Sara Hardy Writes

Edna Walling, the brilliant landscape designer, gardener and all round artist extraordinaire, worked very hard on her own and other people's gardens, yet she liked to remind us in her books and journalism that the primary function of said garden was to sit amongst it and enjoy it! Relax and read and dream or doze. Edna Walling also said that she most enjoyed Nature's own groupings, the more accidental the better. I was reminded of this this morning when looking at our clump of lilies - and noticing that a beautiful purple iris had presented herself to add to the display. I love these surprises. Edna Walling openly referred to herself as 'odd' or 'a misfit' in her time (1895-1973) - today I think she'd happily accept the word 'queer'. I have very interesting, indeed exciting news to tell in the near future about this extraordinary woman - and a certain feature film project ... watch this space! Oh, and while you're here, I've been told that th...

  There's a fabulous radio program on JOY Radio - Melbourne's wonderful LGBTQI+ local station - where writers of all types are interviewed every Saturday between 1 and 2 pm by members of a wonderful team pictured below. They really know their stuff and give great interview! I had the pleasure and honour of experiencing this first hand last week as I was interviewed by Loretta and Rob. I think it must be the most enjoyable and relaxed live radio conversation about 'me and my writing' that I've ever experienced. It really was a joy, and I highly recommend this program. Here's a link to listen; my bit starts about 8 minutes in and lasts 40 minutes. You can search the website for lots of fab interviews with wonderful writers, and download the podcasts:    https://joy.org.au/ takemetoyourreader/2023/09/03/ lesbian-playwright-biographer- and-novelist-sara-hardy-talks- about-her-early-life-coming- out-and-writing-in-different- genres-2nd-sept-2023/ Joy 94.9 FM

 Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO * By chance, I had the great pleasure to meet Deborah Cheetham Fraillon - an exceptional, wonderful, spirited Yorta Yorta woman. I think I may have gushed a bit, but she was very gracious. Deborah is an Aboriginal Australian soprano, composer, educator, actor, playwright, leader and advocate for all things Musical, Aboriginal and Queer(ical). We had a brief exchange as we played musical chairs at it were, I had just given an interview at local radio station 3MBS about my novel and she about to give an interview about The Australian Ballet's production of Identity 'The Hum' for which she composed the music. I saw the production a few days later. Deborah's music was extraordinary, in fact I closed my eyes at times just to concentrate on it. I've never heard anything quite like it - dramatic (a thunderous big drum beat to begin), lyrical, forceful, diverse... And, would you believe: fascinatingly, wonderfully, Deborah's wife, Nicolette...

  Two well-placed cherries and Miriam Margolyes has us in her sights, outrageously and wittily provocative as ever.  Who would have thought that British VOGUE would choose an 82 year old (in her own words:) 'fat old lesbian' as their featured celebrity for Pride Month? Is there nothing this wonderful woman cannot do?! She's achieving more and more as she ages. What an example. Apart from her impressive acting career, in the last few years she's produced a best selling memoir, and is currently working on a follow up book. Her TV travel documentaries are highly entertaining and provocative, every adventure spurred on by her fearless guiltless and at times very lewd honesty. What a lesbian icon to have in our midst. Brava! Oh Miriam! Stories from an Extraordinary Life   by Miriam Margolyes (John Murray Press) will be published on 14 September 2023. And watch the video: British Vogue presents 'In The Bag' with Miriam Margolyes - a must see revelation of the stuff sh...

International Lesbian Visibility Day is upon us, not that it's going to get much notice. This Day, and in some places Week, goes by without much fanfare unless you already have it in your calendar. I've been thinking about the concept of visibility  and lesbian and what that might mean in practical terms these days. How do we lesbians 'do' visibility when we're not doing Dykes-on-Bikes etc in the Mardi Gras Parade? When Australia's notorious and injurious 2017 Plebiscite on Gay Marriage/Same Sex Marriage worked up a head of furious indignation in certain "NO" quarters, I took to wearing a lesbian badge as a proud visible identifier - something I hadn't done since the 70s and 80s. As an older lesbian I don't really look like a lesbian any more - partly because, as an older woman I've become completely invisible - unless I start making a big fuss about something: at the drinks bar, in the queue, or just walking along the blasted footpath! I ...

  Doesn't matter what your background, it's happening more frequently to older women coping alone. : You're going along fairly fine, and then you trip over a mound of rotten luck, or some person does the nasty on you, or a catastrophic thing is inflicted upon your person and THUMP - down you go, the slide to the depths. Maybe you sink down slowly or maybe you fall head first, either way, the unthinkable happens: you're an older woman and you're homeless.  The above photo is of me - In the late 1970s I was a young lesbian living in London performing a 'Bag Lady' in a play which toured around schools. I was with a Theatre In Education company called Half Moon. On one distressing occasion when I was loitering in a school corridor before making my 'surprise' entrance, the school caretaker spotted me and attempted to escort me off the premises! I had based my character on Gladys, a real homeless woman who lived near me in a bombed out house (because there...

  This poem plays off Gertrude Stein's codes for making love with Alice B Toklas ('cow' and 'button'); it also gives a nod to Joelle Taylor's raunchy yet fragile depiction of dykes in bars. See book references at the end. The Tender Button Bar   - by Sara Hardy   Two wives walk into a bar Hand in hand     speaking their day with word play yoo hoo coo hoo woo hoo      tending their intention      with finger-press and word-caress                        understanding   * Bois boys girls girrls other other          highlight their faces and find their places      moving through the bar King of spades Queen of clubs Ring of diamonds Jack of all trades          bruise or amuse   a...