Liz Hall-Downs onstage in full feminist flight. These take-no-prisoners little poems were at the heart of the ‘women’ part of ‘Fit of Passion’ show and gave Kim some stuff to bounce off.  Recorded at ‘No Boundaries’, West End, Brisbane, circa 1996.

‘Lessons My Father Taught Me’ – my Dad, his drinking and gambling, and, regardless, my enduring love for him.

I was once publicly pilloried in the local Byron Bay press for this piece by one local hero (whose sole claim to fame was marijuana use and advocacy, using the non de plume J J McRoach). He ranted about ‘Melbourne Feminists’ and defended my father against what he heard as an attack. All I can say is, no points for not picking up on irony. He’s probably toked himself to death by now, anyhow.

(And in actual fact, I make a rather excellent cup of tea …)

And, speaking of families …

This next one could have just as easily been titled ‘ThePickup Artist’!

Please  excuse the typo in the title, it’s actually called ‘The Standard Seduction Technique’.  It was published in ‘Going Down Swinging’ in 1992, and I was thrilled when it was later picked up by the actress Dierdre Rubenstein and included in her one woman stage show of women’s poetry, ‘What’s a Girl to Do?’, which played at The Malthouse in Melbourne. (Video of her performance of it is in the works and will be posted here in the near future.)

Saying all of the above, of course, makes me a Bitch, apparently. I’ve posted other performances of this one, but it’s always most effective with an audience, and this audience was particularly responsive.