Writing in the Tropics- Lori T. Hurst

The Mango Winds If we are the sum of our memories perhaps the pattern of our lives is set in childhood. Children cling to the familiar. Even something broken beyond repair. Separation; a harsh unfamiliar word too awkward for the tongue of a four year old. Bitter as the most vile medicine.   ‘Come along love, come along. Hurry up.’   No time for questions less for answers. A journey stretched ahead; the magnitude far beyond my comprehension.   Three days and two nights I sat, slept and clung to my mother or sister. The train stops, starts, rattles along, shunts and chants its monotonous song.   Big brave girl, big brave girl, big, brave girl. Only I’m not. Sooty smoke tickles my nose, I like the smell.   We alight for a meal. Better than yesterday’s stale sandwiches.   We drink milky tea from thick white cups stamped with the railway emblem.   My sister points and asks mum. ‘Is it so people can’t steal them?’ Mum gives a funny scrunched up smil...

I’ve just noticed how long it is since I’ve done a post. For a writer this is inexcusable but in my defence I have been very busy doing lots of other writerly things & after speaking to myself very sternly I have extracted a promise (from myself) that this will be a weekly commitment from now on!!! On the writing front I have written two short stories. Self Portrait which I entered in the Josephine Ulrick Literary awards & Mango Winds which was written for WITS Performance Readings at Perc Tucker Gallery on 9th June. I have just had the privilege of being selected to be on the panel of judges for the Townsville City Council Short Story competition for 2012. Also this week which is Qld week City Libraries have organized the Townsville Literary Festival & on Monday I presented an author talk on Interweaving contemporary & historical fiction. My novel which had been put aside while my brain percolated on certain aspects of the layout has now been professionally...