Self-indulgence

Observations, rants, fun stuff, links…

’70s-style dystopia: This Perfect Day by Ira Levin

/ Angela Meyer (LiteraryMinded) / 11 Comments

This Perfect Day is a dystopian sci-fi novel, published in 1970, in the vein of Brave New World and Logan’s Run. People are born into a happy (read: bland) unified society, ruled by UniComp, which is literally a giant computer. Over the generations heterogeneity has been genetically blended out, and every member of ‘The Family’ … Continue reading ’70s-style dystopia: This Perfect Day by Ira Levin

Fragments from the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2012

/ Angela Meyer (LiteraryMinded) / 14 Comments

‘As a writer, what you leave out says as much as what you put in.’—Jeanette Winterson — Lying in the hotel room—white walls, painted beams and sheets—feeling sick with nerves, scribbling questions in the margins of questions. Jeanette Winterson, so far away from me in the Opera House that I cannot make out her face. … Continue reading Fragments from the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2012

LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part five)

/ Angela Meyer (LiteraryMinded) / 4 Comments

Terri-ann White asks: 'How often does a new writer blow your mind? Can this still happen when you are doing it as a full-on venture?' Often it's not a new writer but someone who is new to me. For example, I was just blown away by The Forrests by Emily Perkins, and now I want to read all of her books. … Continue reading LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part five)

LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part four)

/ Angela Meyer (LiteraryMinded) / 2 Comments

Amy Espeseth asks: 'Has/how has your fiction writing changed since you started LiteraryMinded?' and John (Musings of a Literary Dilettante) asks: 'how has reviewing books helped your own creative writing?' Five years of regular writing—fiction and nonfiction—has made me a better writer. I hope I keep getting better. Five years of reading, close reading and reviewing, has … Continue reading LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part four)

LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part three)

/ Angela Meyer (LiteraryMinded) / 9 Comments

Katy McDevitt asks: 'I’d love to know what your "big-picture" plans are for the blog—will you be blogging a book, for example?' I don't think I'll ever blog a book, that only really works for established authors like Max Barry (as with his novel Machine Man.) Video content is something I've been wanting to do for ages … Continue reading LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part three)

LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part one)

/ Angela Meyer (LiteraryMinded) / 12 Comments

Well, LiteraryMinded is five years old today, with an average of 2.2 posts per week since she began. That's a lot of words. I've asked y'all to provide questions and prompts in order to spend the day writing a series of self-indulgent celebratory blog posts! Thanks so much for all the love. Here we go... Kathy Charles: … Continue reading LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part one)

Sherlock Holmes squashes Watson’s pea: a diversion

/ Angela Meyer (LiteraryMinded) / 6 Comments

I've just come home from an exhausting, wonderful, trip to Sydney, Coffs Harbour and Bellingen. Thanks and hello to the NSW Writers' Centre and my lovely class members from last weekend; and the organisers, authors and attendees at the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival. The trip was particularly rewarding for me as I got to … Continue reading Sherlock Holmes squashes Watson’s pea: a diversion