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| leoniestevens |
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now in stores |
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theremarkable
missjuliamerton |
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Dreamers, dandies and dangerous cads ... Julia Merton navigates them all in her quest to escape being a butcher's daughter in 1867 Melbourne. |
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'Leonie Stevens occupies a strange and informative place in Australian public life.'
Australian Book Review |
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imagefromfuckthewar.com |
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writer |
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ne'er-do-well |
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thenovels |
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keepingitreal |
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Danger...some kinda bio...
Who or what is Leonie Stevens?
She was born at a time when the world was as close to nuclear annihilation as it's ever been (the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962). SheI grew up in Melbourne, always wrote, dropped out of high school, floated in and out of about fifty jobs, danced at lots of clubs, saw lots of punk bands, met a hottie, moved between the inner city areas of Melbourne and Sydney in regular rotation, played pranks, had a kid, started writing a bit more seriously, got something published, got something else published, etc, etc. Some books are "adult": a couple "young adult". She currently lives in Melbourne with the hottie and the kid, still listens to punk, but doesn't go to gigs, on account of her ears.
Now that's out of the way...
I'm not gonna crap on about being a writer.
I was in the right place at the right time, got to play the system, and still do. I like to write stories that are fast, funny and entertaining. I'm into real characters, real situations - not some god-awful dreary wankfest of what might be fashionable or clever. Maybe some of my themes are "challenging" for the very middle-class Literary Establishment - good! I'm not writing for them: I'd rather die of a protracted vomiting fit. I don't read a lot of fiction, so don't ask me about contemporary Australian, or world, writing. I love film and TV most of all, and write stories because it's fun and cheap to do. You don't have to fuck around with a band or a film crew: you sit on your own and have complete control. Writing is not the most important thing in the world to me. I'm much more concerned with eating well, my family, the state of George Dubya's mental development, and whether Cordy will ever wake up on Angel.
A word about Grunge
Hit-shit-comit-fuck!
Grunge is a stupid label that a bearded wanker with no imagination (Murray Waldron, wasn't it?) applied to a group of completely unrelated and diverse writers back in 1995. For a while, anything dealing with poverty, or young people, or drugs, or unemployment, or being gay or lesbian, or anything outside Mr Beard's good-taste-experience was dismissed by this instant genre. Other journalists picked up on it, ran for a while, then the backlash began, conveniently co-inciding with the rise of conservatism here in Australia. Let me say it clearly:
Grunge only ever existed in dirty, frightened minds.
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nature strip |
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The punk scene, Melbourne, 1984. Good people keep dropping from suspicious overdoses. The landmark book where the junkies are the heroes - a story of love, friendship and loyalty. Published 1994, Wakefield Press. |
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big man's barbie |
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Inner city Sydney, 1991. Siren Boyd agrees to help her Uncle, crime boss Big George Hay, to organise his annual butcher's picnic. It's a mad race for a very slack chick.
Published 1996, Random House Australia |
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glue |
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A love story. Accidental murderer meets sole survivor of family massacre. A black, black comedy about squatting, isolation, and the will to survive.
Published 1999, Penguin Australia |
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eat well and stay out of jail |
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A road story. Vicky will do anything to avoid going back to her boring suburban life. She goes on the road with hunky, food-obsessed Scott, in search of his missing brother.
Published 2000, Penguin Australia |
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the marowack two |
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| When the powers that be try to take your home, you stop them - by any means necessary! Heck and Kira, who hate each other, unite for the cause, and become The Marowack Two. Published 2003, Penguin Australia |
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butwait,there'smore |
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I've also edited two anthologies - Pub Fiction (stories of beer, cheer and fear), Allen & Unwin, 1997, and Warp Drive (Australian Drug Stories), Random House, 1998. Now, there's two horror stories!
Pages for these books coming soon |
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a few choice links |
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The Last Words of Hassan Sabbah |
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Want a perfect insight into the current gulf war? Want to know what's going on in the heads of the faceless men who would sacrifice a multitude of lives and liberties? The best single piece of writing EVER, by the most important writer ever, William S Burroughs. |
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City of Angel |
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Michael Moore.com |
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Mmm, Angel... because everyone deserves a great television experience about good, evil and the grey area we all abide in...plus, mmm, Angel. |
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Michael Moore's home page. The 'HOMELAND' page contains pressing, ongoing campaigns, and ways to get involved. |
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Japanese Engrish |
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Dubya Speak |
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Just for fun! Top site dedicated to mistranslation - it has more guaranteed laughs than any other site I've ever been to. Go there once - you'll be hooked. |
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Site dedicated to the comical stupidity of George W. Bush. Very funny, deeply unsettling, lots of links |
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Great Ape Project |
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The Millennial Abyss |
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Superb site about the most inspired television series of all time. Great downloads.....wait.. ....worry.....who cares? |
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Human rights should be extended to the rest of the Great Ape Community, including gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans...read up |
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julianburnside.com - Language, arts, Law |
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Scum at the Top |
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Australia's journal of political character assassination. Always has good article links and laugh-out-loud images. |
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julianburnside.com - home site of Burnside QC, packed with links on Australia's inhuman and illegal treatment of asylum seekers, the legality, and most all all, WAYS TO ACT!, |
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"You can't fight City Hall. But you can have a crap on the steps and run like mad."
- Alexei Sayle |
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questions?outrage?didityearsago?emailme |
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