Here is a short, and strategically limited list of things that I love: hand-written letters, wine, Twin Peaks, and non-pretentious celebrations of creativity. You’d almost think I was talking about People of Letters at MONA on Monday night, wouldn’t you?
Well, do I have a surprise for you.
This was mine, and Tasmania’s first experience of the admirable series Women of Letters: a project devoted to the art of letter writing, in which, on certain literary afternoons, creatives are invited to share their letters with the public. The subjects of the letters are as diverse as the recipients themselves (beer, Mariah Carey, dead mothers, speech therapists, and windscreen wipers to name a few).
This time things were done a little differently. The afternoon was over. Instead, the moon was busy sliding over MONA’s metallic curves. Women of Letters became People of Letters, and the usually female troupe was joined by writer and comedian Michael Veitch, acclaimed Musician Paul Dempsey, and Singer/Song-Writer Pinky Beecroft. On the other side of the gender game was Vogel winner Danielle Wood, playwright Lally Katz, and composer Maria Grenfell. Co-curator Michaela McGuire played excellent host to the topic: “A Letter to the Thing I Wish I’d Written”.
With a panel of composers, comedians, authors, playwrights and musicians, the style and tone of the letters were as diverse as their readers’ professions. One thing in common, however, was the unsuspecting humour and poignancy in their confessions and ruminations. If you missed the event, here’s a glimpse into the topics up for discussion:
Wood’s letter to parenthood and creativity was poetic, rich and honest, diving between observation (young girls and their curious, cruel fingers) and imaginings: “I sometimes wonder if unborn children and unborn novels speak to each other in the hinterland of imagination”.
Beecroft’s letter to the Holy Bible was expectedly hilarious, with descriptions of the Bible being “weirder than the collected hits of Prince”, “Harry Potter in the hands of a decent writer”, and “having so many sentences starting with “And”, which even as a 3 year old, I knew was wrong” had the room erupting in smiles and raucous splutter.
Grenfell inspired with her letter of travel, dedication to composition, and secret admiration for film scores. Veitch had us cringing in remembrance of the “utterly joyous or totally agonizing” days of late 1980s Australian TV sketches. Paul Dempsey confronted his fascination with an ageing piece of graffiti in Melbourne stating: “I Mean What Year Is It Anyway?”, which roused great pathos and chuckling, mastering the broom sweep of all emotional states.
A stand out subject for me was Katz’s letter to Laura Palmer’s Diary. As a die-hard fan of the early 1990s’s serial drama Twin Peaks, her adolescent obsession with the dead protagonist Laura Palmer was something I could, a little ashamedly, relate to. As Katz put it: “I used to aspire to be a dead seventeen year old”. Katz’s lively letter-writing style was confessional, honest and incredibly funny. Her portrayal of teenage idols, a search for identity through unconventional methods, guilt, and depictions of family were simultaneously heartbreaking and warming. I’ve been itching to get my hands on one of her scripts ever since.
Women (and People) of Letters sessions are fabulous for that—introducing the audience to new talent, and in such a personal, irregular way. It is a shame there was not more audience participation at the end. But if they were anything like me, they can be dismissed for feeling overwhelmed by the positive, nurturing sentiment of the evening. To finish it all off, pens and stamped aerogrammes were provided for the audience to engage in their own letter writing. Co-curator Marieke Hardy collected the stories and secrets at the door, to be posted on their behalf.
You can probably tell by my increasingly fuzzy tone that Women of Letters is an event I highly recommend. And what makes it better is that McGuire and Hardy’s project is a fundraising effort for the not for profit animal rescue shelter, Edgar’s Mission. Have a look see here: http://www.edgarsmission.org.au.
It’s always wonderful to see predominantly mainland events brave the Bass Strait. The next event I’m looking forward to is the Hobart leg of the Emerging Writer’s Fest at the end of October. The first announced event takes place once again at the Eros and Thanatos room at MONA. Those guys, huh? Keep your eye on the Emerging Writers’ Festival site for more information http://www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au/event-detail/digital-writers-conference-early-bird-tickets/.
On closing: write a letter. It doesn’t have to be to anyone or anything that could ever realistically receive your scribblings. In fact, a letter to the fantastical can be the highest of fun. It’s enriching, great practice, and surprisingly therapeutic. And considering the popularity of Women of Letters, you know they must be on to something good.
Bookmark their website here: http://womenofletters.com.au/
Read more from Neika Lehman
Photos credited to Liam James