Book Slam, The Footpath Library, and Idiom

Along with a number of other writers, I'll be performing/reading/slamming at the inaugural Blarney Books & Art Book Slam this Saturday (from 7.30pm on 25th February, at Blarney Books & Art, Port Fairy).  It's a fund-raiser for Yewbert Blotter, a project that "has at its core a desire to give young people a fun and supportive place to create, to have confidence in themselves, and to learn more about themselves, their peers, and their artistic capabilities", which is A Very Good Thing as far as I'm concerned, and deserves all the support it can get.

The modest sum of $20.00 will assure entry to this event, along with refreshments, door prizes, music, writers reading and, very possibly, the not-so-rare opportunity to watch me make an idiot of myself. Bookings, however, are strongly advised, if not essential, so phone 55682174 or 0437754847.

And while I'm mentioning Very Good Things, I recently learned about The Benjamin Andrew Footpath Library, which "aims to make books more accessible to the homeless and disadvantaged members of our society, change our attitudes to these people and encourage literacy."  It's looking for book donations, although it has strict guidelines about what's acceptable or not, which, I discovered, precludes me from sending a few copies of The Grease Monkey's Tale and The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore (drug themes), but makes a few copies of Ten Journeys a possibility.

In other newsy stuff, I've just received a copy of Idiom#47, edited by Tony Thompson and Jan May, in which a piece I wrote last year appears: Up yours, George Bernard Shaw!  Several months later, I still reckon it's an honest piece of writing and, though I don't often write non-fiction, I enjoyed putting it together.  Now to read some of the other articles.