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The novel writer Angela Schoen
By Sabine Vincenz in LAURA
Photos: Dirk Eisermann
“Get a real job – that was the
parental advice I grew up with. In our house, the Arts stood for being
constantly broke; so I got a proper education.
First, I thought of becoming a teacher, but
then I studied Music History and now I'm working in a publishing
company. I've always written, in the beginning only for myself. I kept
my short stories under lock and key, back then, I was beating around
the bush fearing rejection and didn't trust my passion for writing. The
break-through came at the reading of American writer [Peter Landesman].
When I told him about a short story, he urged: ‘That's a
marvellous plot for a novel.’
From then on, I concentrated on it. It has been seven years since then and now my first novel is nearly finished.
These were tough times; I had to sacrifice
many things. I worked during the day and wrote in my spare time. While
others were meeting friends, I sat in my little room. Because there's
no such thing as the superwoman that Hera Lind describes. No one can
manage this: a job, a family, domestic life, and on top of that write a
book - just like that. The only thing that helps is discipline –
and to believe in yourself.
Now I’m going to find a publishing company that will publish my novel. The worst is behind me, I'm confident about that."
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API Book Review Issue 44, July 2006
Marian Devitt ed, True North:
Contemporary Writing from the Northern Territory,
Darwin, Charles Darwin University Press, 2004,
ISBN 1 876248 91 2
162 pages, paperback, $19.95
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Writers from the Northern Territory have always
punched well above their population weight in the wider literary world.
In the freshness of their writing, their veracity, and their
willingness to tackle substantial matters, the writers gathered here
remind us why.
Works by Kathryn Brewer, Nina Brown, Mary Anne
Butler, Jo Dutton, Robin Hardiman, David Jagger, Karen Manton, Mitch,
Angela Schoen, Leni Shilton, Sandra Thibodeaux, Edward Tilton, Michael
Watts, Linda Wells, Alan Whykes, Jacquie Williams and Susan Wills.
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Curtin University of Technology
Order True North from Charles Darwin University Bookshop online ISBN 1876248912 or from the Northern Territory Writers' Centre.
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Unleashing a storm of words
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By Flora Liveris
Photo: Michael Marschall
Northern Territory News Saturday, May 29, 2004
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A book that gives voice to 17 Territory
writers will be launched today.
True North is a collection of fiction, poetry and non-fiction from authors in
the NT.
The launch is part of the NT Writers' Festival WordStorm.
The event is at the NT Museum and Art Gallery lawns from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.
It will include an introduction from acclaimed Australian author Peter
Goldsworthy.
True North includes Susan Will's non-fiction story Plastic Bags on the Fence,
poetry by Michael Watts, Angela Schoen's The Third of Everything and Kathryn
Brewer's Corpse Flower.
A number of activities, workshops and events are on this weekend as part of
WordStorm.
Author Jacquie Williams will launch her book Cyclone Child at the Museum lawns
at 2pm today.
Williams has been a member of Darwin's writing community since 1996.
Screenwriter for multi-award-winning film Lantana, Andrew Bovell, and TV
writer, Ian David, will present a question and answer session at the Deckchair
Cinema at 7.30pm today.
Bovell will chat with David about Lantana and its development into a feature
film.
WordStorm wraps up tomorrow with forums, readings and workshops. A final
concert at the Museum and Art Gallery will feature Shellie Morris and Neil
Murray.
Order True North from Charles Darwin University Bookshop online ISBN 1876248912 or from the Northern Territory Writers' Centre.
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New
book launch ... Karen Manton, Susan Wills,
Michael Watts and Angela Schoen
Photo: Michael Marschall
COURTESY OF NORTHERN TERRITORY NEWS
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Kids to treasure book
of Territory tales, poems
By Eric Tlozek
Photo: Clive Hyde
Northern Territory News, Tuesday, June 21, 2005
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Cane toads, tree frogs, crocs and Territory
life all feature in a new collection of writing for NT kids.
Territory Treasures, an anthology of stories and poems, includes work from new
and established Territory authors.
Contributor Gay Morris said the work was based on subjects Territory kids could
identify, like crocodiles or wet season storms.
"It was an opportunity for NT authors to write with a Territory flavour,'' she
said.
The name of the book is taken from one of Mrs Morris's poems, four of which
feature in the collection.
The anthology includes pieces on moving to the Territory from a big city,
dealing with the Territory's unique environment and haiku poems on NT wildlife.
More than 120 people submitted work for the collection, with pieces from 29
writers making the final product.
The work of Territory artists and illustrators also features in the book.
Darwin teacher Susan Wills said her piece in the anthology, Night of the
Macassans, was inspired by her experiences living on Groote Eylandt.
"I like the breadth of children the book covers,'' she said.
"Kids can dip in and out of it depending on what they are interested in.''
Territory Treasures costs $20 and is available from the NT Writers’ Centre, Frog Hollows Centre for the Arts, in Darwin city.
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Terra an intellectual kaleidoscope
Review by Angela Schoen, 7th Nov 2007
Earth is an exciting place - so is Terra, the first bilingual Indonesian - Australian anthology. Like
the planet, Terra is a place of abundance, of talent and innovation, a place of
different voices and different perspectives. Terra contains many of the best
contemporary 'Austronesian' (writers between Thailand and Tasmania) that
attended the WordStorm Festivals in Darwin.
The project was a labour of love for editorial team Sandra
Thibodeaux (English), Sitok Srengenge (Bahasa Indonesia), and Kadek Krishna Adidharma,
who shaped the collection.
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Editor Sandra Thibodeaux at the 2007 Sydney Writers' Festival
Photo: Angela Schoen
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According to Sandra Thibodeaux, the team carefully translated
and selected every single text, going for the literary translation, where a
literal translation was impossible or too stilted. Preserving meaning was
paramount for the project.
Different voices, yet interwoven by Terra, as Sitok Srengenge wrote "how every shard of others'
lives interconnects by a magic thread to ours." The result is a symphony
composed by 45 Indonesian, Singaporean, Timorese, Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australian authors.
Terra is an
intellectual gathering of passionate writers that talk about things that matter
to our lives as human beings. They write about our freedom, our struggles, our
hopes, our fears, our dreams. Terra
contains the stories of friends and lovers, of refugees, of families, of priests.
It talks about countries - Australia, Timor, Indonesia, and Terra tells the
stories of landscapes and people, of times and traditions.
Terra's innovation lies
in its messages and timing. Its artistic concept is one of opening up and
reaching out to others and their culture.
The book contains some wonderful texts, displaying them in
Indonesian and English side-by-side, evidence and symbol that there is more
than one way of expressing meaning. Through this mirroring technique, Terra sends a strong signal of equality
and respect - respect for others and their culture.
At the sold-out launch at the 2007 Sydney Writers' Festival, the Utan
Kayu International Literary Biennale in Jakarta, and the Ubud Writers &
Readers Festival in Bali, audiences greeted this extraordinary book with enthusiasm. Indeed, Terra leaves you longing for more from the excellent
writers that you just read.
Terra is available from the NT Writers' Centre for $30. Contact: email: info@ntwriters.com.au,
by phone +61 08 8941 2651, or fax +61 08 8941 2115.
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The Terra
Anthology authors and artists are:
Abé (Bernabé) Barreto Soares, Alana Valentine, Alec Kruger,
Ali Cobby Eckermann, Alvin Pang, Ayu Utami, Ben Ezra, Chris Mansell, Dorothea
Rosa Herliany, Dorothy Porter, Frank Moorhouse, Gerard Waterford, Graham Nunn,
Gregory Day, Helen Pavlin, Iswadi Pratama, Jacquie Williams, Jane Camens, Jared
Thomas, Kaye Aldenhoven, Kieran Finnane, Leni Shilton, Leonie Norrington, Linda
Christanty, Marian Devitt, Mark Bowling, Meg Mooney, Melchior dias Fernandes,
Milena da Silva, Miles Merrill, MTC Cronin, Nick Earls, Nukila Amal, Peter
Bakowski, Peter Docker, Pru Gell, Richard J. Frankland, Romaine Moreton, Sam
Wagan Watson, Sean M Whelan, Sitok Srengenge, Terry Whitebeach, Triyanto
Triwikromo, Ze'sopol Caminha, Zevonia Vieira.
Book design: Andi Ewing. Cover image: Bronwyn Wright.
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Saffire - The Australian Guitar Quartet, Renaissance National Tour
Review by Angela Schoen
Top End Arts Marketing , 14th Nov 2006
If you want to be happy, go out for an evening with
Australian's guitar quartet Saffire. Their style is bright, their
performance sheer brilliance. Their sounds are transparent and full of
colours - yes, there is such a thing in music.
Saffire’s broad repertoire spans centuries and genres. The group
is on national tour now with its newest album 'Renaissance', visiting
both regional hubs and big cities.The concert began with dance pieces
by Michael Praetorius and finished with a variation on a Deep Purple
song. Listening to Saffire, you'll feel like whistling along as they
play the popular 'Greensleeves' tune or the 'Cavatina' theme from the
movie 'The Deer Hunter'. Renaissance dances change to Rock riffs, Tango
follows Jazz. Saffire also plays the beautiful work 'Opals' (1997) by
Australian composer Phillip Houghton.
In 2003, Saffire won the ARIA awards and since then has become one of
the most prestigious Australian guitar groups. The four Saffires are
Karin Schaupp, Gareth Koch, Slava Grigoryan and Leonard Grigoryan
– together a successful ensemble and jewels among contemporary
guitarists!
If you couldn’t make it to their concert in your town, Saffire's joyful music is available on CD through their website www.saffire.com.au and from ABC bookshops.
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