sarah ayoub, Freelance Writer

Good Tidings, Wordsmith Laners, and thank you for tuning into Wordsmith Lane over the past few months. I hope we can develop a bigger, better relationship over the course of 2010, and more importantly, I hope you all develop a bigger and better platform from which you can make your wordsmith dreams come true, no matter how big or small, or how close or faraway the are/seem.

I don’t know about you, but 2010 is a year I am much too excited about. Apart from the fact that I am getting married, it poses a lot more optimism and change for me than the last year did. I don’t remember how excited I was about 2009, but up until then I had enjoyed a breezy kind of existence, one which 2009 shook to the core. Let’s recap:

• Taking of job not 100% loved, which involved long working hours, significant travel, and no amount of career-climbing steps needed to make something out of it. But reasonable, regular pay, so couldn’t complain.
• Redundancy from said job. Resultant unemployment for about five months. Relief at no more long working hours, but difficulty in living due to zero cash flow.
• Rectified said problem by taking on casual job at USYD and attempting to survive on freelancing. Freelance budget cut most places due to the wretched wicked witch of the recession, so this was made difficult. Also, hated waking up at the crack of dawn in winter to make 7am start for USYD job. News Hours. Not happy, despite journalism degree telling me it is expected in industry.
• Diagnosed with depression somewhere in all this mess. Couldn’t focus on dreams. Sad, despairing, despondent. No longer interested in dreams. Even worse. Thesis got no action. Felt like a giant disappointment.
• Too much pressure on self in the midst of too much anxiety. No job meant little income, lost a house I really wanted to buy because of this. Body could not take it anymore. Collapsed, hospitalised for days, lost beloved grand father in hospital.

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Five days till Christmas. Five days till we’re stuck with the family for an obligatory, fun-for-five-minutes-then-incredibly-infuriating period of time. Days away from work. Days where we just want to lay by the pool/on the sand/amidst the bliss of air conditioning drinking vodkas or apple cider beer. Or if we’re in the northern parts of this wonderful world, curl up on the sofa with some egg nog/warm tea or chocolate-milk concoction and some left-over pudding or fruit mince pies. Basically, days of just laying about and wondering why there’s nothing on TV or why we have to watch whatever mum/dad/little nephew wants to watch at a volume too loud to describe.

The best way to combat the inevitable boredom that comes with the afore-mentioned situations? Good reads. Transporting one self from the immediate surroundings and into Wonderland/someone else’s marriage/career crisis/holiday/research findings. And because we’re wordsmith’s, the bliss of being able to lock into yet another writer’s style, prose, sense of setting and character and plot. Looking at how they SHOW and not TELL, how they develop their characters, their unique marks of writing. In light of these very blissful benefits (in fact, some of the best books overwhelm me so completely that I can’t help but be temporarily transformed emotionally and often mentally – sometimes in a manner not too sane, though), I have provided a very detailed list of some great, recent reads that will keep you in check over the holiday season. There’s a variety of genres and titles to choose from too, so if you think any of them are worthy (and they are all are for various reasons or other) head to your local bookstore NOW (and because they all have extended trading hours/an online presence you have absolutely no excuse) and bury your head into a drama/reality that’s totally worth your while. After all, there’s only so much family love, or questions about when you’re gonna settle down, that you can take.

The Wordsmith Lane Christmas-Reading Shelf

1. For a feel-good buzz, read:

Valerie Parv’s edited collection, How do I love thee: Stories to stir the heart ($27.99, Allen & Unwin), short stories all written by various international writers, all paying homage to love (they are linked by the adage ‘How do I love thee, Let me count the ways’) but all diverse – some contemporary, some from eras old, some with elements of fantasy and others with a naughty outlook. Want something a little more home-hitting? Check out What Kate did next by Lisa Heidke ($29.99, Allen & Unwin), a funny, true-to-life tale of a woman who decides to return to the workforce after a very long stint as a home-maker, and the lessons she learns along the way.

2. If you’re top of the news and current affairs, read:

Australia’s Immigrant Revolution by Andrew Markus, James Jupp and Peter McDonald ($29.99, Allen & Unwin) – a realistic, non-glorified nor exaggerated look at the population make-up of fair down under, thanks to the various migration policies and patterns over the past 50 odd years or so. Prefer something with a little bit more flair, but that’d still give you that insight you crave? You can’t go past Peter Yeldham’s A Distant Shore ($32.95, Penguin), a moving tale of a young immigrant girl growing up in Australia, and the way that shapes her attitudes to displaced persons and political struggles throughout her life.

3. For something that thrills you to the core. read:

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse ($29.99, Orion) — a haunting story of love, the great war and southern France by an addictive, international best-selling author. Speaking of best-selling authors, R.J. Ellory is also on a mission to thrill with his latest book, The Anniversary Man ($32.99, Orion), which tells the story of a man who barely escaped death at the hands of an eighties serial killer who happened to murder his girlfriend, only to be threatned by it as he tries to link a new, seemingly-random spate of killings as a crime researcher for a major newspaper.

4. For beautiful literary works, read:

Jacob G. Rosenberg’s The Hollow Tree ($26.99, Allen & Unwin) — a parable of war and the atrocities that come with it, and a poignant story of love and human resilience. Prefer something a little lighter but just as good? Read the gothic page-turner that is Of Bees and Mist by Eric Setiawan ($32.99, Headline), which tells the story of two families, love and the strangeness that seems to follow them.

5. When you’re just not getting you loved ones, read:

Women are Crazy, Men are Stupid by Howard J Morris and Jenny Lee ($24.99, Allen & Unwin), a hilarious book with the answers that match up to our complicated relationships. On a sadder note, those of us with children or siblings going through one of life’s many little rough patches would be thankful for the answers in Gordon Parker and Kerrie Eyers’ Navigating Teenage Depression ($24.99, Allen & Unwin). Considering the stats on depression in Australia (and I used to be one of them!) this is a welcome guide to help keep chins up and realities that perfect mix of personal and scientific.

6. For the words of award-winning wordsmiths, read:

Miles Franklin Winner Andrew McGahan’s Wonders of a Godless World ($32.99, Allen & Unwin), a story of madness, discovery and amazing-happenings of the human reality, or Peter Carey’s Parrot and Olivier in America ($49.95, Penguin), a unique and enjoyable tale of friendship, freedom and the birth of modern America.

7. If you like your guilty pleasures, read:

The intoxicating story of Tess Drake, out to get what she deserves in the cut-throat entertainment industry with often sizzling or sticky consequences, in The Agency ($23.99, Allen & Unwin) or the irresistable Dream Machine by Will Davis ($32.99, Allen & Unwin), which chronicles the pursuits of fame and fortune on the set of a reality TV series.

I’ve been a bad blogger of late. I know that I say it all the time, and nothing ever changes, but I do honestly try to change and somedays I do better than others.

Over the past week, I’ve decided to reward myself for surviving this ‘tumultous’ year with perpetual laziness. Actually, that’s a lie. I rewarded myself with perpetual laziness on the weekend, but my weeknights were filled with various engagements including work events (I oversee a number of church parishes’ scripture teachers, so I tend to attend their end of year functions), Christmas Carol choir practise (which I thought would be fun but is actually quite exhausting – I will never take another choir for granted again!) and visits to relatives to thank them for my engagement wishes/cards/gifts etc.

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Hey hey Wordsmith Laners, I decided to run the Wordsmith Weekly on a Wednesday today. I felt I could add more style, smarts and savoir-fare to the mix today, when I have experienced a little more life and love. Enjoy my pointless ranting!

• The funds in my bank account become endangered everytime I venture near a T2 store. It’s usually because of their tea wares — beautiful china cups, ornate saucers and the prettiest and most various array of teapots I have ever seen down under. I recently walked out with a Christmas gift (not to myself, though I wish it was) and a packet of Turkish Chunky Apple tea ($13 for 100g) which is deliciously sweet even if I am drinking it wrong (and by that I mean I am eating the big bits, then drinking the water). I also walked out with a crush on a new soup-size tea cup and large saucer ($22) which I hope to return and purchase, as well as a curious craving for Licorice Legs tea. Apparently it is quite good for your immune/digestive system and a sweet but healthy alternative to dessert, which of course, will work wonders on my sweet tooth. Any restraining orders, now matter how fictional, will be more than beneficial at this point.
• Speaking of sweet teeth, I had to physically restrain myself yet again from a cupcake from Cupcakes on Pitt. Not that I usually do much restraining when an after-lunch treat is concerned, but considering I had two dollops of custard and some biscuits earlier, and the fact that I still have a serving of jelly to attend to, I think I can do without. Plus there’s a block of Cadbury Fruit & Nut in my desk drawer, which means I am treading on some very dangerous blood sugar waters.
• I need help in convincing myself that the gorgeous, cropped blue-leather Kennedy Jacket in Kookai is not worth buying. At $380, it has top place on my Christmas wish-list. To give you a full indication as to the gravity of the situation, here are the pro’s I have endowed it with not even half an hour after meeting: The fact that it is cropped makes it a great night-time addition to a summer party dress; the fact that it is my most favourite colour in the world means it was clearly meant for my having; It’s Kennedy style name evokes a Camelot dream for the likes of the history lover and Jackie-O adorer in me, and its teeny, tiny buttons have an old-school feel. Oh how can I count the ways of this love of many magnitudes when I count the cents in my pocket?
• I am having a sort of impromptu presentation to ALL THE STAFF from the Sydney Uni Media Department this week, and I am freaking out. I say impromptu because as I understood it, it was going to be a one-day affair in which I interviewed with the Chair about my progress so far, any struggles I am facing and so on and so forth. However, I received an email last week saying that in addition to this, they will also require me to present a synopsis of a chapter, or a presentation on a methodological or structural problem I am facing, on an entirely separate day. I am so nervous and not too inclined to participate. I’ll be having some mad presentation rehearsals tonight, that’s for sure!
• Not long ago, I wrote about how much I enjoyed the musical Wicked (and evidently, I am not the only one, considering the fact that an additional 60,000 or so tickets have just gone on sale – catch it quick!) so you can imagine my joy at stumbling across this flimsy, but pretty, little singlet at chain store Supre. Love the bright red ruby slippers. I’ll be pairing this with shiny black Sass & Bide jeans, red platform shoes from London, some simple, layered silver chains, and my Chanel tote. Red nails essential. (PS – For those of you enquiring about my engagement ring, you can see a little bit of it in this shot. Gorgeous, huh? I was very spoiled!)
• As you are all aware, I normally dream about Paris or Santorini when I need a getaway. But at the moment, and for some bizarro reason considering I have never been there, all I keep thinking about is NYC. In fact, I keep checking out NYC Lonely Planet guides on eBay (my, my those guides are pricey when you’re budgeting). I think it’s because my fiance (James, FYI) will probably enjoy that place more than the aforementioned destinations. Oh wow, I am already becoming selfless. The prospect of marriage becomes me ;p
• And on a rather exciting NYC topic, Gossip Girl Season Three, returned to Aussie screens yesterday on Fox 8. I spent the entire show bemoaning the Serena Van Der Woodsen character (oh, how I tire of her attention-seeking ways and her pouty actions that make her all the more ripe for the pickings of all sorts of men) and lusting after a Blair Waldorf outfit. Did anyone notice the shoes she was wearing with that cropped, embellished/embroidered shirt dress? I nearly died. If anyone finds out what they are, notify me immediately. Not that I can afford them, of course. I nearly had a heart attack while watching last night, on account of the fact that I thought Mr Bass was already cheating on her (I’m a sucker for bad boys gone good), and I wondered immediately what evil plans she would set in place to ensure his redemption. But alas, none was to take place…as of yet.
• Speaking of redemption, those who find it scintillating in their fiction, along with the promises of love and forgiveness and finding oneself, would love award-winning novelist Justion Cartwright’s latest offering, To Heaven By Water (Bloomsbury/Allen&Unwin, $32.99). It’s a story of a news anchor who, along with his family, is coming to terms with the death of his wife…and the fact that he cheated on her. Interesting stuff. Love a deep bloke, even if he is a figment of a wordsmith’s imagination.
• Style and Smarts I can do with a little cultivation (I’m talking constant reading and the devoruing of Shop Til You Drop, and Nina Garcia and Rachel Zoe style guides) but Savoir-Faire is an area I’m a little lax in. I realised this when I was standing behind the cake at my engagement party over the weekend, when, faced with about ten cameras flashing (bless my family and friends, they were just being happy for moi) and tons of people speaking at the same time about posing this way and that way and with this person, I nearly had an anxiety attack. I don’t know how I am going to cope on my wedding day (for those of you that don’t know, it is a Lebanese Catholic tradition for the guests on the bride’s side to come to her house and take photos with her before she heads to the chapel to be hitched) but I am thinking of investing in those take-a-ticket-and-wait-till-your-number-is-called mechanisms to minimise fuss and the potential that I will puke on my dress. Then again, it would be pointless considering my people don’t ever believe in waiting turns, and most of them are, essentially, (pardon the news of the moment) queue jumpers.
• I’m fed up with hearing anymore about Tony Abbott being the new Liberal leader. Not that I am phased politically, but because it is yesterday’s news. Move on, people – it’s done!!