The epic tale of Gertrude and Mildred. This story was performed at Queerstories in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at Newcastle Writer's Festival and Ubud Readers and Writers Festival in Bali. Claire G. Coleman is a Noongar woman whose family have belonged to the south coast of Western Australia since long before history started being recorded. She writes fiction, essays and poetry. During an extended circuit of the continent she wrote a novel, influenced by certain experiences gained on the ro...
Dec 12, 2019•9 min•Ep 176•Transcript available on Metacast Wollongong teacher Brendan shares the story of how a 10-year-old inspired him to live authentically. This story was performed at Queerstories: Wollongong, supported by Wollongong City Libraries. Brendan Howarth is a chef by morning, student teacher by day and father & husband by night. He is a soon to be teacher who wants to inspire the future generations to be their best selves and create a generation that spreads love and kindness. Queerstories is an LGBTQIA+ storytelling night programmed ...
Dec 05, 2019•9 min•Ep 175•Transcript available on Metacast The title says it all... Kathleen performed this story at Queerstories: Hobart in 2019. Dr Kathleen Williams is a media studies academic. She publishes work on the social uses of media technologies, particularly in relation to screen cultures, materiality and memory. However she is most qualified at forensically dissecting pop culture. Queerstories is an LGBTQIA+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. For Queerstories event dates, v...
Nov 28, 2019•11 min•Ep 174•Transcript available on Metacast Kait Fenwick dreams of heading out to Newcastle's answer to The Planet, but the night doesn't go quite as planned. Kait Fenwick is the author of Burning Between (Puncher & Wattmann). Their work has appeared in Seen & Heard zine, Butch is Not a Dirty Word, Cordite Poetry Review, Archer magazine and on the walls at China Heights Gallery, Surry Hills. In 2017, Kait completed their honours in English and Writing at the University of Newcastle. Their thesis, Digital Queeries, explores the rel...
Nov 21, 2019•8 min•Ep 173•Transcript available on Metacast Chloe Black realises that coming out to yourself is a lot like watching The Sixth Sense. Chloe Black began her stand-up career in Adelaide over 18 years ago. She has performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe and the Edinburgh Fringe. She is a broadcaster on Edge Radio in Hobart as co-host of Film Central and in her own show "It's Always Midnight Somewhere", which she describes as a phantasmagorical mix tape of film-scores and punk rock. Queerstories is an LGBTQIA+...
Nov 14, 2019•10 min•Ep 172•Transcript available on Metacast Through heartlines and bloodlines, Gabrielle tells a story of belonging, about her history and her family. This story was performed at the first Wollongong Queerstories, supported by Wollongong City Libraries. Gabrielle Journey Jones is a poet, percussionist and event producer living on Yuin Country, Far South Coast NSW. Gabe co-founded Creative Womyn Down Under in 2006 as a way to support other lesbian artists and musicians. In 2018, Gabe established Poetic Percussion to expand her work teachin...
Nov 07, 2019•10 min•Ep 171•Transcript available on Metacast Robert delivers a heartwarming love letter to a French-English dictionary (purportedly). Robert Dessaix is known as a leading broadcaster, for many years the producer and presenter of the ABC's Books and Writing program. He left his twenty year academic career as a lecturer in Russian language and literature at the University of New South Wales, and the Australian National University, to work in theatre and for the ABC. He is a novelist, essayist, critic and translator. Adopted as a baby, in 199...
Oct 31, 2019•11 min•Ep 170•Transcript available on Metacast Anthony reflects on an incredibly difficult time in his life, and farewells someone lost to him. In a former life, Anthony Venn-Brown was a high-profile Pentecostal preacher, speaking regularly in Australia's megachurches, as described in his autobiography, A Life of Unlearning. As the first Australian conversion therapy survivor to tell his story this opened a floodgate of responses from readers with similar experiences. Since 2000, Anthony has worked extensively with people experiencing faith/...
Oct 24, 2019•12 min•Ep 169•Transcript available on Metacast Sophie reflects on the ritual of the toothfairy, and on the importance of one's teeth. Sophie features on My Mother's Kitchen, a Queerstories collaboration with Google's Creative Labs: mymotherskitchen.com.au Sophie Harper has worked in film as a director, editor and producer, and in government film institutions, the Australian Film Commission and Screen Australia. In 2009 she moved to Denmark to teach at the European Film College where she was Vice Principal and Documentary Teacher. She is the ...
Oct 17, 2019•14 min•Ep 168•Transcript available on Metacast Corrie reflects on the things that can get lost in translation, and on the burdens and responsibilities placed on an immigrant child. Corrie Chen is an award-winning filmmaker and a highly sought-after director of Australian television. Working across comedy and drama, her recent work includes Homecoming Queens, Five Bedrooms, Mustangs FC and Seachange. She is the 2018 Film Victoria's Greg Tepper award recipient for her contributions to the industry. Queerstories is an LGBTQIA+ storytelling nigh...
Oct 10, 2019•12 min•Ep 167•Transcript available on Metacast A story of 3 heartbreaks and the cat who witnessed them all. Monica Zanetti is an AWGIE nominated screenwriter whose past credits include the film “Skin Deep” and the TV shows “Sisters”, “Tonightly with Tom Ballard” and the upcoming channel 10 series “My life is Murder” staring Lucy Lawless. Most recently she just finished writing and directing the High School, LGBT Rom-Com “Ellie & Abbie (&Ellie Dead Aunt). Queerstories is an LGBTQIA...
Oct 03, 2019•13 min•Ep 166•Transcript available on Metacast Jean comes out - as a fanfic writer. A nostalgic throwback to simpler times, when representation was out of reach and a young writer found fame - and critique - online. Jean Tong is a Melbourne-based writer. Her previous work includes Hungry Ghosts (Melbourne Theatre Company), Romeo Is Not The Only Fruit (The Coopers Malthouse, MICF), and Anti Hero (Monash Centre for Theatre and Performance). She has also presented at the Emerging Writers' Festival, and published in Peril Magazine and Meanjin. I...
Sep 26, 2019•12 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast Stand-up comedian and lifelong thespian Charity Werk reflects on how a very straight high school can lead a group of young boys to explore their sexuality and gender expression - all through the magic of musical theatre. Charity Werk is a part-time comedian and a full time natural beauty. Making her debut as a RAW Comedy State Finalist in 2018, Charity has quickly established herself as a star on the rise. Her debut solo show "Community Service" was given an extended season and a nomination for ...
Sep 19, 2019•12 min•Ep 165•Transcript available on Metacast Annaliese chronicles the campaign for a Queer Space at the University of Wollongong in 2004, complete with a 48 hour occupation and arrests by riot police. Annaliese Constable is a writer, performer and queer rights activist working across standup, queer performance and theatre. Annaliese is funny for a girl, pretty for a lesbian and when she can afford it very well medicated. You can follow her on Twitter @fistyscent . Annaliese first performed this story at Wollongong Queerstories, supported b...
Sep 12, 2019•14 min•Ep 164•Transcript available on Metacast In the midst of the AIDS crisis, a love affair starts with two young men meeting on an overnight train and ends, a decade later, in a moment of resolute determination amid overwhelming grief and loss. Paul Kidd is a lawyer, activist, writer and troublemaker. He has been living with HIV for more than 30 years and has been a long-time advocate for people with HIV. His work focuses on LGBTIQ rights, law reform and legal and social issues affecting the LGBTIQ and PLHIV communities. He remains passio...
Sep 05, 2019•14 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast Vincent is so busy preparing to volunteer at Camp Out that he almost forgets it's his birthday. Vincent Silk is a writer living in Narrm / Melbourne. His fiction and non fiction has been published in journals Archer, Going Down Swinging, and Seizure. He has been a writer in residence at Next Wave Festival and Firstdraft Gallery, and has made text work for exhibitions at ACCA, Alaska Projects, AutoItalia in London, MIX NYC Festival and Firstdraft. In 2018 he published his first novel, Sisters of ...
Aug 29, 2019•12 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast When meat and three veg meets prawn flan, Kip shares a tale of both creative and romantic collaboration. Kip Chapman was a recipient of the New Zealand Arts Foundation New Generation Award for services to theatre in 2013. He was a core cast member of the Emmy Winning TV drama Top of the Lake, and has also appeared in numerous other film & TV productions. In 2017 he was the Creative Director of the World of Wearable Arts, New Zealand's biggest annual theatrical event. He is the founder of The...
Aug 22, 2019•14 min•Ep 161•Transcript available on Metacast Emma Valente contemplates loneliness, online dating and an unlikely friendship. Emma Valente is the Co-Artistic director and Co-CEO of feminist theatre company THE RABBLE . She is also a director, lighting designer, dramaturg, video designer and occasional trouble maker. Emma has directed works for mainstage festivals and venues around the country, and overseas, she teaches Dramaturgy and Performance Making at Monash University, and she mentors for VCA, Melbourne University, the Pinnacle Foundat...
Aug 15, 2019•14 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast In 1995, Pixie was one of the first women to be accepted into the British Racing school in Newmarket in the UK. She reflects on that time, and on the impact she may or may not have had on her industry. Pixie Willo is a writer, reviewer, voice actor and performance poet from the Blue Mountains. For the last three years Pixie has worked as a theatre reviewer and interviewer for the Stages theatre show on 2ser as well as creating audio packages for Gay Panic. She is currently a member of the Playwr...
Aug 08, 2019•12 min•Ep 159•Transcript available on Metacast At 71, Joy's Dad gets a Facebook account, and it changes their family forever. Joy Ng opened The Bearded Tit 4 years ago with two friends as a place for the Redfern, artistic and queer community to congregate, experiment and dance together. Her investment in diversifying and creating space for Sydney's alternative nightlife sees her also sit on the City of Sydney's new Nightlife and Culture Advisory Panel. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular ev...
Aug 01, 2019•13 min•Ep 158•Transcript available on Metacast Kelly Azizi reflects on the undramatic but bewildering process of breaking up with her once-best-friend. Kelly Azizi is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies at the University of Sydney. Her research interests include the politics of ethno-cultural and diasporic identities, and institutional critique. Kelly plays an active role in Sydney's art community, and is an advocate of its self-criticality. She was the gallery administrator at 55 Sydenham Rd, an indepe...
Jul 25, 2019•10 min•Ep 157•Transcript available on Metacast Teddy Dunn recalls suits from his life, and explores what hindsight (and coming out as trans) does to those memories. Teddy performed this story in Sydney at Giant Dwarf, in Melbourne at Howler and at Adelaide Writer's Week in 2019. Teddy Dunn is an independent director, theatre maker and dramaturg who graduated from Flinders Drama Centre in 2015 with First Class Honours and a University Medal. Since his graduation, Teddy has directed four debuts of new Australian plays, he has directed students...
Jul 18, 2019•11 min•Ep 156•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone knows bisexual people aren't real and don't exist, so for someone who isn't real and whose existence is a myth, Elaine has nevertheless seen some bullshit. Elaine Castillo was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Comparative Literature. She is a Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation Fellow, and her writing can be found in Freeman's, Lit Hub, The Rumpus, Taste Magazine, Bon Appetit, Electric Literature an...
Jul 11, 2019•10 min•Ep 155•Transcript available on Metacast Clementine reflects on flying, pregnancy and ways to trick one's brain into managing anxiety. Clementine Ford is a freelance writer, broadcaster and public speaker based in Melbourne. She is the bestselling author of the feminist manifesto Fight Like A Girl. Her most recent book is Boys Will Be Boys. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com , and follow Queerstor...
Jul 04, 2019•9 min•Ep 154•Transcript available on Metacast Via possums, renos and Bridget Jones' Baby, Rick outlines his these for why his mother, Deb Morton, is a queer icon. Rick performed this piece at Sydney Writer's Festival and Adelaide Writer's Week. Rick Morton is an award-winning journalist with The Australian and is the author of One Hundred Years of Dirt. It explores intergenerational trauma, poverty, addiction and mental health and the role of a mother who tried to love enough for the failures of everyone else around her. Originally from Que...
Jun 27, 2019•11 min•Ep 153•Transcript available on Metacast Teresa shares her story, spanning decades, of life, love, family and climbing the ladder in a male dominated industry. Teresa Avila is cofounder of the Red Rattler Theatre and was founding chair and treasurer for 10 years before stepping down last year. She has worked in engineering and heavy construction for over 20 years and is one of the industry's few operational facing senior women. She is a recreational pilot and served on the board of directors of Recreational Aviation Australia and, in 2...
Jun 13, 2019•10 min•Ep 152•Transcript available on Metacast Yen tells a story of moving to Canberra as a bright eyed undergraduate, seeking love, identity and shoes. Yen Eriksen is an advocate, writer and digital storyteller based in Canberra, interested in exploring the intersections between identity, race, gender and queerness. Queerstories is an LGBTQI+ storytelling night programmed by Maeve Marsden, with regular events around Australia. For Queerstories event dates, visit www.maevemarsden.com , and follow Queerstories on Facebook. The Queerstor...
Jun 12, 2019•13 min•Ep 151•Transcript available on Metacast Kate shares a story about having a very gay year in 2009 - living in queer share houses, discovering mooncups and enjoying lesbian blogs. Kate Duffy is a community lawyer and educator. She established the Safe Relationships Project a domestic violence court assistance scheme for the LGBTIQ community whilst working at the Inner City Legal Centre, and the domestic violence resource Ask LOIS whilst working at the Women's Legal Service NSW. More recently Kate has been working at the Marrickville Leg...
Jun 06, 2019•13 min•Ep 150•Transcript available on Metacast Jonny reflects on his history, on family, and on how he grew up to be exactly who he is. Jonny Hawkins is an actor, writer and big time DJ. He was the recipient of the 2016 Sydney Theatre Critic's Best Newcomer Award and you may have seen him in the TV Mini series PETER ALLEN: NOT THE BOY NEXT DOOR or the ABC film RIOT. In 2017 he made a short film called Joy Boy, which won best film at the Melbourne Queer Film Awards. Jonny is also one half of disco DJing duo The Dollar Bin Darlings, who you ma...
Jun 04, 2019•18 min•Ep 149•Transcript available on Metacast For years, Maeve and DeAnne have planned to host an event called Super Lesbo FunTime. This story has nothing to do with that, I am just trying to manifest the event by including it in this description. Enjoy! DeAnne Smith, a Canadian Comedy Award winner, has performed at Just for Laughs, JFL42, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Iceland Comedy Festival to name a few. She's also b...
May 30, 2019•11 min•Ep 148•Transcript available on Metacast 
