A Little Life update #4
What am I reading/watching/listening to/wearing/going?
Reading:
The Examiner - Janice Hallett
My first ever Hallett read, having never heard of her before; so imagine my surprise discovering this was a murder mystery epistolary novel! Set within a Master of Arts (MA) program with six students whose marks are being cross-examined for fairness ... the epistolary nature comes out in the form of the University’s intranet message-boards and chat function, student submissions, email exchanges, ‘Doodle’ diary-entry for purposes of a final long essay.
This was *so clever*, and speaking as a lecturer of Creative Writing at RMIT University, can I just say this aspect of the novel was purely non-fiction! Placing it in a University Arts setting was incredibly clever - what fertile ground for rivalries and one-upmanship, insecurities and misinterpreted symbolism.
Hallett weaves an Agatha Christie-style murder-mystery within this MA program and cleverly uses the epistolary device to amp up unreliable narrators, play around with reader assumptions, highlight pitch-perfect code-switching depending on who is corresponding ... the *tones* she brings out, were brilliant. This is a masterclass in ~voice~ and making sure characters sound distinct and unique. I also *loved* a particular twist that came toward the end, that had me wanting to go back and re-read straight away to pick up on all the context clues I missed!
Watching:
verilybitchie on YouTube
Yes, I’m one of those weirdos who enjoys watching YouTube on my TV! And I particularly love YouTube essayists … verily is one of my favourite new discoveries; they do amazing pop-culture essays and break-downs. I’m a little ashamed to admit though, that I found them because of James Somerton - and Hbomberguy’s *incredible* video-essay, outing his plagiarism of other smaller YouTube essay accounts (verily’s was one of those recommended as waaaaay better content)
I particularly love, from verily;
Listening:
Audiobook: Careless People: A story of where I used to work by Sarah Wynn-Williams Narrated by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Yes, like many others I am listening to New Zealander Wynn-Williams’s exposé of her former company, Facebook.
I kept hearing and reading what a stir this book was causing, and now that I’m halfway through I’ve gotta say … the hype is real, the mortification mortifying, and the tea is PIPING HOT!
Meta exposé tops bestseller chart despite company’s attempt to ban its promotion - Sarah Wynn-Williams’s account of her seven years as a Facebook executive is number one on the New York Times bestseller list and has flown off the shelves in the UK
Wearing:
Variety Hour - Pertina Dress
I went to my little cousin’s wedding in early-April (and it was a beautiful, happy day for a gorgeous and lovely couple!) - and I wore one of my favourite Aussie labels, Variety Hour!
I actually was gifted a gift-card for VH last Christmas, so I finally had an excuse to put it to good use and grab this stunning dress for the occassion! I love it - it’s one that I’ll wear again and again to any number of events. I do love a dramatic sleeve, and colour!
I paired it with Radical Yes (another fave Melbourne label) red sandals, and because the ceremony took place at the old treasury building in the late-arvo, once that sun went down it got cold so I made sure to have an old pashmina I bought eons ago in Bali with me (and it matched so well too!)
Love, love, love Variety Hour and their Gertrude St store, and I just love them as a label. If you don’t want to dress exactly like everyone else, if you’re sick of the homogeny that social media has been cultivating in “personal fashion” (Vogue: Now That Everyone Dresses The Same, Is Logging Off The Secret To Cool Style?), and if Trump’s tariffs have you wanting to Shop Small and Shop Local - then check out VH.
Going:
Melbourne Writers Festival - Magical Thinking 2025 Program
Melbourne Writers Festival has a new Festival Director, and it’s someone I’ve long admired (and once-upon-a-time, worked alongside) - Veronica Sullivan!
Veronica has always had impeccable taste and vision (she’s sent a few authors my way, as literary agent - which is also indicative of a knack she has to match people to industries and other creative-types in her orbit). This year’s MWF program is utterly electrifying, thanks to Veronica and her incredible team who have put something together that’s both wildly original and fresh, and will appeal to large swathes of festival-goers.
For myself; the night the program dropped, I rushed to snap up every Torrey Peters ticket (Detransition Baby is one of my favourite reading experiences, ever, and I’m currently going slowly through Stag Dance to savour its deliciousness!)
I also *ran* to get tickets to Kaliane Bradley events, since The Ministry of Time was a favourite read of 2024 and I want alllll the goss about possible adaptation!
There’s so many other events I want to go to, I’ll probably pick a day and just buy a pass - wander around to whatever takes my fancy. But I’m also eyeing events with; Josephine Rowe, Judith Brett, Clem Bastow, Drawing the Line with Sam Wallman, Cancelling Culture chat, Colm Tóibín: From Brooklyn to Long Island (this is Sold Out but I live in hope), We Sharpen Our Axes Against the Hardest Stone, and The Writer as Witness.
It’s on 8 - 11 May in Melbourne, early-bird tickets have already come and gone so if you do want to plan your visit you’d better start booking ASAP because the buzz for this year’s fest is real, and it’s going to be wonderful!
That pashmina blue is sooooo stunning!
Adding The Examiner to my to-read list immediately!