Pop-Up Publishing.....

Update. The lady who won my "competition" never sent me address details for the Box Flower.
Out of desparation, I have expanded the idea of dealing with unfinished novels, word scraps and jottings and am planning a Pop- Up publishing stint at the Write Around The Murray Festival in September.
They have asked me for a publicity blurb, but that wouldn't be very pop-up of me. Would it.
I'm from the bush.
I read about these things on the internet but I've never very sure about the rules.
So.
I'll be bringing all my bits and pieces and "off-cuts" from the writing process to a table on the friday night poetry event at The G in Thurgoona (9 September from 7.30, free), and to the Albury Library Museum on the saturday of the festival (11September from 10am- 2pm).
I'll also bring safety pins, gaffa tape, PVA glue and scissors. (Me old punk me)
I will sit right down and make sculptures, badges, signs, anything out of the materials to hand.
Writers and makers of any age and stage are invited to join me and join the process.
See your writing walk away into the festival, and out into Albury.
All products may be bought, for a donation.
Just what is writing worth these days?
I'll also be selling copies of an acutal, really truly published book that I nearly but didn't write: The Casuals, By Sally Breen, published by Harper Collins. We had a go at writing it in collaboration (like the authors of Puberty Blues) and we even went to Stradbroke Island on a writer's retreat. Sally got to work with her biro and a big A4 notepad. I drew unrelated cartoons on some stickers. These stickers will be on-sale at the festival too.
See you there! xxx Charlotte

Winging Away

The order came through and the first Box Flower, containing an excerpt about a road trip to Queensland in the late 1990's, flew away to my friend in Glebe.

Since then, I have set up an online artwork store - www.bbsteel.bigcartel.com

Despite being my most viewed product, no more Box Flowers have been sold. 

I also started a facebook arts group  in April, and offered a Box Flower to creatives brave enough to post and go into a draw.  The winner was Gypsy Rose Moon, a performance artist with a true burlesque background. I've wanted to have a cup of tea with this marvellous woman for about ten years now. I wonder if the planets will align....and I also wonder which excerpt will be just right for her.   Time to return to that manuscript.

second edition

Some months ago, my friend requested a Box Flower for her sideboard.  This was problematic for me, given that I had resolutely trashed the first manuscript and denied exhibition rights to one of Albury's major cultural institutions.  I knew just the excerpt for her - one about a journey back in time through Queensand. The Queenslander in exile is always going back.  I did an edit and a mock up, but still wasn't happy.  In October this year, I returned to Japan, put some ghosts to bed and re-connected with  people and place.  I got good, archive quality paper for Christmas, which was supposed to be for letter writing. It folds and holds well and is easy to print on.  My friend's flower is ready and I have notified her. I am waiting for a reply.  In the meantime, the rest of the mauscript is up for sale at $25.00 a flower, with excerpts customised to order, until the whole thing is "re-drafted". We shall see. We shall see.