AustLit

'As the colony limps toward the end of a long, hot, depressing summer, it’s tempting to look for the silver lining in the cumulonimbus. Though the smoke still has a stranglehold in the cities, and on the fireground trees are smouldering with red-hot embers, there’s been no rest for the volunteers risking life and limb to save lives and property, and wildlife and country have been decimated; however, the pendulum swung to mythmaking rather than revolution. Countless words have been printed critiquing the government’s inaction on climate change, but an even louder narrative has emerged celebrating the widespread, record-breaking response by ordinary Australians: land of the fair go, neighbours helping neighbours, the great volunteer army. In the absence of meaningful government action, altruistic individuals stepped up.' (Introduction)

'There's more to being queer than coming out and getting married. This exciting and contemporary collection contains stories that are as diverse as the LGBTQIA+ community from which they're drawn.

'From hilarious anecdotes of an awkward adolescence, to heartwarming stories of family acceptance and self-discovery, the LGBTQIA+ community has been sharing stories for centuries, creating their own histories, disrupting and reinventing conventional ideas about narrative, family, love and community. Curated from the hugely popular Queerstories storytelling event this important collection features stories from Benjamin Law, Jen Cloher, Nayuka Gorrie, Peter Polites, Candy Royalle, Rebecca Shaw, Simon 'Pauline Pantsdown' Hunt, Steven Lindsay Ross, Amy Coopes, Paul van Reyk, Mama Alto, Liz Duck-Chong, Maxine Kauter, David Cunningham, Peter Taggart, Ben McLeay, Jax Jacki Brown, Ginger Valentine, Candy Bowers, Simon Copland, Kelly Azizi, Nic Holas, Quinn Eades, Vicki Melson, Tim Bishop and Maeve Marsden.' (Publishers blurb)

'Kerry Bashford reflects on his life as a Daddy Bear.

'Kerry Bashford was a frequent contributor to the Sydney Star Observer in the '80s and '90s, went on to edit Campaign Magazine, Pink Ink: an anthology of lesbian and gay writers and Kink, a collection of queer fetish writers. Prominent in the bear and leather communities, Kerry has frequently chronicled their activities and now does LGBTQI+ oral histories for Newcastle Museum and Newcastle University.'

Source: Omny.

'Nayuka Gorrie asks the audience to help her decide what was her lowest moment of 2016.

'Nayuka is a Kurnai/Gunai, Gunditjmara, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta freelance writer who has written for The Guardian, Junkee, Vice, SBS and others. She also writes for TV, most notably for ABC TV’s Black Comedy.'

Source: Omny.

'Hannah Gadsby discovers a story she wrote when she was young.

'This story was recorded in March 2017, just as Hannah started touring her critically acclaimed show, Nanette. Winner, Best Comedy Show, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017, Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer, 2017 and Best Comedy Show, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017, Nanette is now a Netflix special that has taken the world by storm.'

Source: Omny.

'Liz Duck-Chong recounts memories of her life and her story is a real story, but it isn’t the whole story. Not yet.

'Liz Duck-Chong is a writer, sexual health nerd, photographer and musician who almost exclusively wears odd socks. She has had her work featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, Crikey, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, ABC Online, SBS Online, Archer Magazine, Junkee, and Overland. A proud trans and non binary woman, Liz is a true renaissance figure in the sense that most of them were really gay.'

Source: Omny.

'Writer, disability educator and activist Jax Jacki Brown speaks to blowjobs, butchness and disability.

'Some of this story appeared in the second issue of Butch is not a Dirty Word and an extended version will be featured in the new Queerstories book which can be pre-ordered on Booktopia.

'Jax Jacki Brown a co-producer of Quippings: Disability Unleashed a disability performance troupe in Melbourne. She has written for Junkee, Daily Life, The Feminist Observer, Writers Victoria, ABC’s Ramp Up and in print for Hot Chicks with Big Brains, Archer Magazine: The Australian Journal for Sexual Diversity, Queer Disability Anthology and Doing It: Women Tell the Truth About Great Sex.'

Source: Omny.

'Writer Benjamin Law comes out to his grandmother – half a lifetime after he originally came out.

'Benjamin Law writes books, TV screenplays, columns, essays and feature journalism. He’s the author of The Family Law (2010), Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East (2012) and the Quarterly Essay on Safe Schools, Moral Panic 101 (2017). The Family Law is now also an award-winning TV series for SBS, which Benjamin created and co-writes. He also co-hosts ABC RN’s weekly pop culture show Stop Everything.'

'Join some of Australia's best storytellers for an evening of queerstories; reflections on lives well lived and battles fought, pride, prejudice, love and humour. The LGBTQI community has been sharing stories for centuries, creating our own histories, disrupting and reinventing conventional ideas about narrative, family, love and community. There’s more to being queer than coming out and marriage. Listen to an unexpected tale or two from a diverse line up of stars and strangers, hosted by Maeve Marsden.

Source: iTunes.