Category Archives: Review of work

The first week of the new column, and other things

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Let’s have a little look-see at the way the week’s panned out.

Morning, the Internet.

I may work from home these days, but at least I'm maintaining the stringent strata-based filing system that has historically made my desks so easily identifiable.

Former officemates will be relieved to note that I’m maintaining the stringent strata-based filing system that has historically made my desks so easily identifiable. Also, that Eagulls CD is really good.

Well, it’s been a week of the column at the Sydney Morning Herald’s site (and the affiliated national mastheads, about which I’m terribly excited). It’s a heck of a feeling to be writing for the SMH – and gotta say, it’s been very, very, VERY nice not having to get up at 5am to do so.

If you’ve missed said columns thus far, they went a little bit like this:

Sunday 21: Yeah, racist attacks may not be the best anti-terror strategy

Monday 22: John Howard was right, says John Howard

Tuesday 23: Will Palmer United become Palmer Untied?

Wednesday 24: Scott Morrison’s Holiday in Cambodia

Thursday 25: ASIO to hide your freedom so the baddies can’t get it

…and all my stuff is gathered here.

Also, it was very sad to hear that the King’s Tribune has ceased publishing: another source of independent journalism vanished. The last thing I wrote for them was my review of treasurer Joe Hockey’s biography Not Your Average Joe. Spoiler: it was not positive.

There’s quite a few SMH pieces out there, but also I had a chat with Jimmy Barnes for the Guardian, and reviewed the excellent new Sounds Like Sunset album for Mess+Noise.

In other news, there’s a fair whack of my stuff in the next issue of Time Out Sydney, including a feature about the surprising rise of country music in the city, and this week I’ve been pumping out stories for Voyeur and Australian Guitar that will be printed in the coming months and make it look like I’m sort of writin’ machine.

Next week will have the launch of my new column at TheVine, entitled Here’s The Thing, which will be like my longer 10 Things entries where I’d get completely sidetracked and go deep into the history of an issue. I’ll no doubt be making a song and dance about it on Twitter and stuff, so feel free to follow me if you don’t already.

Speaking of which: I won’t bother you too often because I treat Twitter less like a communication medium and more like a bus window out of which I occasionally yell. So if you’re planning on having a Twitter war with me, apologies in advance: I generally don’t bother. It’s a great medium for insults but terrible for proper discussions, so maybe screed it up on my Facebook instead.

And now, back to the word mines. See you at the SMH on Sunday evening, friends.

Yours ever,

APS

May as well do a little update on Things What I’ve Written Lately

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Morning, internet. You’re looking spiffy.

So, I’m into my final week before going 100% freelance and feeling inexplicably good about it. I’m getting very suspicious about it – like maybe I know something I don’t.

This is what Google Images came up with when I searched for "optimism". Way to go, Google Images

This is what Google Images came up with when I searched for “optimism”. Way to go, Google Images!

I’ve been at Time Out Sydney since 2008 and much as I love the place, I’m feeling like it’s time to do some different stuff. Which, thankfully, includes still writing for Time Out.

In fact, in the next issues I’ve got an interview with former PM Malcolm Fraser, for which I’ll put the full transcribe here because it is genuinely fascinating, an interview with Angus & Julia Stone, a history of Redfern’s The Block and various bits in our Redfern cover feature, and a run down of new comedy rooms. So, y’know, there’s still plenty of me in the thing.

I’ve also done a couple of Time Out blog things, like being snarky about Robin Thicke and being snarky about Monty Python. Sorry.

optimism-640x492

This was #2. Might be a little more accurate.

Aside from that I’m doing more and more at the SMH, including this piece on apps to act as your external late-night conscience, an interview with Angie Milliken, and a thing on Giant Dwarf. And a bunch of reviews of The Voice, but those probably don’t need to be captured for posterity.

I’m a bit proud of my first piece for the King’s Tribune: Scott Morrison and the Conveniently Comforting Doctrine of Predestination, aka “how can our immigration minister possibly live with himself?”

For the Guardian I’ve explained why ‘Don’t Change’ is INXS’s first knock-down classic single, and why politicians always wear RM Williams boots.

At Fasterlouder I talked with Rob Hirst about a possible Midnight Oil reunion, and done a run down on the most underrated Australian songs ever.

And, of course, there’s 10 Things at the Vine, which look like this:

…and there’s print-only stuff in Australian Guitar and a film review for Rio 2 floating around somewhere in the News Ltd-o-sphere. So yeah, it’s been a busy little July so far. Hopefully it’ll keep being busy because heck, I’m going to need it to be.

Yours ever,

APS