I was recently invited to join the committee of NEW Writers’ Group inc., a Western Sydney volunteer-run writing association who have supported the publication of my work for a long time. Extremely honoured to be part of this wonderful, hard-working team.
It was appropriate that my first monthly gathering as committee member was Valentines-themed. Characters are falling (and fall they do!) in love in my first fiction manuscript, as well as in random bits of poetry and memoir that I hope to publish soon.
I took the photos in this post at the beautiful Veale Gardens, while dropping in to listen to and meet (starstruck!) one of my favourite Australian authors – Diana Reid – at Adelaide Writers’ Festival. I highly recommend Diana’s first novel, Love & Virtue, because the best kinds of love happen on campus.
My manuscript is top secret, though sharing some of my favourite inspirational quotes about love as it develops. Trigger warning: sentimental content ahead.
I want to be with you. It’s as simple, and as complicated as that.
Charles Bukowski
If you hold sand too tightly, it will run through your fingers.
Letter from Joni Mitchell to Graham Nash before she broke up with him, as recounted by Nash in Laurel Canyon the documentary.
And stand together yet not too near
together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow
not in each other’s shadow.
Excerpt from On Marriage, Khalil Gibran
That last one is also a shout out to my close friend (and my own maid of honour) who’s getting married next month. All the best lovely! And ignore the next section.
Signing off with an excerpt from a comedy-memoir piece I’m working on.
Eight reasons not to plan a wedding
Danielle Catherine
1. Nothing will go to plan.
Fiancé unzips a black bag and pulls out a three-piece suit.
‘This is a disaster. I’ll be mistaken for a character from Avatar.’
‘Was that the colour you chose in the catalogue?’ I ask.
‘No. The swatch was dark blue. Not smurf blue.’
Thankfully the bespoke suit company are understanding, offering to make a new one for free. This time he chooses the same colour as his groomsmen (dark navy) to prevent any pop culture reference points. He also uses the opportunity to switch to a more refined tuxedo style, adding a black satin lapel.
‘It’s the one day of your life you can, and should, go for the tux,’ he says, tapping the mouse to open yet another browser tab for wedding planning.
Danielle Catherine 