I first heard about Cate from a friend when living in the Daylesford area in the 1990's - my friend told me about a new librarian in the little library in the town who had just moved into the district and was running wonderful programs for the kids. Not long after I moved to Benalla in 1998 according to my friend it seemed that Cate had moved to Benalla as well. I've followed her writing since then, applauding from a distance her increasing success and profile.
I've come across to recent interview with Cate which are memoir related--Cate's memoir that is.
One, an interview with Cate on 'In conversation with Richard Fidler' on Radio National, March 15. I sometimes catch and always enjoy Richard's interviews when I can't sleep and try to track the podcasts. I must have been able to sleep on March 15, so have just listened to her conversation with Richard at the Adelaide Writer's Festival in which she 'stories' about her time as a trailing spouse in Vanuatu last year. I had wondered if she was away as I hadn't seen her about for a time. So now I've feel that I've caught up with her! Thank you, Richard!
The other interview was an extract from Rachel Power's book 'Motherhood and Creativity' in what I perceive as an horrifically named journal which I find hard to write as a link. I worked in social work for some time; I feel a profound rush of sadness every time there is a hint in a media story that a mother may have killed a child or children, perhaps as part of post natal depression. I berate and have been known to complain formally when advertising appears to condone sexual abuse or road rage. Why ever would a journal be called 'Kill Your Darlings'? Why would it have 10.5K followers on Twitter? I can't bring myself to follow them, even though the writing and writers they support appear to be worth supporting. Perhaps the title is a phrase writers use at some stage of the writing or publishing process. I'm sorry - but for whatever reason they have chosen to use it - I'm not in the inner circule; I don't know and I don't approve. I don't mind 'The Lifted Brow' at all - another contemporary publication, a sibling of KYD (finally an acronym that's a bit easier to put on paper).
As you can tell, I'm a bit distracted.... I really enjoyed reading the KYD interview in which Cate reflects on her experience of motherhood and the writing process and if I see her in a café in Benalla, as with the interview with Richard about her time in Vanuatu, I will feel that I have shared her experience of this stage of her life in some way.