I recently stumbled across Shortlist’s 50 coolest books ever. The site doesn’t explicitly define ‘cool’ but from the titles listed, I’m going to say the ‘cool’ books are those seen as smart, literary and a little bit edgy. They’re the books you tuck under your arm and read conspicuously in hipster cafes. They are books…
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Channel Ten’s new political drama Party Tricks opens with an uncomfortably familiar scenario: a public controversy surrounding comments made about a female politician who doesn’t have children. In this case, though, it wasn’t former Prime Minister Julia Gillard they were talking about— it was Kate Ballard, the fictional Premier of Victoria played by Asher Keddie…
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The Magic Hour is a one-woman show about fairy tales like you’ve never seen before. Written by Australian playwright Vanessa Bates , directed by Chris Bendall and starring widely acclaimed actress Ursula Yovich, the play was initially produced by Deckchair Theatre Company in Fremantle in 2010. Now, in 2014, theatre company, Performing Lines, is…
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I once had a lecturer who remembered attending a symposium on feminist art history in the 1980s, just after Griselda Pollock’s landmark text Vision and Difference: Feminism, Femininity and Histories of Art had been published. Pollock had attended this particular symposium, along with other prominent feminist art historians, artists and critics. Summing up…
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When imagining horror films, one might typically think of blood, guts and a whole lot of gratuitous screaming. These are often staples of the genre, but horror can do so much more than make its audience squirm. It can draw upon real issues in our society, bringing them to life in the most confronting of…
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In honour of the imminent release of Wes Anderson’s newie, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Jade Bate has chucked together a list of the best characters out of all the auteur’s films. Prepare for an education! 10. Dignan (Owen Wilson) – Bottle Rocket In Wes Anderson’s 1996 feature debut, Bottle Rocket, three friends attempt to pull…
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As the Logies nominations for 2014 were released last Monday, I could almost hear the collective scorn with which these awards are often received boiling up in anticipation of the awards night itself. But, I have a confession to make: I watch the Logies every year. Although I try to pass myself off as a…
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Checking my email one night, I came across a Kickstarter project that sounded awesome. Showing it to my partner, I said, ‘Doesn’t it sound great? A documentary about the untold history of women in comics. Creators, writers, illustrators, fans, the whole lot.’ My partner’s reply: ‘There are women in comics?’ This exchange is an example of…
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Striborg When attending festivals of any sort, I find it’s always important to remind yourself to keep high expectations in check. It’s really easy to fall into hyper-criticality when you’ve payed a lot of money or travelled a long way to attend a curated event. This is especially when that event is MONA FOMA, which…
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Iran is ditching free condoms and government-backed vasectomies in an effort to address the country’s aging population and low birth rates. For two decades the nation has successfully lowered their birth rate. But larger families are now being preached in an effort to promote a baby boom. The Iranian government are even offering gold coins…
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Name: Katie Rose Age: 20 Hometown: Fairfax, VA Occupation: Student and gym employee Describe yourself in one word: Resilient What is your feminist philosophy? To help others understand the importance of feminism through their own lived experiences of oppression and by listening to the experiences of others. Talking about these issues and creating an ongoing…
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In this six-part series, Kiah Meadows takes a look at the relationship between famous directors and their muses throughout Hollywood’s history. For this article, we’re looking at a relationship of muse and artist, of mentor and mentee, but not of romantic interest. The voice behind and the face of the 1980s: John Hughes and…
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When Christmas rolls around each year, my mind inevitably drifts to a magical place of woolly reindeer jumpers, lavish office parties, Death Cab for Cutie, Chinese food and a good dose of family drama… a place known, of course, as The O.C.. Is there a better television show to revisit at Christmas? I think not….
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2013 produced some great music, which saw us crooning along, dancing up a storm or feeling inspired. Here’s Lip’s songs of the year! Applause – Lady Gaga ‘Not only is her music great, her video clips are a visual buffet!’ – Yalei Wang, Lip Writer Don’t Save Me – Haim ‘To me, this song is…
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