All the stories I have ever heard,
stand silent in the space beside me.

—Ali Cobby Eckermann

(from Black Deaths in Custody).

◯

 

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Listen.

FEATURED SONG

If You Call  - Angie McMahon feat. Leif Vollebekk

New music from Melbourne singer-songwriter Angie McMahon, old music from Mazzy Star and John Prine and other stuff you probably forgot about (but should listen to).

This playlist is for everyone dreaming of the road. Step fourth →

 

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Think.

What are you up to on the evening of this Thursday 21 May? How about watching poetry readings from some of the country’s finest First Nations poets, straight from their homes to yours? The Wheeler Centre presents Fire Front: First Nations Poetry and Power Today, a special online showcase of First Nations poetry featuring Ali Cobby Eckermann, Evelyn Araluen and Tony Birch.

6.15pm-7.30pm Thursday here →

 

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Feel.

“This piece is a musical representation of the amino acid sequence and structure of the spike protein of the pathogen of COVID-19, 2019-nCoV.” 

- Markus J. Buehler 

Ever wondered what the coronavirus sounds like if scientists gave each amino acid in the protein chain a unique note? Neither had we, but it’s been done at MIT using new technology called sonification. Ironically, it sounds quite peaceful. Please sanitise your hands and headphones before listening. 

 

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Wonder.

“I see plants as a metaphor for lots of things … gardens are a living picture.”
- Piet Oudolf

We’re missing public gardens and national parks, so here’s a virtual tour of Piet Oudolf’s private garden at his home in The Netherlands (also the cover shot of this fortnight's Zine). In many respects, the master gardener has changed the way we think about native perennial grasslands and is the pioneer behind the “new wave naturalism” movement. This video is part of the Great Gardens series by Nowness, so if you enjoy this tour, there’s plenty more gardens to check out. 

Above: Millenium Garden at the Pensthorpe “Natural” Park in the UK by Piet Oudolf. 

 

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Extra bits.

A good cause: 
Quarterly magazine Gippslandia and GERF (Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund) have teamed up for their “meaningful post” campaign to help East Gippsland rebuild in the aftermath of our horrific bushfires. The message is simple and effective - you pay for as many fence posts as you like ($5 each) and they’ll deliver them to people in need. GERF were exceptional in getting money and support out quickly immediately following the bushfires, and this is another intentional and well-timed initiative. You can trust us on this one, we’ve done our research.

Donate a post or two.

 

A good new podcast series:

Buckle up. The New York Times takes you down a very deep rabbit hole into how the internet is changing, and how it’s changing us.

Check it out. 

 

A good book by a better gardener: 

Landscaped in Landscapes, by Piet Oudolf. 

 

 

___The end.