Salem Barrett-Brown is a polyamorous, pan-sexual, transgender, non-binary, feminist, aetheist anarchist. They also perform comedy, write, direct and generally do all they can to raise awareness for what they believe in to usher forth revolution. I'm very happy to step right out of the way of this podcast intro and let Salem share their story. I was honoured to have Salem join us on the pod. They bring a wild energy. Check out the links below to see or hear Salem in action:You can listen to Salem perform their slam-poem "Funny Queer" as the character Shevvi here. Check out Salem as the host with the most on 'What's Your Flava' here.

What I Don't Talk About @ BBQs

Salem Barrett-Brown - Identity

Lucy Alexander is a writer and poet from Canberra. While she feels a native of the poetry landscape her creativity takes many forms in novels, non-fiction and reviews among others.Lucy's latest collection of poems, "Strokes of Light" is being published by Recent Works Press later this month (May 2020). It's a beautiful series of poems Lucy's been collecting for many years now. The writing is delicate, spacious and very earthy and real.For the past week Lucy has been sharing a poem a day on Facebook and Instagram - brief, reflective moments during a time of great uncertainty.Lucy's part of a live Facebook event this Tuesdat, 5-May @ 6.30 AEST: Booklove Tuesday - Author Chat & Book GiveawaysLucy will be reading some of her poetry and answers questions.You can also find out more about Lucy's writings at her website: www.lucyalexander.net.au Enjoy!

Lucy Alexander - writer & poet

Faith, COVID-19, connection, finding your own path...and board games.I'm delighted to welcome Rev Amanda Hay onto the podcast.Amanda is the vibrant and caring minister for the Uniting Church in Berowra. Each time I pop to the shop and back I pass the Uniting Church. In these extraordinary times I was curious to learn how a leader of a faith community overcomes the barriers isolation throws in our way and continues to connect with and support her congregation.And we have an awesome chat about board games. Random...I love it!Enjoy :)

The Reverend Amanda Hay

﻿In May 1897 Bram Stoker's "Dracula" was published, giving birth to one of the most terrifying Gothic terrors we've ever known. But who was Bram Stoker and what inner struggle led to the creation of this novel that resonates as strongly today as it did upon release more than 120 years ago?

[Episode 1] From The Dark

Victorian London, 1895 - the zenith of the British Empire.Their supreme reign casts a long shadow all around the world.Yet at the height of it’s power fear was rife. Fear of the other, the unknown, of contagion, of what may emerge from the dark places in the world the Empire has shone its glorious light upon.And into this world enter Abraham ‘Bram’ Stoker, business manager for the Lyceum Theatre. A competent man. A trust-worthy man. A man more at home behind the scenes than sharing the spotlight of society with those he has surrounded himself with.Seeing his good friend and Irish compatriot, Oscar Wilde jailed for gross indecency, instead of worrying for his friend, Bram feels shame at his connection to this criminal and wonders upon his own legacy, and what his own life has amounted to.Not content with his lot, Bram begins to take risks in his personal and professional life to bring forth a dark vision brewing deep within him.How far will Bram Stoker go to realise his greatest dream? And what will it cost him?Coming soon: From the Dark – Bram Stoker’s Dracula, by Ken Ward. A serialised story, available wherever you get your podcasts.

[COMING SOON] From the Dark: Bram Stoker's Dracula

I truly believe all we have is time. Time and each other.I think I took for granted how easy it was to connect with people and not matter how challenging these times are I don't want to stop trying to connect.So if you're feeling the same way, stay tuned.What I Don't Talk About @ BBQs is coming back...soon.Be well. Take care,Ken

It's Been a While

For me, I'm never more excited or fulfilled then when I am collaborating with others in a joint venture. Whether it's playing football, performing in a band or even co-facilitating workshops with a colleague, anything I do on my own doesn't come close to the thrill and satisfaction I get from connecting with other people.My conversation with writer, therapist and translator, Jorge Montero Calderon and previous guest, poet and writer Elisa Horan, transcends timezones and borders, with Jorge joining me from his home in Costa Rica and Elisa from hers in Vermont in the States.Earlier this year Elisa had completed work on a very personal collection of poetry, Self Portrait, told in first-person through the voice of the artist, Frida Kahlo. From the strong lure Elisa had to, not just the art of Frida but her life and the woman herself, to Jorge's very personal connection to one of the 20th Century's most distinct and barrier-busting artists, their love of Frida and of poetry brought them together.Not just that, but as Jorge discusses in our conversation, the importance of Elisa's writing and how he believes it can make a difference in people's lives.I'll be bringing the conversation to you in 2 parts this week. Part 1 is mostly my conversation getting to know Jorge, his life and his beliefs. He is a deeply compassionate person and his work with people at low moments in their life has given him the opportunity to help others step through the cage doors that they feel have been holding them in.In Part 2, coming out in a few days, Elisa and Jorge talk about how they met a few months ago and it soon came to pass that Jorge began translating Elisa's poems from Self Portrait from English to Spanish, and ultimately, what this book means to them both.Released in English on the 30th September, Self Portrait comes out in Spanish on 7th October.You can go to Amazon to get your copy: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Portrait-Elisabeth-Horan/dp/1691430609Enjoy our conversation.Our conversation is book-ended by a reading in both English and Spanish by Elisa and Jorge of poems from this collection.

Part 2: Creative Partnerships

Part 1: Creative Partnerships

My guest today is poet, Eli Horan. She has an amazing way of taking her fears, pain and struggles and transforms them into works of powerful creativity. Her writing is about overcoming rage, anger, shame and self-pity. There's a very vulnerable beauty in her poems. I'm struck by the strength she gains from putting her fragility on the page.Eli's writing is close to the skin. She has found a way to find her truth through writing, through embracing her past and her present and through all she's experienced, find hope in her life.Eli has already published 3 collections of poetry: Bad Mommy Stay Mommy, Odd List Odd House Odd Me, and Was It R*pe.Her next book, Self Portrait, inspired by the art and life of Frida Kahlo, is due to be released by Cephalo Press on 30-September.Eli and I talk through some very tough subjects in our conversation today. If you are triggered by sexual trauma, suicide or depression please go into this podcast prepared to hear Eli talk about her experiences with pain and the loss of joy throughout the podcast.Here are some places you can reach out to if you need to talk to someone about what's going on with you:USA: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Australia: https://www.beyondblue.org.auIreland: https://suicideprevention.ie/UK: https://papyrus-uk.org/A big thank you to Isabelle Kenyon from Fly on the Wall Press for connecting Eli and me. I'm very grateful.You can connect with Eli here:https://www.ehoranpoet.com/https://www.facebook.com/ehoranpoethttps://twitter.com/ehoranpoethttps://www.instagram.com/ehoranpoet/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtngb3-46X0wB-_1wePD0dABe well everyone. Take care,ken

Elisabeth Horan

Hi folks.Since I last caught up with the wonderfully talented actor, writer and producer, Tricia Morosin, her team @ THIRTY The Series secured the funding they needed to release Season 2. It won't be long now before Dahlia, Charlie, Bianca & Anna return to our (online) screens as they continue to "navigate the peaks and pitfalls of love, work, family, sex and friendship."Well done to Trish and everyone involved in THIRTY The Series - I an one keen fan of the show who can't wait t see what they have in store for us!!**My guest today is, simply put, capital A, amazing.Trish Morosin is an actor, writer and producer among other things.What I admire most about Trish is all she has overcome to bring her creative vision to life.Thirty, season 1, premiered in May 2017 as a 6-part web series. While season 2 has been filmed, Trish along with her fellow producers Madeline MacRae (who stars as Jess) and Sarah de Possesse (who stars as Bianca) still need to raise funds in order to have the show released.Their goal is reach $20K in crowd-sourced funding and they have less than 20 days to do it!You can help #teamthirty by making a pledge via their Pozible page here.Here's your chance to make a different. It's all or nothing for Trish - you have to admire such creative bravery.I certainly do.If you haven't already watched Thirty season 1 you can get yourself all caught up here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsmdYa432YxVJSLT3ahiDYAYou can also find about all about Trish and the rest of the cast and crew here:http://www.thirtytheseries.com/Get involved. Make a difference.Thanks to:eight and a half for “Piece by Piece” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_MC4mabNMTara Ward for the art and design – http://www.tarawardphotography.com.au/Podcast homepage – https://widtaabbqs.home.blog/

*Re-release* Tricia Morosin -THIRTY, The Series

I love a good collaborative duo. Lennon & McCartney. Koppelman & Levien. And now Fowler & Pringle. There's something about 2 people coming together in service of an idea and a passion for being creative that excites me like very few things do.It's a been a dream of mine, my whole life, to meet someone on the same creative wavelength as me and make something with them. Write a movie. Create a TV show. Start a band and play some gigs. It remains a dream and not a goal because it's not something I'm actively working on.I was so fortunate this week to meet two very creative, very goal-focused, amazingly talented women. Alison Fowler and Stephanie Pringle are the Casting directors at their own Sydney-based agency, Chicken & Chips Casting. Over the past 5 years, they have bucked the odds, overcome barrier after barrier and met resistance with a gritty work ethic and a savvy approach to business, winning the 2018 B&Ts 30 Under 30 Award for the Entrepreneur category. They wear their achievements with pride and are passionate advocates for diversity, inclusion and representation in casting.I was curious to meet with them because, as a self-confessed podcast addict, I couldn't remember hearing any podcasts with casting specialists. Actors, comedians, writers, directors, producers, artists, musicians - sure there are lots of those podcasts. But what about that very specific and important group of people whose mission it is to seek out talent, help nurture it and then connect actors to the right opportunity?This is a fascinating conversation. Al & Steph are brilliant (at everything) and I was delighted they made time to sit down with me to tell their story.There's lots of ways to learn more about all that Chicken & Chips are up to and connect:Online: https://www.chickenandchips.com.au/FB: https://www.chickenandchips.com.au/Twitter: https://twitter.com/chickennchips_Insta: https://www.instagram.com/chickenandchips_/ Thanks to:eight and a half for “Piece by Piece” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_MC4mabNMTara Ward for the art and design – http://www.tarawardphotography.com.au/Podcast homepage – https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/what-i-don-t-talk-about-bbqs

Alison Fowler & Stephanie Pringle - Casting Directors

Nigel's recently published novel, "Bodies of Men" is powerful, very human and utterly significant.I originally released this back in April in two parts. Here's the whole conversation, released for the first time today.Nigel is a deeply thoughtful man and an hour an a half in his great company only scratches the surface, of what an important creative soul he is.**Nigel Featherstone is an Australian writer whose, powerful new novel, Bodies of Men is to be published by Hachette Australia on the 23rd April - it's the story of two Australian soldiers who find love on the fringes of the Egyptian desert while World War 2 rages around them.This book is significant. This story is important. It's beautifully written. Nigel is the right person to be telling this story at this time.Great literature and art can sometimes be ahead of its time, yet it acts as the beacon so we can all fix on a common point in the direction we need to go. This book may well be that beacon of how we can further understand each other and learn to live along side others no matter the differences.When I set out to do this podcast I put sitting down with Nigel to record as one of the big goals for myself. Nigel has been very important to my own creative development since we met in 2014 @ the ACT Writer's Centre Hardcopy manuscript development program where Nigel was the facilitator and coordinator.For a couple of years following the program Nigel was a mentor to me, helping me to find ways to create no matter what. Without his involvement, I may not have had the courage to embark on something as crazy as doing this podcast.In this part of the conversation get spend time on the journey leading up to the writing of Bodies of Men. In Part 2, which is coming out on the 23rd April to coincide with the release of Nigel's novel, we get deep into the story behind of the story and so much more.Nigel is a rare character and has a generous artistic soul.I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.You can stay up to date with all that's happening in Nigel's world here:@ Hachette: https://www.hachette.com.au/nigel-featherstone/BUY THE BOOK: https://www.hachette.com.au/nigel-featherstone/bodies-of-mentwitter, instagram: @ngfeatherswebsite: www.opentopublic.com.aurepresentation: the Naher AgencyBODIES OF MEN, a novel to be published by Hachette Australia on 23 April 2019- launching in Canberra at 6pm on Thursday 16 May at The Street TheatreThanks to:eight and a half for “Piece by Piece” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_MC4mabNMTara Ward for the art and design – http://www.tarawardphotography.com.au/Podcast homepage – https://widtaabbqs.home.blog/

Author, Nigel Featherstone (whole episode)

This was not planned!I'm not trying to Trojan horse my creative writing into a conversational podcast feed.This is just me dealing, and trying to keep up with, change.I promise I am busy, busy, reaching out to amazing creative souls, not just here in Sydney but further afield.'The Headstone' was a short story I wrote in almost one sitting on a Sunday afternoon in February, 2011. My wife was at work and my 14 month old son was burning through a fever which rendered him listless and without energy. As he went through many stretches of sleep, I found myself drawn to the keyboard, an idea just overwhelmed me and compelled me to write.The inspiration for message on a headstone to spark a story about connection had come to me a few weeks before and rattled around my brain like a pebble trapped inside a tumbling washing machine. What happened this day to draw this story out of me, I can only think had to do with my pondering on the relationship my son and I would have and also after an at times turbulent 14/15 months with both work and family, the guilt I felt at having this time on my hands to indulge my passion while my son drifted in and out of an uneasy sleep.I hope you enjoy this story. I'm delighted to be able to bring it to you.Music by adrift (Live @ The Isaac Butt, 2003) Photo by Greg Ortega, https://unsplash.com/@antisocia1?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText

The Headstone (short story)

This week, it's a short story I wrote in 2002, How I Disappeared Completely.The story was written off the back on my struggle with identity after moving from Sydney, Australia to Dublin, Ireland in 1999. Having worked in Event Management & PR for over 2 years, my first 'real' jobs out of Uni, I wasn't liking who I was becoming, or who I needed to become to be success and happy in this world.This story is me checking in with myself and coming to some important realisations.It is fiction though heavily influenced by my experiences in these years.Enjoy!(Music by FutureFunk)

How I Disappeared Completely (short story)

**Re-Release**Since we chatted in January, comedian Rachael Millanta has headlined her show 'Lower your Expectations' at the Melbourne International Comedy festival with shows in Sydney & Newcastle too. Tonight (Sunday, 23-June) Rachael is performing along with a stellar line up of comedians @ What She Said Comedy @ The Chippo Hotel in Sydney.Always busy on the Sydney scene, as a stand-up and improvisor, Rachael is doing some really brilliant, funny and creative things - enjoy our conversation!Thanks to:eight and half half for "Piece by Piece"Tara Ward for the art and design - https://www.tarawardphotography.com.au/

Re-Release: Rachael Millanta - Comedian

What I Don’t Talk About @ BBQs is a podcast where we talk about moments and episodes from our lives that have shaped the people we are today.

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What I Don't Talk About @ BBQs

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