Because I like to show off my Mum’s cakes. Many years ago, she made this for us.
Photography by Alan Khan (click to enlarge)
Also, my debut cake had stairs.
And did I mention it’s chocolate cake inside?
Earlier this month I wrote a guest post for the Australia Women Writers Challenge blog discussing whether or not romance fiction is inherently feminist. Here’s an excerpt:
When we consider what romance fiction brings to feminism, it’s not enough to talk about what we as individuals get out of romance fiction or how we interpret this book or that. Knowing the genre’s popularity among female readers, we should also be asking: How do women read romance and why do they love these books so much? Only then, I think, will we have a better understanding of the genre’s importance and influence in women’s lives.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Customs House Library hosted a Library Up Late event dedicated to romance fiction and asked me to curate it. I chose excerpts from romance books to be performed by Rhys Muldoon, Libbi Gorr and PJ Lane.
Naughty bits. Perhaps…raunchier than the library had been expecting. Oops. 😀
I loved this project. Selecting the excerpts took a lot longer and was more difficult than I had anticipated. Actually hearing the words performed by professionals exceeded my expectations. I could have listened to them all night.
I forgot to post a link at the time, but last year I was invited to speak as part of a panel at Ultimo Library to discuss ‘Sex, love and passion—the appeal of romance novels’.
The editor of the Australian Filipina magazine asked if I would write an obituary for RJ Rosales. I only had his CV up to 2007, so you may notice that it’s light on the details after that. I hope I did him justice. You can find the original article here.
RJ Rosales, who has died aged 37, was one of the Australian Filipino communitys favourite sons. Best known for his stint as co-host of ABS-CBN Philippines variety show ASAP, he was a critically acclaimed actor and musical theatre performer, receiving a Helpmann Award nomination for his role in the 2007-08 Australian season of Miss Saigon. His smooth but strong balladeers voice, equally suited to popular music as show tunes, found fans across generations from all over the world. Continue reading
You can find my posts on my first trip back to Manila since 1996—my second trip since my family migrated to Australia—at Delicious Burdens.
If you would like to add a tribute to RJ or send words of comfort to his family, you may do so here:
http://www.heavenaddress.com/funeral-notice/Roseo-Jose-Rosales/401148/obituary.aspx
RJ Rosales
24 March 1974 — 5 December 2011
The funeral service starts at 10.30am on Saturday, December 10 at Blessed John XXIII Catholic Church, Stanhope Gardens. Interment will follow at Pinegrove Cemetery, Michinbury. Click on the link above for more details.
