A Guide to Mildura by Rachel Matheson Murphy

Memoirs from the Mildura Writers Festival

July 12, 2017 - Wednesday 

As I arrived in Mildura, I felt a state of nervousness and wonder. It had been many years since I was last in Mildura, and I was surprised at the beauty of Mildura and the Mallee region. Having never been to a writer’s festival, and neither classifying myself as a writer, I had no idea of what to expect.

Checking into our accommodation, I reflected on the drive. I remembered the peculiar feeling that I experienced whilst looking out the window as Amanda was driving. I felt as if I was standing on the very edge of the horizon, with nothing to see but land and sky. I felt as if I were a world away from Bendigo, and my heart was lifted. I wanted to experience something new and hoped that this would quiet the ever-growing travel bug within me, at least for a little while.

July 13, 2017 - Thursday

I’m so glad that we had full day to get prepared for the Festival in class and organise what each group would be doing for their blog. All my fears are at rest now, and I feel confident that I will now make it through the weekend. I was astounded to see that were 40 writers in action. I thought there would only be a few of us. Although all those I did meet seemed lovely.

Amanda and I had lunch at The Brewery with three of the students from Mildura. My goodness, the loaded fries were amazing! Although not much could have beaten the loaded fries in awesomeness, somehow the company did.

My favourite session from the day was Finding Your Voice. We did an exercise where we all closed our eyes and tuned into our inner voice. Then upon opening our eyes, we had to carry that voice onto paper and just write what came to mind. As Sue Gillett said, “the initial thought of writing and feeling like we have nothing to say, is often what makes so many people think they cannot write”. After this exercise, I began to grow more confident. I’m beginning to think that even though I may not consider myself a writer, perhaps this weekend, I could be.  

July 14, 2017 - Friday

Take note – when in a new town and you need to be somewhere on time – always, and I mean always – leave 15 minutes earlier than you think you need to! Arriving 15 minutes late to the second session of the Festival, in heeled boots and then having to walk across floor boards to the front the Museum of Innocence, whilst three distinguished writers were talking, is not how you want to arrive – trust me! After doing the initial “sorry, sorry, sorry” as I made my way to my seat, I got over my embarrassment and began to settle in for the day.

Why We Write with poets, Peter Boyle, Stephen Edgar, and Natalie Harkin was the most inspiring session. I was moved by Peter Boyle’s vulnerability and openness as he spoke about his poetry and the reason why he writes. He said that poetry for him “is a way to think though human questions” and that “beauty is tangled up with tough stuff, and that writing about it enables us to keep going”.

I was so touched by this and his readings, that I decided to purchase his latest book Ghostspeaking. I have only read a handful poems tonight, but I think I am already falling in love with poetry. Poetry is truly, as Natalie Harkin said, “a piece of art that is moving words”. I feel inspired to explore the world of poetry and hopefully discover more poems that I like. I might even try writing some myself. Although I am certainly going to keep clear of tragic love poems, like the one I wrote for a Year 11 assessment. I feel so sorry for Mrs. Baker for having to read about how I got “tangled in your web of lies” by my ex-boyfriend at the time.

July 15, 2017 - Saturday

I hit a wall this afternoon after trying to piece together my blog article in-between sessions, throughout the day. However, after taking my editor’s advice to sit out on the next session and get some fresh air, I went back to the last session feeling ready to keep going.  

Arriving back to the accommodation, I felt so fortunate and grateful for having the opportunity to attend the Mid Winter Feast earlier tonight. The food was delicious and the conversations I had with those around me were surreal. We had deep conversations about our lives, passions, and interests, which far beyond the typical conversations one usually has with people you just meet. The lady who sat across from me even drove me home.

Reflecting on this, I believe this is something unique to the Mildura Writers Festival. I believe the size of the Festival, the intimate locations, and the topics discussed by writers creates an atmosphere that inspires the people attending to seek out others and connect. The people that I meet tonight, touched my life and inspired me to seek deeper conversations with those around me.

July 16, 2017 - Sunday

Today a question that I have long pondered, was answered. This was the question of why so many artists, writers, musicians, and the like seem to always focus on hard, negative, or ugly topics.

Sitting here in my nice warm armchair after having arrived home tonight, I recall walking past an art exhibition when I was 16, that looked like animal body parts or fat had been put on display in illuminated jars of liquid. I realise now, that experience was when I first began to ponder this question.

After listening to Gail Jones and her lecture called All that howling space: reading and writing in explosive times, I no longer feel taunted by the image of illuminated animal fat.

Gail opened the lecture with this image of Holland House in 1940.

                                       Holland House, Kensington, London, 1940. Taken from booksforvictory.com

She said this image moved her, because it is “emblematic, and conveniently symbolic. But also, I confess it is a beautiful image. The fallen beams angled just so, the light pleasingly diffuse. Even the slight tilt of a hand from a man who had not yet chosen a book, his hands still in his pockets seem apposite and harmonious.” I realised then that she saw something more in this image, than I ever did.

The focus of the lecture was how we, as people and writers, understand the social dimension of reading and writing, and what it means to respond to the experience or an image of beauty within destruction, catastrophe, or ruin.

After she had finished, the light bulb came on and I learned the answer to my question. Artists and writers chose these topics as a way of coping with the overwhelming emotions that either they or others experience when faced with difficult and catastrophic events, and to also try to capture any beauty that may be entwined. A perfect example of this phenomenon, is in A House of Grief by Helen Garner, where a woman goes running back inside for towels for those who would be looking for the 3 drowned children in the dam.

Upon reflection, I have decided that even though I may not seek out art exhibitions like those I saw in Europe or ever chose to read Lolita, because of its subject matter, I do have a new understanding of creatives who chose difficult subjects.