Podcasts about second sky

Gilbert the Penguin wants to be a proper bird that flies high in the sky. But he soon discovers that he is destined to fly in a second sky under the water.

XLNT-Gorilla - Second Sky (REMAKE) by XLNTSOUND

The Nuggets have a long and torturous playoff history versus the Los Angeles Lakers. On the latest Mortcast on CSG Jeff talks about how a last second, game winning sky hook by Kareem began the Denver Nuggets misery vs the Lakers in 1979.Also Jeff talks about how this is the best Nuggets team to ever face the Lakers and how Nuggets fans should act like they're the favorites (they are) no matter what Lakers fans project. Enjoy the show!

Digital-first publisher Bookouture are now applying their publishing model to science fiction and fantasy with their new imprint Second Sky. We speak to consultant associate publisher Jack Renninson who tells us what Second Sky is looking for, and he answers our listener questions on submissions, pitching to Second Sky, and what's to come in the near future.

Porter Robinson came by to talk about his new song for League of Legends "Everything Goes On", one year of Nurture, getting engaged and Second Sky Festival! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hakuro Matsuda さんをゲストに迎えて、Google I/O, Pixel, メタバースなどについて話しました。 Show Notes Rebuild Podcast Clips - YouTube Google I/O 2022 Google I/O 2022 keynote in 18 minutes Google Brings CTRL+F to Real Life With Phone Camera Search Feature Google AI Blog: Auto-generated Summaries in Google Docs Prime Video X-Ray Improving skin tone representation across Google Google thinks the time is right to bring back Wallet Pixel 6a - Google Store Samsung Galaxy S22 & Galaxy S22+ Google Pixel Watch - Google Store Where is Fitbit's Wear OS watch? 12th Gen Intel Core HX Processors Mark Zuckerberg's Project Cambria demo shows off its full-color passthrough Sony WH-1000XM5 review Pobox Lifetime Email After Steve: How Apple Became a Trillion-Dollar Company and Lost Its Soul Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making Audible シン・ウルトラマン オッドタクシー Bubble SPY×FAMILY Don't Look Up 海が走るエンドロール ダーウィン事変 RTA in Japan 鍋に弾丸を受けながら 今夜は車内でおやすみなさい。 Porter Robinson's (Second Sky.) パリピ孔明

All uploads on this channel are for promotional purposes only! The music has been converted before uploading to prevent ripping and to protect the artist(s) and label(s). If you don't want your content here (that goes for audio or images) please contact me immediately via email: unpluggedtube@outlook.it and I WILL REMOVE THE EPISODE OR ARTWORK IMMEDIATELY! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jai Wolf Live Set, From Second Sky Music Festival by Porter Robinson in Oakland Arena Grounds, California. September 19, 2021. Tracklist: 00:00 Jai Wolf - ID / Intro (Live Edit) 01:30 Jai Wolf - Lose My Mind (ft. Mr Gabriel)(Acapella) 02:00 Jai Wolf - Make Me Feel Like (Unreleased) 03:33 Jai Wolf - Indian Summer (Live edit) 04:39 A Message From Jai Wolf 04:51 Jai Wolf - Telepathy 07:22 Jai Wolf - Telepathy (Live edit) 08:23 Jai Wolf - Drive (Live edit) 11:00 ODESZA - Say My Name (Jai Wolf Remix) 14:20 Jai Wolf - Gravity (feat. JMR) 17:51 Jai Wolf - This Song Reminds Me Of You 20:54 Jai Wolf - Manic Pixie Dream 22:34 Kiiara - Feels (Jai Wolf Remix) 24:27 Jai Wolf - The World Is Ours 26:09 Jai Wolf makes a heart with his hands 26:34 Chet Porter - Bummed (Acapella) vs The World Is Ours 27:58 Jai Wolf - Moon Rider 31:56 Jai Wolf - Your Way (ft. Day Wave) 35:58 Jai Wolf - Better Apart (ft. Dresage) 37:44 Jai Wolf - Better Apart (ft. Dresage)(Live Edit) 39:01 Ellie Goulding - Lights (Nitti Gritti Remix) 41:14 Skrillex - Ease My Mind (Jai Wolf Remix) 42:28 Another Message From Jai Wolf (Close Your Eyes) 42:56 Jai Wolf - Starlight (ft. Mr Gabriel) (LIVE Performance) 47:05 Jai Wolf - Lose My Mind (ft. Mr Gabreiel)(LIVE Performance) 52:06 One more message from Jai Wolf 52:35 Jai Wolf - Indian Summer Team UNPLUGGED.

This week on Radio Tuaz, we talked about DT's Birthday Weekend and Tuaz's trip to Second Sky! We also have two new exclusive mixes; one is a b2b set with Ryse Above All and GONEWORKING and a new, refreshing mix from a Radio Tuaz Vet, Distorted Frequenciez! Enjoy! 

On this episode of Face The Music, Alec recaps his experience at Porter Robinson's Second Sky Music Festival, including some of his favorite performances and moments from the weekend. Follow Face The Music:Website - edmidentity.com/facethemusicFacebook - facebook.com/FaceTheMusicEDMIDTwitter - twitter.com/FaceTheMusicEDMInstagram - instagram.com/FaceTheMusicEDM

Hakuro Matsuda さんをゲストに迎えて、Apple イベント、iPad mini, iPhone 13, Wise などについて話しました。 Show Notes Porter Robinson's (Second Sky.) Twitter Super Follows has generated only around $6K+ in its first two weeks Apple Events - September 2021 iPad mini - Apple New iPad Mini Has Downclocked A15 Chip Compared to iPhone 13 The bitter lawsuit hanging over the Apple Watch's new swipe keyboard Has Apple hit a wall with the A15 processor? iPhone 13 A15 benchmarks reveal 21% CPU speed gain over iPhone 12 ドコモの「瞬速5G」をご紹介 iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter Google hypes Pixel 6 launch in Japan with potato chips ミッドサマー メイドインアビス ペンギンに「宇宙人の可能性」が浮上 糞から金星にある化学物質 「金星に生命の痕跡」に反証続々、ホスフィンは誤検出の可能性 DUNE/デューン 砂の惑星 The Matrix Resurrections | Official Trailer 望郷太郎（５） Wise: Online Money Transfers Nintendo finally adds Bluetooth audio to the Switch in new software update Bluetoothオーディオに対応したSwitchで，Bluetoothヘッドセットの接続と遅延を検証してみた The Morning Show | Apple TV+

The Seventieth Episode of The Lady Lounge Sports Cast brings you high quality entertainment from high quality host! David is back from his trip to California and has some awesome stories to tell! Then this weekend also left the host starving for a W...... after the Saints terrible showing .... As always guys! Thanks for Listening! Intro/David's Second Sky trip/ John Spending alot of money/MLB Update. (0:00-45:00) NFL/Saints News: We Talk Saints terrible L and the rest of the games for Week #2 (45:00-1:21:16)

On this week's episode of Face The Music, Alec previews Second Sky, dives into friend of the program Jared's recap of Elements Festival, and talks about what he's been listening to recently. Follow Face The Music:Website - edmidentity.com/facethemusicFacebook - facebook.com/FaceTheMusicEDMIDTwitter - twitter.com/FaceTheMusicEDMInstagram - instagram.com/FaceTheMusicEDM

Jen kicks off 2021 with a thoughtful and timely discussion of the reading life, and the connections between one's sense of place and mental wellness. The poet Tania Runyan joins Jen and Chris for this conversation.Tania Runyan is the author of many poetry collections: What Will Soon Take Place, Second Sky, A Thousand Vessels, Simple Weight and Delicious Air, which was awarded Book of the Year by the Conference on Christianity and Literature in 2007.  She's also written the guides, How to Read a Poem, How to Write a Poem, and How to Write a College Application Essay. When she is not writing, Tania plays fiddle and mandolin, drives her kids to appointments, and gets lost in her Midwestern garden.C. Christopher Smith is the Founding Editor of The Englewood Review of Books and the author of a number of books, including most recently How the Body of Christ Talks, published by Brazos in 2019.Books discussed in this episode:What Will Soon Take Place: Poems by Tania RunyanSecond Sky: Poems by Tania RunyanA Thousand Vessels by Tania RunyanSimple Weight by Tania RunyanHow to Write a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry" by Tania RunyanHow to Read a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry" by Tania RunyanHow to Write a College Application Essay: Expert Advice to Help You Get Into the College of Your Dreams by Tania RunyanA Plum Tree in Leatherstocking Country by Daniel Bowman Jr.Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert PutnamBecoming Friends of Time: Disability, Timefullness and Gentle Discipleship by John SwintonAll the Young Men by Ruth Coker BurksBecoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty and Achieve Peace by Carl SafinaThe Library Book by Susan OrleanDarkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William StyronThe Hilarious World of Depression by John MoeLost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann HariFinding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges by John SwintonThe Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

Enjoy 2+ hours of creative deep talk with many surprising anecdotes by one of Europe's most popular metal producers and musicians: Dan Swanö. Markus & Nico from the German band ELANE welcome their first interview guest on their podcast “Wir und ELANE”.  20 years ago they visited Dan in Sweden, so it was about time to do another interview with him! Today, he explains the challenges for musicians in Corona times, talks about accidentally stealing melodies (and vice versa) and claims his point of view on streaming services being the new music industry. He remembers mixtape moments with his elder brother, which were his personal introduction into progressive music. Dan also deep-dives into his music projects, such as Nightingale, Edge of Sanity and Unicorn. PLUS you will also get never heard news about the project once called Second Sky! Don't miss it!-------------------------------------------------------Dan later asked to add one thing to the shownotes:"Regarding the question of a new Diabolical Masquerade album I clearly had a mental lockdown since I completely forgot that Anders Nyström have been writing tunes for Bloodbath, including stuff from just a few years back, so that is NOT one of the reasons why it's unlikely that there's another album from that project. It is, however, highly unlikely that I would be involved in it since my focus these days  are mixing and mastering exclusively, and do exactly that for a Diabolical Masquerade album would of course be amazing!"-------------------------------------------------------Including the podcast section ‘Remember the Song': “Suddenly” (by Unicorn)Here's a link to the mentioned “4 Chords” video by “The Axis Of Awesome” on YouTubeContact: Podcast@Elane-Music.com>> The Spotify Playlist of our podcast

On April 25, Tania Runyan taught a workshop on poetry during the Digital Karitos Experience.Tania Runyan is the author of the poetry collections What Will Soon Take Place, Second Sky, A Thousand Vessels, Simple Weight, and Delicious Air, which was awarded Book of the Year by the Conference on Christianity and Literature in 2007. Her guides How to Read a Poem, How to Write a Poem, and How to Write a College Application Essay are used in classrooms across the country. Her poems have appeared in many publications, including Poetry, Image, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, The Christian Century, Saint Katherine Review, and the Paraclete book Light upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Tania was awarded an NEA Literature Fellowship in 2011. When not writing, Tania plays fiddle and mandolin, drives kids to appointments, and gets lost in her Midwestern garden.http://www.taniarunyan.com/About_Me.htmlSupport the show! Thanks!!Intro/Outro Music by Vivien HibbertSupport the show (https://www.karitosnation.org/blog )Support the show (https://www.karitosnation.org/blog )

The Science of Synchronicity and Living in Flow In this episode, Sky Nelson-Isaacs discusses living in flow and how your choices shape your world. Sky is a physicist, educator, speaker, musician, and author. Sky wrote the book Living in Flow: The Science of Synchronicity and How Your Choices Change Your World. First Sky talks about his work, bringing together synchronicity, physics, and real-life. To do this, Sky relies on research and original ideas. Next, Sky uses real life examples to show how your choices shape your world. In summary, listen and learn how you can start living in flow instead of just going with the flow.  Episode Highlights:  First, Emily Harman introduces Sky Nelson-Isaacs. Then Sky talks about the meaning behind his book Living in Flow: The Science of Synchronicity and How Your Choices Shape Your World.  Next Sky explains how physics relates to synchronicity. Why do more ‘meaningful’ outcomes take place in our lives?  Later on, Emily shares her retirement story. Next, Sky analyzes Emily’s retirement story.  What does ‘living in flow’ mean to Sky? Flow is about letting go of worry and getting in sync with life. Sky discusses the L-O-R-R-A-X process (Listen, Open, Reflect, Release, Act, Repeat). First listen. Then open up your mind. After that, reflect. Then Sky tells us how to release and act. Finally, the last step in the process is to repeat. Intuitions are assisted by life and adversities are assisting our intuitions.   Towards the end, Sky shares a mind exercise to recharge our mental data.  How do your choices shape your world? How can living in flow help organizations function better?  When we see that life is on our side, we can become more effective.  How does his work of synchronicity link to Sky’s social justice community work?  In summary, you can learn how to live in flow instead of going with the flow. 3 Key Points about the Living in Flow: First: Synchronicity is when certain events show up which are meaningful and if we pay attention and follow them effectively, they lead us to situations that we wouldn’t have expected. Second: Sky describes a scientifically based method of understanding and using life experience—the obstacles and synchronicities that show up in daily life—as a reliable guide for knowing how to move forward in areas where you are stuck. Third: The L-O-R-R-A-X process involves: listening to life, opening our minds, reflecting on the situations which are happening, releasing our attachment to how we thought things were supposed to be, then acting on our instincts.  Tweetable Quotes: 1. “I started trying to understand synchronicity through the lens of physics, which is my training, and in the past 12 years or so I have developed some academic theories on how that works.” – Sky Nelson-Isaacs 2. “Quantum mechanics is the study of what the world is doing when we are not watching.” – Sky Nelson-Isaacs 3. “The idea here from quantum mechanics is that when we interact with the world outside of us, we collapse it in some sense, into a definite state. But until that point, it was just a collection of possibilities.” – Sky Nelson-Isaacs Resources Mentioned: Business: https://skynelson.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skynelsonisaacs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sky-nelson-isaacs/ Twitter: @nelson_sky YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmqVdGc2KZAkUM-frWOH5w https://emilyharman.com https://www.facebook.com/Onward-Podcast https://www.instagram.com/onwardpodcast https://twitter.com/OnwardPodcast https://www.soulpajamas.com/home https://www.podcastpress.io/

On RepeatAlec's On Repeat: Wilkinson - All for YouArtist We’re Watching New MusicSocial Kid - Oval SunRL Grime - I wanna Know ft. Daya (Coldwall Corruption) [exclusive preview!]Akira - BurnNo Etiquette x One True God - Enter the darknessNew MusicPryda - Pryda 15 Vol. 1Mark Knight - The GeneralGØAT (Flume) – GØAT TAPE V1The One - MatrodaEphwurd x ANGELZ - HeatNews & CultureElectric Forest is next weekend - Everyone have a great time!Second Sky recapMalawi foundation raised over $150k.Samir got a chance to talk to Nick Robinson (father)IMS Ibiza 2019 Report - Part 2Ultra Europe may need to relocateSide note: Miami will vote on a resolution to bring Ultra back to Bayfront park on June 27th (we’ll report on the outcome then)Madeon announces a live tourAnti - Plur MomentMerchandise tents (wtf moments)...What Are We Listening ToGaia - Moons of Jupiter (album)Troyboi - WARLORDZ (feat. Skrillex)Artists We're WatchingSamir - Galyax // Soundcloud // Twitter // could you try please (track)Alec - IDE-K // Soundcloud // Instagram // Warebass (track)

We send our condolences out to Keith Flint’s family and friends. He was an icon that changed the course of music history with his talent. He will be sorely missed. If you are ever going through something, please reach out to someone. You are never alone - even if you feel like you are. Even though we don’t not know all of our amazing listeners, Samir and Alec are here for each and every one of you. SHOW NOTES New Music Peekaboo - Wrecking Ball EP Boombox Cartel - Nothing to Hide Yookie x Nitti Gritti - Apocalypse Marshmello x CHVRCHES - Here With Me graves - Far From Here EP News & Culture Porter Robinson is putting on his own music festival in conjunction with Golden Voice called Second Sky (originally Multiverse) on June 15th in Oakland, CA RIP Keith Flint of Prodigy. He passed away at age 49. Ultra Singapore Phase 1 lineup announced- Martin Garrix, Porter Robinson, Skrillex. Will SHM be there?! CRSSD just happened K?D EP 2 announced on twitter New Malaa dropped on March 11th (Titled: Addiction) DJs talk about playing sets while sick Anti-Plur Moment DJs talking too much on the mic. Cough, cough Major Lazer... What Are We Listening To Gesaffelstein New Album - Hyperion Alesso - Progresso Volume 1 Artists We're Watching Pretence: Soundcloud // Instagram // Infected (feat. Bronx) (song) Trip Trop: Soundcloud // Instagram // Lost My Mind (Remix) (song)

#porterrobinson #virtualself #edm #secondsky #worlds Porter Robinson has always been a standout artist who not only appreciates his craft but he equally loves his fans. He recently joined the recent trend of EDM artists curating their own festivals. He, therefore, announced with a video his new festival that he named Multiverse Festival taking place in Oakland, California. The video brought some great Worlds-like vibes to his fans much to their delight. However, the day following the festival announcement there were multiple discussions online about a controversy surrounding the “Multiverse” festival. On Twitter and Instagram, there were people name calling Porter, calling him a racist, a homophobe, saying he is culturally appropriating the EDM scene. This was due to a similarly named festival taking place in Oakland, California. The “Multiverse is Illuminated” festival is a punk rock festival that highlights the inclusion of diverse communities. In our opinion a lot of people slinging rocks at Porter have a victim complex, claiming cultural appropriation and Porter using his white privilege to oust their festival. We don’t think Porter Robinson was to blame directly for this controversial decision. It is without a doubt that if the production company (GOLDENVOICE) or his team did a thorough search they would have found a similarly named festival taking place in the same city. Porter Robinson and his production company, therefore, renamed it “Second Sky” . The name may not have the same impact but I am sure Porter’s camp just wanted to move on at this point and leave any controversy behind. The line-up announced as of today is as follows: Cashmere Cat, G. Jones, Kero Kero Bonito, Chrome Sparks, Anamanguchi, Wednesday Campanella, Nina Las Vegas, Porter Robinson Live, and last but not least none other than Madeon. A talking podcast about EDM with an attitude and opinion! You like electronic dance music and don’t know what’s lit or douce? We’ve got you covered. We are bringing, news, reviews, and gossip directly to your ears. Come and say Hi! Or even better subscribe to our podcast now. Always looking for enthusiastic contributors with a creative edge. Listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor FM and all major platforms https://anchor.fm/freakbeats-edm-podcast Our monthly Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/user/aias_23 is updated daily with the freshest quality tracks from every genre. Watch us on YouTube and Bitchute- http://bit.ly/2pLnfP7 and http://bit.ly/2H9p2qv Join our Facebook group- http://bit.ly/2pLpzpf Follow our Tweets- @freakbeats_cast Hear us on Soundcloud- http://bit.ly/2pKZJBS Mix us up on Mixcloud- http://bit.ly/2pxV6Qs Read our words on Medium https://medium.com/@freakbeats_edmpodcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/freakbeats-edm-podcast/message

As you'll discover in this conversation with Tania Runyan, she's experimented with being a screenwriter and playwright and written several nonfiction books, including How to Read a Poem, How to Write a Poem, and one for college-bound high school students, called How to Write a College Application Essay. But Tania thinks of herself first and foremost as a poet. Her poems have appeared in many publications, including Poetry, Image, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, The Christian Century, Saint Katherine Review and the Paraclete book Light upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.  Here are a few snippets of our chat: "I write blog posts and articles for companies...and I realize that poetry and that kind of writing are not at odds with one another. In fact, I have found they complement one another really well because poetry is all about condensing language, and the efficiency of language, and audience and emotion, and when you're writing for businesses...tailoring my language to a certain audience, a certain emotion, and trying to do that in an efficient manner, I find has been easier to do because of my background as a poet." "This is very important. The very first thing I bought with my NEA grant, was a Roomba. To this day, I still use it every day. It's responsible for a lot of my writing." Advice for new poets: "When I work with newer poets, it seems they're consistently surprised with how much time I spend on my poems and how much time I think they should spend on their poems. So my advice would be to slow down and enjoy the process...You want to write, you want to produce, you want to publish...but really there's no reason to rush. You need to give yourself to the process and enjoy it." Enjoy learning about all the ways a writer can write as you get to know Tania Runyan. Tania Runyan is the author of the poetry collections What Will Soon Take Place, Second Sky, A Thousand Vessels, Simple Weight, and Delicious Air, which was awarded Book of the Year by the Conference on Christianity and Literature in 2007. Her guides How to Read a Poem, How to Write a Poem, and How to Write a College Application Essay are used in classrooms across the country. Tania was awarded an NEA Literature Fellowship in 2011. When not writing, Tania plays fiddle and mandolin, drives kids to appointments, and gets lost in her Midwestern garden. Resources: Website: TaniaRunyan.com Facebook Page: Tania Runyan Poet What Will Soon Take Place, Tania's most recent poetry collection, celebrating its one-year anniversary (affiliate link) How to Write a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry", by Tania Runyan (affiliate link) How to Read a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry", by Tania Runyan (affiliate link) Book that mentioned Nabakov in the bathtub: Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors, by Sarah Stodola (affiliate link) Writing book Tania recommends for poets, an anthology with simple explanations of forms: Strong Measures: Contemporary American Poetry in Traditional Forms (not affiliate link; only available used) Jennifer Dukes Lee interview Alison Hodgson interview Shawn Smucker interview Patrice Gopo interview Ann's Patreon account All podcast episodes You can subscribe to this podcast using your podcast player or find it through Apple podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify.

As you’ll discover in this conversation with Tania Runyan, she’s experimented with being a screenwriter and playwright and written several nonfiction books, including How to Read a Poem, How to Write a Poem, and one for college-bound high school students, called How to Write a College Application Essay. But Tania thinks of herself first and foremost as a poet. Her poems have appeared in many publications, including Poetry, Image, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, The Christian Century, Saint Katherine Review and the Paraclete book Light upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.  Here are a few snippets of our chat: "I write blog posts and articles for companies...and I realize that poetry and that kind of writing are not at odds with one another. In fact, I have found they complement one another really well because poetry is all about condensing language, and the efficiency of language, and audience and emotion, and when you're writing for businesses...tailoring my language to a certain audience, a certain emotion, and trying to do that in an efficient manner, I find has been easier to do because of my background as a poet." "This is very important. The very first thing I bought with my NEA grant, was a Roomba. To this day, I still use it every day. It's responsible for a lot of my writing." Advice for new poets: "When I work with newer poets, it seems they're consistently surprised with how much time I spend on my poems and how much time I think they should spend on their poems. So my advice would be to slow down and enjoy the process...You want to write, you want to produce, you want to publish...but really there's no reason to rush. You need to give yourself to the process and enjoy it." Enjoy learning about all the ways a writer can write as you get to know Tania Runyan. Tania Runyan is the author of the poetry collections What Will Soon Take Place, Second Sky, A Thousand Vessels, Simple Weight, and Delicious Air, which was awarded Book of the Year by the Conference on Christianity and Literature in 2007. Her guides How to Read a Poem, How to Write a Poem, and How to Write a College Application Essay are used in classrooms across the country. Tania was awarded an NEA Literature Fellowship in 2011. When not writing, Tania plays fiddle and mandolin, drives kids to appointments, and gets lost in her Midwestern garden. Resources: Website: TaniaRunyan.com Facebook Page: Tania Runyan Poet What Will Soon Take Place, Tania's most recent poetry collection, celebrating its one-year anniversary (affiliate link) How to Write a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry", by Tania Runyan (affiliate link) How to Read a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry", by Tania Runyan (affiliate link) Book that mentioned Nabakov in the bathtub: Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors, by Sarah Stodola (affiliate link) Writing book Tania recommends for poets, an anthology with simple explanations of forms: Strong Measures: Contemporary American Poetry in Traditional Forms (not affiliate link; only available used) Jennifer Dukes Lee interview Alison Hodgson interview Shawn Smucker interview Patrice Gopo interview Ann's Patreon account All podcast episodes You can subscribe to this podcast using your podcast player or find it through Apple podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify.

Determined to recover and destroy the cloak of a long-dead evil, the crew plunges into the depths of The Pit of the Second Sky. They have no idea what they'll find by following the mysterious feywild map, but they know there's probably not cuddly creatures ahead.

Patrick Guest is an Australian children's author, Olympic physiotherapist, and father of three. He is most noted for his children's books That's What Wings Are For - dedicated to children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and their parents, and The Ricker Racker Club, written for his boys when their baby sister joined the family. Find out more about Patrick's work at PatrickGuest.com.au. What you'll learn: 1. What Patrick's first career was, and why he gave it up for writing.2. The true story that inspired Patrick to write That's What Wings Are For.3. How The Ricker Racker Club is being used to touch and inspire school children in Melbourne, Australia. 4. What success means to him. FULL TRANSCRIPT Elizabeth: Welcome to Writers’ Tête-à-tête with Elizabeth Harris, the show that connects authors, songwriters and poets with a global audience. So I can continue to bring you high-calibre guests, I invite you to go to iTunes, click Subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast with your friends. I’m delighted to introduce children’s author Patrick Guest (PG) – father of three, Olympic physiotherapist, children’s author. Patrick Guest – born into an ever loving, ever growing family, 7 siblings, in the beachside suburb of Seaford, Melbourne, Australia. Patrick was blessed with all the things that make a childhood magical – plenty of family, friends and freedom to explore this wonderful world. An assortment of careers along the way – cobbler, elephant washer, failed accountant, anatomy demonstrator at Monash Uni, national team physio for Mozambique. Little wonder he’s been dubbed the Forrest Gump of Frankston. Adventures and stories seem to follow him around and now he’s writing them down. 5 books, (signed with a little hair) in the past 2 years, many more in the pipeline. Patrick Guest, welcome to Writers’ Tête-à-tête with Elizabeth Harris. Patrick: Great to be here, Elizabeth. Elizabeth: Great to have you here, Patrick, on this lovely sunny day in Melbourne, believe it or not, we’ve got the sun. Patrick, we recently discovered we attended the same secondary college.  Patrick: We did. Elizabeth: I had to smile when I read you initially became an accountant. Please tell my listeners about that transgression - and how you escaped. Patrick: Ah, the transgression. Let’s start with that. Look. Fear, insecurity, there was a recession kicking in. But really I think, as a 17-year-old, having to work out what subjects to choose, I didn’t know how to make that decision at 17. Elizabeth: So you did Economics … is that right? Patrick: Economics, Accounting, Legal Studies, Maths. I was really probably inspired at that time by my favourite TV show, Family Ties – Michael J. Fox. Elizabeth: Wasn’t he great? He’s great. Still. Patrick: At the time, I think back now – what a dork he was – it probably says a lot about what a dork I was and still am. I thought he was cool. Elizabeth: He was funny, and you’re funny. Patrick: He was cool, and I thought “Who do I want to be like?”, and I thought “Michael J. Fox”. I went down the corporate path, which was a terrible decision. I don’t regret it – I made some friends for life, and I realized early on that money doesn’t make you happy. Elizabeth: It’s such an important lesson at that age, isn’t it, cause many people learn that quite late, if at all. Patrick: Yeah, so that’s something that has stayed with me, and I’m really grateful. Elizabeth: Was there a pivotal moment when you realized “This accounting thing is just not me”? Was there an incident? Patrick: There was. Elizabeth: Can you share that, or is that private? Patrick: No, no, let’s share this. It’s all about sharing in this session. So I’m walking down Flinders St Station, and I’m walking down in my suit and tie, down the ramp… Elizabeth: How old were you at the time? Patrick: It would have been in my first year out of graduation, maybe 22 or something. 21, 22. Walking down the ramp, with cattle class, just walking down, we were all off to work. Against the flow, this lady came through the crowd and just gently put her hand on me and said, “Smile!” Elizabeth: (Laughter) I promise you it wasn’t me. Patrick: She just said “Smile” and I’m walking down – I must have looked so miserable. Elizabeth: Was she an angel or a real person? Patrick: I don’t know. But I hear where you’re coming from there, because from that moment – and I blame Banjo Patterson – and maybe my dad for putting me onto Banjo. Elizabeth: Why? It’s good to blame other people, isn’t it? Patrick: My favourite Australian poem would be The Great Clancy of the Great Overflow… Elizabeth: Oh wonderful. Patrick: …And where Banjo writes: And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me   As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste, With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy,    For townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste.   So that poem was just ringing in my ears as I was off to the office sitting there, and from that moment I had come to the end of my fancy – I had a lot to change with Clancy. But I doubt he’d suit the office, Clancy of the Overflow. And for someone who had had that instilled in him, the spirit of adventure at a very young age, and parents – wonderful parents that had fostered that– and here I am in this shoebox, little partitioned office thing, and it just wasn’t for me. Elizabeth: Soul-destroying. Patrick: Soul-destroying. For some people it isn’t, and some of my best friends have continued along that path, and it’s a great path for them, but for me it wasn’t. Elizabeth: We need everybody, don’t we, the array of professions and tradespeople, everybody to do their bit. But you had much more important things in store, Patrick. Which brings me to – our school was really quite traditional in lots of ways, being a Catholic coed college, with all the gender bias that goes with that. And I remember going back to Economics, and I remember being one of the few girls in Chemistry and Economics, because it was always the boys who were going to be the accountants, and the girls were going to be teachers or nurses. And in fact I did go on to be a nurse, but I was very happy to do that. So to me in our school, there was a real gender bias. And you address this in your fantastic book, The Ricker Racker Club. Can you tell us more about this great book please? Patrick: The Ricker Racker Club is based on a real club, invented by real people: my two boys, Noah and Reuben. So Noah and Reuben were roughly 4 and 3 at the time when the Ricker Racker Club was formed. And there was one hard and fast rule: No Girls. (Laughter) There were a few other rules: do something incredibly brave, do something incredibly kind, but the real rock-solid rule was No Girls. And then what happened… Elizabeth: I’m sure that’s changed now. Patrick: …They had themselves a sister, little Gracie. Gracie was born, and really the story of The Ricker Racker Club is what happened next after Gracie. Now Gracie is perfectly named. She is pure grace, she is pure joy. She does have an intellectual disability, and her capacity for joy is extraordinary. And she would – as happens in the book – walk up to the wolf next door and give the wolf a big hug. Her courage, her kindness, her unique joy, won the boys over very quickly. They won us all over, and the story sprung from there. Really, it’s a celebration of the joys of being a kid, and the innocence of these rules. They’re not coming from a nasty place, these rules – just boys being boys. But then, just the power of kindness, if there’s one thing that runs through all my books, it’s the power of kindness… Elizabeth: Yes, definitely. Patrick: …to change hearts. So that’s how that happened. And really The Ricker Racker Club is about a father saying to his two sons, “Be good to your sister.” Elizabeth: And you do it so well, Patrick. Patrick: And so it’s done really well. Elizabeth: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Patrick: From the moment I could write. So I started very young. I do remember a series, ‘Powerful Patrick’. And I must have been about 5 or 6. I was doing the pictures back then and I was stapling them together, making these little books. And I’m sure Mum and Dad delighted in them. But I’m not sure anyone else did. Elizabeth: Have you still got them? Patrick: I haven’t been able to find them. Elizabeth: Oh no. Patrick: I hope I can find them one day. Mum was always a little bit of a hoarder, so it’ll be somewhere in the house. They’re still in the same place I grew up in, so they’ll be somewhere in that house. So I’ve been a natural storyteller my whole life. The vehicle for that telling a story was just verbal stories and emails and love letters to Lisa my wife … I’ve always found a way to put things on paper. But certainly through the barren accounting years, then really trying to work out where my lane was that had been lying dormant, and then the birth of Noah – my first son, Noah – came a flood of stories and the desire to get these things down on paper. The rest is history. Elizabeth: What was it particularly about that event - the birth of Noah – that opened the floodgates, so to speak? Patrick: Well the birth itself…even before the birth I was starting to work on a book. But it’s, I think it’s just this natural, just as we have a desire to breathe, have food and water, a desire to be heard and understood, and then as a parent, it’s just this innate desire to share stories and to bond through stories. Elizabeth: Legacy. Patrick: Legacy. What my dad did was the same with me. My grandfather – I vividly remember my grandfather declaring over me that “You’re going to be an author one day.” Elizabeth: Oh wow. Did he write? Patrick: My grandfather, no. It was more my grandmother – she was a gifted storyteller. She kissed the Blarney Stone a few times, Ma, and... So it’s flowed through, that Blarney Stone – the kissing of the Blarney Stone gift has been passed through, through Grandmother to my dad. Elizabeth: We have a similar heritage then. Patrick There you go. And I can see it in my kids as well. Noah and Reuben, they love telling stories and they love hearing stories. So it’s been passed on for sure. Elizabeth: That’s fantastic. Can you advise all the aspiring writers out there how to get started, and more importantly, how to keep going? Patrick: How to get started… I can only speak, maybe quote Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” So I can only speak from the authority of my own experience. I don’t have a technique or a tactic or a ritual that I go through. I pray. I pray, and one thing that I’ll say to people when asked this question – again I don’t want to get too preachy here – but if you want to get creative, it helps to get in touch with your Creator. That’s all I can say. That might be a bit controversial but for some ears, but that’s what works for me. I don’t get on my knees and say “God, give me another book!” Elizabeth: “Give me a bestseller or a …” Patrick: “Give me a bestseller!” What I actually do is I surrender my agenda. Elizabeth: So ego is left aside. Patrick: Ego is left aside, and any preconceived ideas are left aside. So I’m not sitting there going “Give me inspiration”. I’m giving myself out, and saying “Take away”. Elizabeth: Use me, as a conduit. Patrick: “Use me”, and if that’s to be the best barista in Mornington, or go back to my cobbling beginnings, or elephant-washing beginnings, so be it. So most of – no, really all of – my flashes of inspiration you could say… There’s that great poem by Rumi, Listening, where he says, “When that voice speaks, may I sell my tongue and buy a thousand ears.” So when I’m hearing that voice, that is always followed by a period of prayerfulness or meditation which just opens up that creativity. Sounds easy. I know when I hear that voice, and I sell my tongue, I know that there’s a double emotion. Joy, and dread. Because I know that I’m in for some hard work. Elizabeth: ‘Cause writing can be hard work, can’t it. And the discipline that’s required – and you know you may not particularly feel like writing that day – but you have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Patrick: Yes, so back to the question, which was “How do we keep going?” How do we start? For me, I don’t really start until I’ve heard the voice, I’ve heard that voice, I’ve heard that spark of inspiration. How do I keep going? I know that I won’t have peace until it’s done. So I’m listening to that voice but I also know that it’s a collaboration after that. So I’m seeking opportunities to get it on paper or get it onto the computer. And they are taken in the busyness of my life with 3 young kids and a fulltime job as a physio. I have to be creative just to find that time. So often it’s my wonderful patients – patient patients – lying on the physio plinth – and I’ll just seek an opportunity to say, “Now that you’ve got all those needles all over you, there’s no way to run out of here. Would you mind listening to my latest? What do you think of it?” Elizabeth: Do they come back for another appointment after that, Patrick? Patrick: Normally they do. I don’t think I’ve managed to scare anyone off yet. Elizabeth: I might need to book for a session. Do I have to have a needle? Patrick: Not always, but it does – has that influence on my clinical judgment. Might be, if I’m honest. But I call it ‘bibliotherapy’. That works well, so I’m looking for opportunity. Sometimes I’ll pull the car over and send myself a text message for a sentence. Or middle of the night, off to the computer, or scribbling in bed on a bit of paper. I don’t have a routine about how to get these things down. Elizabeth: 2 a.m. is a common time for me to receive a sentence too. Patrick: In the shower can be a good place – you can scratch it into the wall, into the mist, write it down, whatever it is. But I’m in the posture of seeking the opportunity to find that time to write that down once I’ve heard that voice. Elizabeth: Can we talk about your work – who you work with, the wonderful men and women that you care for? Can we talk about that? Patrick: Yes, so 2 days a week, I work at the medical centre at Victoria Barracks, which is a service based in Melbourne. They are wonderful, so when I first started working for the military, I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about war and the work of the military. Elizabeth: In what way? Patrick: I’d been a bit of a hippie, a bit of a peace lover, a bit biased against the war machine, or whether it’s a valuable service that the Army and Navy and Air Force offer. And then you get to meet these people and hear their stories. Elizabeth: Amazing. Patrick: Amazing, the sacrifice made. I see the plague of PTSD is becoming more public or known as an extension of the epidemic of general mental health problems in the world. As a physio you get a front row seat really, and you get the rare – it’s a real privilege to offer probably two of the greatest needs of the human being: to be heard and understood, and to be touched. Elizabeth: Yes. Beautiful. Patrick: To be touched. There aren’t many mainstream medical professionals that offer both. So as a physio you’re in a really good place and space to offer that service and in that way to gather stories. So in that way it does feed into the other half of my career, which is becoming more than half really, the writing side of things, and the gathering of stories from the confessional plinth is part of that, and the sharing of stories is part of that. Elizabeth: They’re exceptionally lucky to have you. Patrick: Goes both ways. Elizabeth: You’ve had wonderful success with your book sales. What does success mean to you? Patrick: About three bucks fifty? (Laughter) So I remember when my amazing editor and publisher Margrete Lamond sat me down – we met face to face for the first time – she’s based in New South Wales – one of her first pieces of advice was “Don’t give up your day job!” Elizabeth: I’ve had the same advice before. Patrick: So in terms of success it’s been humbling and mind-blowing to think that That’s What Wings Are For – my first book – has cracked the magical 10,000 books sold in Australia within 6 months. Elizabeth: Wow. Congratulations. That’s wonderful. Patrick: So now we’re into our second year of sales. I’m not sure where we’re up to now, but has been picked up internationally and translated internationally to Chinese and Korean and several other languages. What does it mean to me? It means that – it gives me a voice, a chance to talk to your lovely self, and to visit schools. I love that side of being a writer. Most writers are more comfortable in a darkened room tapping away. To my surprise, I was a very reluctant public speaker but I absolutely love going out to the schools. On Wednesday, I had a full school assembly, hundreds of kids there, and the audience and ability to speak and share… Elizabeth: ‘Cause you make that fun, don’t you. We’re just going back to The Ricker Racker Club for a moment, and can we know how you make that fun for the kids? ‘Cause the parents listening there would be really interested – we know we’re there to do hard work but school can be fun as well. So how do you make it fun for them, Patrick? Patrick: Well, The Ricker Racker Club – I invite everyone to join this very exclusive club, The Ricker Racker Club, IF they pass the test. So I read the story, but along the way we pause and issue challenges to the members of the audience to come up on behalf of the whole school, see if they can pass this test. So we follow the story. And one of the characters is Max, and in the first week he sticks his head into the fox’s hole. So I make up a little fox’s hole, and find a willing kid to stick his head into this fox’s hole. The whole school are counting 20 seconds and I bring out this little stuffed fox. So the poor kid doesn’t know I’m tiptoeing up behind him and “Raaaahhh!” Elizabeth: (Laughter) Do you get a lot of screams? Patrick: We get a few of those, and then the villain of the book is this wolf next door, which is based on a great German Shepherd that lived next door to me, and I have the scar to prove, the moment the basketball flew over the fence. I rescued the basketball – and Chance (the dog’s name was Chance) – got me. And so the wolf next door – it would normally have a wolf suit – and it’s normally the PE teacher who dresses up as a wolf. Elizabeth: Would you go to our school? They’d love you. Patrick: I’d love to. Elizabeth: Ours is a service school, so you’ll like it. Ours is a service school, so we have a lot of service families that go to... Nice connection for you. Patrick: I’d love to come out. Absolutely. So the kids build up and up and at the end, “Who wants to join this club?” “Yeah!” “Who wants to learn the secret password?” “Yeah!” So I force it down a little and say, “Unfortunately you haven’t done quite enough yet.” Elizabeth: (Laughter) Oh my, the kids will go “Oh what?” Patrick: So it’s a case of “Do not put up your hand, do not raise your hand, unless you are extremely brave.” All the hands go up. “I mean it, I’m warning you now – extremely brave.” Elizabeth: What age group are we looking at, with the hands going up? Patrick: Prep, all the way to 6. Elizabeth: The whole school, wow. Patrick: At this point, some of the Grade 6s I can tell – folded their arms; it’s a bit babyish for them. So picture it: I do target them a bit at this point. So I’ll normally look for the guy who’s lost interest – the kid can be too cool for school here. And I’ll grab this fellow and bring him up. “So on behalf of the school, let’s talk about Courage. Courage comes in many forms. You’ve already demonstrated Courage by standing up in front of the whole school. But Courage comes in many forms. The courage to make a mistake when you know it’s going to get you in trouble. You’re scared of something. And then there’s taste buds. So we go back to Week 3, if you were listening, what did Zack do in Week 3?” And he’ll say “I’m sorry, I can’t remember.” Again in a loud voice, “What did Zack do in Week 3?” And you get the book out again: Zack drank a tomato sauce milkshake. At this point I’m standing behind him with milk, and then I bring out the tomato sauce. And what’s he do now? At this point he’s shaking his head ‘no’. And the school have already started the chant without encouragement: “Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!” So I make this milkshake, this foaming tomato sauce milkshake… Elizabeth: Oh no. Patrick: And I pause again and say “Unfortunately my friend, Zack did that for one person. You’re doing it for 700 people right now. That’s not enough. So I look around – I shop for the largest Brussel sprout I can find. And I bring out this Brussel sprout, drop it into the tomato sauce milkshake, and present it to this fellow. Elizabeth: Poor kid. Patrick: The poor kid. Originally, I used this – it occurred to me that this is peer group pressure of the highest order. So I now use this as an opportunity for this poor unfortunate kid to – they’re saying no at this point – I really esteem that courage. I say “Look, you have done something extraordinarily brave. Everyone here at some point is going to face a baying crowd of people saying ‘Drink! Drink!’ or whatever. Elizabeth: That’s so clever, Patrick. Patrick: And to say no in the face of that, is true Courage. So I give him a round of applause and he sits down. “Now who wants to be a legend?” (Laughter) So someone else comes up. Or I’ll turn it into the “What would the kind person do now?” Or even better. “Maybe there’s a teacher in the audience…” Elizabeth: So what I’ll do is I’ll leave it there, because if the school listens to that one they won’t book you. I will leave them in suspense. When I first read That’s What Wings Are For, I was sitting in a coffee shop, with tears rolling down my cheeks. The other patrons respectfully averted their eyes. And you know you’ve found a great book when so much emotion is ... Can you please tell us about your inspiration for That’s What Wings Are For? Patrick: So That’s What Wings Are For … Maybe I can mention one of my favourite poems of all time, which is The Hound of Heaven. The Hound of Heaven, for those who don’t know, written more than a hundred years ago by a homeless opium addict in London, Francis Thompson. So he was asking the big question: how could a loving God allow such suffering in the world, and particularly in his own life? And the penny starts to drop about halfway through. He says maybe, just maybe, You allow us in Your love to burn and burn until we become charcoal, and You pick us up and You create Your masterpiece. So That’s What Wings Are For – I’m not calling it a masterpiece – it certainly came from a burning charcoal in process. And that process was the great sadness in my life. My son Noah has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which is a devastating condition that involves the wasting of muscles. And the heart’s a muscle, and it’s a devastating disease. So in light of that I was asked to write a book about a certain blue dragon Bluey, who is the mascot for all the families affected by this devastating disease. So I was working on another book at the time, and I was asked to write this book. And I jumped at the chance, but I also knew there was a heavy responsibility writing that. So really you can look globally at that and look at the whole community impacted by that, but really it was a love letter from a father to a son. Elizabeth: Beautiful. Patrick: And that’s how it was written, and that is something I do say when I go out to the schools. You’ve heard Ricker Racker – it’s quite a boisterous, joyous occasion. When I go out to talk about That’s What Wings Are For, I basically start off in a fun way, and then I bring it back sharply and I say, I bring out Bluey, the actual mascot, a blue plush teddy, and I say “I actually met Bluey on the worst day of my life.” And to have a school go from being quite boisterous, and the teachers go “Shh! Shh! Shh!” to your pin drop in one sentence… Elizabeth: Wow, that’s powerful. Patrick: They get it. They get it. From the preppies all the way up to the Grade 6s, they get it, and there’s a real reverence suddenly about the book and why it was written. And then I explain what’s happened from there and we go from there. I still struggle to read it without crying, but they are tears of – what will I say - I heard this line yesterday – “what we sow with tears, we reap with shouts of joy”. And there’s something joyous – it’s bigger than me, this thing. It’s bigger than me. Elizabeth: What you’ve created is magnificent. Patrick: Thank you. Elizabeth: You’re welcome. You mentioned in an interview that 80% of That’s What Wings Are For was written over breakfast with your family, and then one sentence that brought tears to your eyes took you 3 months to write. Can you please share that sentence with my listeners and what it was that finally led you to discover the sentence that made you cry? Patrick: What it was was my incredible ego. I just – it went to my head. The idea of being a published author and all this went absolutely to my head. Elizabeth: Well you are only human after all. (Laughter) Patrick: Well, I’m sitting back there, I’m imagining red carpets, imagining walking up the stairs. It was shocking! And here I am, I’ve written a book for my sick kid, and my ego’s having a field day. At this point I hadn’t even had the manuscript finished… Elizabeth: You were strutting around… Patrick: It was appalling. I’m embarrassed about it, at the way I was carrying on in my head anyway. So we needed – Bluey needed a reason to be doing what he did ultimately, which is find a reason for his wings. And I was trying all these sentences about sending him off to Margrete, and very gently and respectfully she would be saying “That is rubbish.” (Laughter) Elizabeth: Thanks Margrete. She just knew there was more to you – she knows how deep you are. Patrick: She knew how to push the buttons and what’s right. And equally my wife Lisa as well. And more so my wife Lisa, she has a great ability to tell me when I’m writing something that’s rubbish - and good as well. Elizabeth: Good. Patrick: So the to-ing and fro-ing went on for months. And then I had this moment of “You complete goose! What are you doing?” And certainly at that moment I decided that every cent from this book would be given to charity, which it always should have been anyway, and I made that decision, and entered some prayer and reflection, and within really minutes of making that decision – within minutes – I was given this sentence. And I have to set the context of that time. And at the time we had a crudely termed … we called it a ‘year of adventure’ – you could call it a bucket list, and we were doing all sorts of things around the world. So the sentence – Bluey was coming back from the Royal Children’s Hospital. It was broadened to be a magical building filled with magical creatures with all sorts of ailments. So at that moment when Bluey looks out, and when I’m reading the story to the school, I’ll have people close their eyes and put their hands on their hearts, and feel. Elizabeth: Which I’m going to do now. Patrick: And if you keep feeling, you’ll feel something. You may not feel it straightaway, but if you keep trying, you’ll get there. You’ll feel something warm and fuzzy. And that feeling has a name; it has lots of names. Kindness, and hope, and love, and what happens – and at this moment, Bluey looks across, and I share this sentence: “Bluey saw the boy’s soft, floppy legs, and at that moment, something happened in Bluey’s heart. He stopped for that moment thinking so much about his own situation, and he looked inward. He looked out, and saw this boy sharing a similar path. That word ‘empathy’. That changed everything for Bluey; it helped him work out what his wings were for.” So we go on from there. Elizabeth: Beautiful. That compassion for another person. The author-illustrator relationship is such a pivotal one. Can you describe what is important to you in such a relationship? Patrick: Respect, and trust, and space. So ‘let there be space in your togetherness’. Certainly for the first two books – the first one, Daniella Germain, extraordinary talent. And then the same with Nathanial Eckstrom, rising superstar of the illustration world. So first book, I had no contact at all with Daniella until after all the illustrations were done. Had no input into the illustrations at all. So in terms of relationship, it’s one of trust. Slightly different with the second book – some feedback. Poor Nathanial, I saw his amazing illustrations, but – and it was amazing that he managed to draw my 3 kids without having seen a photo of them, quite accurately – except for Gracie wears glasses. And I just politely asked whether he might pop glasses on Poppy (Gracie is named Poppy in the book). So he went back and put glasses on. Then I had a look at that and thought, “No. Makes her look too old now. Can you take the glasses off?” So that was a bit of a diva moment for me, I suppose. But other than that it really is letting go and not being too precious and trusting in the selection of the illustrator – that’s up to the publisher – and I trust Margrete to make that decision, and she hasn’t failed me yet. I know how she is with me with the words, and she’s that way again with the illustrator. Elizabeth: What a wonderful person to find! Patrick: She is great, she’s fantastic. Elizabeth: What are you working on at the moment? Patrick: Well, the undercurrent to all the picture books that have been picked up in the last couple of years has been a novel for children called The Last Secret of Ernie Pigwinkle, and I’ve been working on the story for more than 10 years. And it comes and goes, and then another idea overrides that. But I keep coming back to The Last Secret of Ernie Pigwinkle. That is lying dormant again, but I know I will go back to that, so there’s always that in the background. That story is the story of an old man who loves to tell stories. And he has this great secret. Great secret, that he's burning with this secret, to share it with his grandson Arthur. Long story short, he gets invited to the World Storytelling Competition in Marrakesh, Morocco, up against the greats of storytelling. Professor Chinwag from China, Lord Blabbermouth from England. I won’t give too much away, but he makes it to the final and he tells this great secret, but the secret is revealed slowly as the story goes along. Elizabeth: Suspense right through… Patrick: Right through. It has been a lot of hard work, also joy, and I have a sense that one day it will happen. I’ve also recently finished another picture book manuscript that is very, very dear to my heart, called Tiny Dancer. Elizabeth: The Elton John song. Patrick: The Elton John song, so hopefully Sir Elton will approve, and that’s really dear to my heart, and I’m in an acquisitions meeting on that one. And we’re in the process of illustrating and that process does involve some word changes. My next release which will be next year, I thought that was going to be a book called The Second Sky. It sounds like – based on this week’s emails – it sounds like it will be called Rabby the Brave. Elizabeth: You’re just prolific – you’re pounding on aren’t you, one after the other. Patrick: Look, it’s been a blessed couple of years. There’s been a very rich vein of inspiration and creativity that’s happening at the moment. Really grateful. Elizabeth: We’re very, very pleased too, I must say. Can’t wait to read them. What do you like to do in your spare time to unwind from all this work you’re doing – the physio work with the military, your family, and all this wonderful writing you’re doing? What do you do to unwind? Patrick: I’m clinging to my childhood in terms of chasing a bouncy ball around. I still play basketball. There’s a competition going on in Victoria Barracks actually, so at the ripe old age of 45, I’m taking on the burly soldiers, I’m taking on the burly soldiers in this basketball competition. Elizabeth: Well you have to keep up on being brave. (Laughter) Patrick: I love it. I must say I’m shamelessly, every goal I score – there aren’t many of them – I’m celebrating them like they could be my last. So there’s the fist pump and the whooping after every goal I score. And would you believe I’m still sort of – don’t let Lisa know but I’m still playing football. Full contact. There’s a wonderful competition – Reclink, midweek, battlers’ competition. You may have heard of the Choir of Hard Knocks – Reclink was spawned from it and there’s a football league for battlers, whether it be homeless refugees or people battling addiction. So we’ve set up a team in Frankston, and I’ve been the … Elizabeth: You are brave. (Laughter) Patrick: Madness, absolute madness. And so I’ve been the physio, the chaplain, the halfback flank and the water boy, whatever goes on, whatever’s needed for that team. And there’s just something primal about playing Australian Rules football that I just can’t let go of. And if I ever get the chance, I’ll go out surfing as well. Elizabeth: Isn’t it great to tap into that raw energy and just let yourself go? Patrick: It is. With surfing, it’s one of the few pastimes or sports where you spend 95% of the time staring at the horizon. So you get a chance to unwind – then it goes from the serenity to scrambling for your life. It’s great. Elizabeth: It’s a bit of a metaphor, isn’t it? Patrick: It’s great. Yes, so those are the 3 main things. Elizabeth: Do you want to remain in the children’s book genre? Patrick: Absolutely. Maybe one day a book for grownups, but certainly at the moment I’m loving – when you write a picture book, you are writing for grownups – you’re writing for two generations. Elizabeth: It’s that connection, I think, with parent-child. It’s so special. And you both learn so much when you’re reading together. Patrick: Absolutely. And I’ve been trying to make the transition from picture books into early readers, and I’ve found that quite hard. I might have to leapfrog that and go into older early readers. Because to go from a picture book to an early reader is – you got to dumb it down. You really have to dumb it down. That’s a crude way of saying it, but you do. There are certain concepts you have to avoid, and using poetry or metaphors is a bit more tricky. So maybe that’s not for me, that niche. So certainly The Last Secret of Ernie Pigwinkle is for an older reader, an older young reader. And then the picture books as well. I might stick to those, to genres within the broader children’s book genre for now. We’ll see what happens after. Elizabeth: You’re so insightful. Because you haven’t actually studied Creative Writing or completed a formal uni degree in writing, and yet your knowledge is so vast. Is you’re your intuition at play again, do you think? Patrick: Not sure. I think it’s a blessing. Don’t want to use the word ‘gift’, but I think it’s nothing to be proud of if it’s a gift. Elizabeth: I really have to disagree, because so many people are given, receive gifts, it’s then what you do with that gift. And so many people do not do anything with what they’ve been blessed with. I do think you can claim that proudly and whoop, like on a footy field. (Laughter) Patrick: Maybe. I do love whooping when there’s a sense of victory, a sense of accomplishment – once you finish that manuscript, submit to send, and you know it’s off, and have such a beautiful relationship with Margrete. I should mention Alyson O’Brien, who is also with Little Hare – I’m increasingly involved with her. I know that they will read it and give it the full attention and get back to me quite quickly, so that agonizing wait has been reduced to, in some cases, a few hours now, which is great. Elizabeth: It’s cause you’re so clever, and they know it. Do you have a website or blog, Patrick, that my listeners can go to find out more about your wonderful work? Patrick: Yes, there’s a shiny new website, “Patrick Guest dot com dot au”. I know nothing about the technical side of websites, and a great friend of mine, Jeffrey County, has helped set that up, and it’s sparkling. Elizabeth: Aren’t tech people great? I’m not one of those. Patrick: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. There’s no way I could do that. So that’s up and running now, so there’s opportunity to email me and contact me through that. Happy to do that. Elizabeth: Patrick, this is a signature question that I ask all my guests. What do you wish for, for the world, and most importantly, for yourself? Patrick: That’s a big one. Look, the first thing that springs to mind is a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Elizabeth: I’m with you. Patrick: That would be the first thing. But if I thought more about it, more broadly… Maybe I could go back to Ernie Pigwinkle, The Last Secret of Ernie Pigwinkle. So I’ll give away a little bit, so we get to the end of the story. We’re at the World Storytelling Championships, so Ernie, this old man from Ballarat, has made the final and won, thanks to his grandson. So the secret starts off as “Do you know why dogs wag their tails?” We move on from there to “Why dogs and cats fight – the origins of war”. Then he finishes with a little song, a little poem he says to the world: It’s a war that’s continued to this very day. It’s a shame that Dog and Cat couldn’t think of a way To listen and learn and be understood, And love one another as all of us could. You don’t have to carry on like a dog or a cat. You’re not a baboon or as blind as a bat. There’s a heart in your chest and a brain in your head. So before you lose faith, hold on instead. Hold on to your faith in the goodness of others. Never give up on your sisters and brothers. You’ll see for yourself, as sure as the sun, That there’s something worth loving in everyone. He says that. Elizabeth: I need a box of tissues. [Laughter] Oh Patrick, my goodness, that’s so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. Patrick: That’s the world premiere of The Last Secret of Ernie Pigwinkle and… Elizabeth: What a coup on Writers’ Tête-à-tête with Elizabeth Harris. Wow, Patrick! Superb. Patrick Guest, thank you so much for joining me on “Writers Tete-a-Tete with Elizabeth Harris”. We look forward to more of your stunning work. I totally agree with you: hugging is what wings are for. Thanks for tuning in everyone, and may your wishes come true. [END OF TRANSCRIPT]

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