of my family and friends". So it's a personal space.

Yet here is an unlocked post.

Because I've reduced my "friends" list here over the past few weeks. I wanted to maintain a "friends" list of people with whom I have an actual relationship through livejournal. My thinking didn't require a certain number of comments or anything quantitative - just that I know you are around here sometimes and we have a friendship even if there are gaps in that or we sometimes don't have as much to say.

If you mind that I've deleted you let me know. Obviously I've miscontrued our relationship and should be brought to task.

*

As a sidenote: You should always feel free to delete me from your "friends" list without worrying that I'll be offended. I care about everyone on my "friends" list so I might be a little sad but I'd understand. I do not think being deleted reflects badly on me and I am aware of the limitations of time and interest. I mean, unless you're certain (and a large number of) people who are not allowed to delete me ever please. But you wouldn't because you looove me.

*

As a separate sidenote: I'm going to try to post something, even something teeny, more regularly. Let's say four times a week. I think I haven't been as consistent as I'd like.

*

A final sidenote: I am happy to build new friendships here too. If you know someone I should meet please let me know.

pene — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:27:34 GMT

eta: oh gosh read this instead. But only comment if you're agreeing with her :)

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/03/12/mary-ann-mohanraj-gets-you-up-to-speed-part-i/

The conversation* about racism and cultural appropriation and more racism that is ongoing on lj and blogs of primarily the science-fiction/fantasy community has meant people, particularly people of colour, have been deeply hurt and bruised and people's racism has been revealed in ways that are true and disheartening.

The conversation is about racism, including aversive racism among some apparently lovely white liberals. This conversation translates from sf/f to the rest of the world** I think if you haven't read it you should. In reading and sometimes commenting on this, my worldview has been affected despite being uninvolved in sf/fantasy.

The conversation is not simply madness, it is very rarely flaming. The majority of people posting have a point, sometimes a good point and if not there's a reason (often defensiveness, racism, unadmitted privilege) that they don't have a good point. Even when the posts are ugly and wrong they are often important because of what they demonstrate.

The resulting arguments have been hurtful because they have demonstrated the racism, defensiveness and ignorance in many, many white people. There is a huge chasm in the sf/f fandom between people of colour and their anti-racist allies, and nice white liberals who have shown varying degrees of racism. The chasm is heartbreaking. Not because it didn't exist before, not because no one knew about it, but because it's so visible and yet people are still defensively saying that it's just a flamewar, or the result of a grudge, or a something to be solved by mediation and isn't about underlying racism. Some white people are still feeling like reasonable people slighted by people of colour rather than considering their own wrongs. Some white people are saying that they are not racist despite being told that they are.

Sure. I understand. I want to think that I am not racist. But listen.

I'm posting here because I may know people who want to read this and shouldn't hear that it is just a mess in which they don't want to get involved.

There are many many good and important posts and I should have indexed as I read. Here are a few that give a good idea of what's going on, have important things to say, are primarily by people of colour so they know what they're talking about with respect to race, and include links for further perusal.

Here is a timeline: http://seeking-avalon.blogspot.com/2009/01/timeline.html which includes lots of useful links.

This is one post on why this conversation is important and how it has hurt people of colour: http://seeking-avalon.blogspot.com/2009/03/listen-hear-that.html#comments

A primer on racism in the sf/f community. http://coffeeandink.livejournal.com/888012.html (coffeeandink is not a person of colour)

A months old post by Deepa D about the invasive prevalence of white culture in fantasy http://deepad.livejournal.com/29656.html

A post about why the defensive things that leap to mind when confronted with a conversation about racism are useless and damaging. http://shewhohashope.livejournal.com/128682.html

*They call it Racefail 09 which is accurate because it's more about fail than conversation but sounds much more computer speaky than I ordinarily use. Anyway. Racefail 09.

**Even if it didn't it would be important. Racism in one community matters even if I am not involved in that community.

pene — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:29:12 GMT

If you've read Ian Rankin's Rebus books (and if you like mystery you should) then I have a story for you.

Written for me in Yuletide: Sad Songs Sung in a Different Room brings a whole 'nother layer while fitting perfectly with the characters. I had no thought on what my story would be and this just floored me. It's beautifully written and made me happy (and sad).

pene — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:30:07 GMT

does anyone have insight as to where to donate to good "save the animals" charities.

(i.e. doesn't do it at the cost of something equally valuable, doesn't make people crazy)

preferably worldwide or Australian.

to clarify : this is because I want to make a donation in someone else's name as a gift.

THANK YOU!

pene — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:59:48 GMT

article for rag_and_bone about skin health and using no soap or shampoo (among things)

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s2015.htm

pene — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:57:22 GMT

Dear yuletide author,

I am grinning on the inside even before you have a chance to start. I will love anything in these universes; I am fairly certain that you cannot make me unhappy.

As you may have noticed I am currently obsessed with British crime fiction/detective novels. I've been reading them since I was small but I'm realising all over again the potential in them for long term investment in characters. I love the teamwork, and the way location often becomes a character.

I've put a fair amount of detail in my requests. I hope that is helpful. Please think of it completely as suggestions and not at all directive.

(This letter seems to have turned into an exposition on why I like different characters. And it's really really long. Uh… I apologise in advance.)

Reginald Hill - Dalziel and Pascoe series
I find all Hill's characters credible and intriguing but the ones I've chosen are, along with Dalziel, my favourites. I also love the Yorkshire setting.
- Wield seems to have two lives – one where he's unfailingly perfect and focussed and another where he is developing some kind of menagerie and moved in with a man he just met. I like that he only shares the duality of himself with a few people. His relationship with Digweed makes me giggly for him. His friendship with the Pascoes is warm and excellent.
- Novello is someone I feel far less kinship with, but that makes her fascinating. The way she looks at people interests me – she sees her colleagues in such a different light to me. I like her respect for Dalziel and her mistrust of Pascoe. I think her ambition and the awkwardness of her, her pushiness and sexuality, are all worth exploring. I think it'd be a hard job to write Novello in love (and particularly difficult with a woman) but I'd be intrigued.
- Pascoe's cerebral qualities and politeness make him seem soft but there's that coil of steel in him. I enjoy watching him be clever with Dalziel and with suspects. I like that he respects and is exasperated by Dalziel. I think his relationship with Ellie is surprisingly well drawn and rich with the reality of life with two very different people.

Ian Rankin – Rebus series
I appreciate the way every case prints itself on Rebus and Clarke in this series. Rebus is brilliant and yet always weighed down by his SAS service and each case. I'd love to see something focussed on Clarke and her response to the ugliness of their work. I'd like to know how she avoids breaking down and what Rebus means to her. She's a character that I see pulled in so many directions, healthy ambition and unhealthy obsession. I'd be happy to see her involved in a relationship with Rebus or an original female or male character or anyone but it's certainly not necessary.

P D James – Dalgliesh series
I actually don't think anyone's offered to write this so I'm not expecting it. If, however, you're surprising me then I love this series for the refined nature of it. This is more of a murder mystery world where the characters separate themselves from the reality of their work. I'd like to see some of how the work affects them. I have a particular fondness for Kate Miskin with her rough history and her tendency to be a hermit in her little flat. I'd like to see Dalgliesh through her eyes, and watch her come to terms with a case and with her own future. I'm happy to see her alone, work-focussed or in a relationship with someone. I also love Dalgliesh. His humane understanding of what he's doing really touches me. I like how refined he is but would be interested to see him frustrated or relying on someone else.

Generally I'd prefer people didn't break up a perfectly good romantic partnership to out and have sex with the superintendant but, you know, if you can make me believe it I'll love it. I'd love to see police work or the hint of a case in there, but completely understand that is hard work in our short timeframe. I'd also tend to prefer at least a glimpse of a few characters to seeing one character all alone for the whole story.

I enjoy all sorts of language, case files, experimental writing, purple prose, brevity, humour, snappy dialogue and self-aware internal monologues. I like sexy fiction and gen fiction, I like slash and I like het and I like buddy stories.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

pene — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:14:07 GMT

Links I have appreciated about Proposition 8 in California, USA.

i. Penknife on people's reasoning for voting for Proposition 8.
But we've got to figure out ways to address some of the concerns that are swaying the middle-of-the-road voters, because those are the ones we have to get.

ii. Lotus Ice on her marriage
we have a nice philosophical discussion about what constitutes, in terms of track pants and their construction and materials, acceptable clothing to be out in public.

iii. A comment by greendyke to Dan Savage's blog But I am encouraged by a couple of things. Proposition 22, which defined marriage as a one man, one woman thing and was approved by CA voters eight years ago, won with 61% of the vote. Just eight years later, here we are at barely 51% opposed with herculean efforts and gazillions of dollars spent by the other side, including their out of state mormon evil helpers. That ten percentage point loss in support in only eight years is very encouaging to me right now, devastated though I am. As another commenter pointed out, another constitutional ammendment can undo this one.

iv. Lady Jax on racism in the campaign against 8
Apparently, Black people are to blame for Proposition 8 passing.

v. Darkrose Tiger on changing people's hearts
The Civil Rights Movement that the mainstream gay community loves to invoke involved a two-pronged strategy of changing the laws, along with coordinated effors on the ground to change people's hearts and minds

**

And unrelatedly here is a nifty thing about lighting and presidency. The Australian head of state is such a different position from the US head of state (primarily because our head of state is not popularly elected) so this is all kinda strange and hilarious to me. But effective.

pene — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:15:44 GMT

I've been reading up on racial oppression in Australia. I don't know, yet, anyone who's well versed in the specifics of this (I may know people who are but I don't yet know that they are) so I'm throwing my thinking and considering out to some smart people: i.e. you.

I've been thinking about National Sorry Day.

National Sorry Day. Instituted in 1998 to acknowledge the harm done to the indigenous population by mostly English settlers, and most prominently the harm done to the stolen generations. These are children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed forcibly from their families and moved to missions to assimilate them. They're the Stolen Generations because it happened for a hundred years and didn't stop until after my girlfriend was born.

In 2008 Kevin Rudd (our PM, and a man of whom I am a fan generally) put a motion to Parliament. In it he honoured and reflected. It was, I considered, a thoughtful speech. I have only seen official responses to it and need to look further into real live responses. Here it is

Mr. Rudd apologised. He specifically said sorry. He said it on behalf of Parliament and therefore as representatives of, I assume, the governing bodies who originally instigated the policies. Which seems fair enough and I believe was specifically what leaders of the indigenous community asked for.

I've been thinking about that and the way it's "National" Sorry Day. If I say "I'm sorry" to and for the stolen generations that seems problematic. Because by saying that I am saying that I am responsible for the actions of other white people because they are white and I am white. I am saying that the we in my world is white or at least non-indigenous. Which, admittedly, is an assumption I make all the time but is not a right assumption.

And secondly "National" Sorry Day. I guess I'm reading too much into it. National Sorry Day not because everyone is sorry (except the Aboriginals) but because we're all honouring a sorry.

Or am I just arguing myself into and out of a corner.

I am not a member of the stolen generation, I'm not related to a member of the stolen generation so I don't know. I don't know what it's like to look like a member of a minority. I can read things by people who are and will.

Just to be clear I am not saying that there aren't things I should be sorry for, not the least of which is being racist myself. And just living with and enjoying the fruits of racism which completely benefit me. These are my responsibility. I'm saying that the particulars of sorry day seem to indicate how much our national consciousness is us (non-indigenous) and them (indigenous).

I read an interesting article that said that increasingly racial oppression against non-indigenous people of colour is cultural (based on whether they speak English and dress like white Australians etc) while racial oppression against indigenous people is still almost purely racial involving racial stereotypes and a racist police force and so forth.

My country has a hideous history of racism. Institutionalised, sometimes disguised as cultural. And I'm well aware it's not just indigenous people who suffer it and well aware of my lack of a comprehensive and deep rooted knowledge.