Almanac Music: Greatest Hits of 1856 – ‘Gentle Annie’ by Stephen Foster

In this Friday’s column, KD discusses an American pre-Civil War popular song, Stephen Foster’s beautiful ballad ‘Gentle Annie’, and examines how it has stood the test of time, presenting a couple of versions as examples.

Almanac Poetry: Ben Hall’s Photograph

This week’s poem from Kevin Densley is based upon (arguably) the most iconic photograph in the history of Australian bushranging.

Almanac Poetry: Imponderables

In this Monday’s poem, Kevin Densley asks the big questions of life … well, not really ‘that’ big.

Almanac Comedy: Mo in McCackie Mansion episode ‘The Scottish Butcher’

KD introduces another example of the work of legendary Australian comedian, Mo: a very funny episode of his radio series, McCackie Mansion.

Almanac Poetry: Seen from a Window Table in Acland Street, St Kilda

This week’s poem from Kevin Densley dates from the time, about twenty years ago, when he lived in Melbourne. St Kilda was a short tram ride from home…

Almanac Memoir: My Most Enjoyable Sports Injury

Sometimes it ‘hurts so good’, to quote from John Mellencamp’s well-known song. In this Friday’s column, KD travels back in time to an athletics carnival at Geelong Grammar School in the mid-1970s, where he suffered what he describes as his ‘most enjoyable sports injury’.

Almanac Poetry: Photograph of Bushranger and (Alleged) Multiple Murderer Tommy Clarke, of the Notorious Braidwood Clarkes, Aboard the Stolen Racehorse Boomerang, circa 1865

In this week’s poem from Kevin Densley, it’s ‘back to bushranging’ – he profiles Tommy Clarke, of the notorious mid-nineteenth century Clarkes from the Braidwood area of New South Wales.

Almanac Music: My Favourite Rock Drummers – Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick

In this instalment of his ongoing series about favourite drummers, KD profiles the inimitable Bun E. Carlos, best known for his work with Cheap Trick.

Almanac Poetry: Pisanello’s ‘The Virgin and Child with the Saints George and Anthony Abbot’

According to Kevin Densley: ‘In this poem, I put my own spin upon a fifteenth century painting by Italian artist Pisanello, an unusual work featuring an Egyptian hermit, a saint with a legendary association with a dragon, and the Virgin and Child.’

Almanac Music: ‘The Song is Ended (But the Melody Lingers on)’: Blake Hazard Sings an Irving Berlin Classic

In this Friday’s piece, KD showcases a magical combination of performer and song, and attempts to answer the question: where does the magic come from?

Almanac Poetry: George Stubbs’ ‘A Lion Attacking a Horse’

Kevin Densley’s poem is based on a famous eighteenth century painting by arguably the greatest horse painter of all-time, George Stubbs. The great poet William Blake also receives mention.

Almanac Life: What I Did Last Summer … And The Summer Before … And The Summer Before …

Do you have an annual summer tradition, more particularly, something you typically do to occupy those languid days after the Christmas festivities, but before the New Year arrives? KD writes about how he usually fills in this time of the year.

Almanac Poetry: Three Photographs from the Early Life of Frances Scott Fitzgerald Lanahan Smith (1922-1986)

This week’s poem from Kevin Densley is based upon three photographs from the life of the only child of the most famous literary couple of the twentieth century, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Almanac Memoir: Rannoch House, Renting, Music and Writing

This Friday’s post from KD is a multi-dimensional affair, involving an iconic Geelong mansion – Rannoch House – and personal memoir, music, writing and Geelong Football Club history.

Almanac Poetry: Grandfatherly Metaphysics

This week’s poem from Kevin Densley involves his maternal grandfather’s backyard shed. “Its walls were lined with empty bottles,” according to KD.

“The full ones didn’t last very long.”

Almanac Music: My Favourite Drummers – Karen Carpenter

Today’s piece by KD is his second in a series about his favourite drummers – the wonderfully talented Karen Carpenter features.

Almanac Poetry: Morning Sun, Fitzroy

According to Kevin Densley it is clear that beauty can be found in the most unlikely places; this time the very streetsides of inner-Melbourne.

Almanac Music: My Favourite Rock Drummers – Clement Burke of Blondie

Today’s profile of Blondie’s Clement Burke is the first in a series by KD on his favourite rock drummers.

Almanac Poetry: A Little Night Music

This Monday’s poem from Kevin Densley was inspired by a well-known Mozart composition and night-time in general.

Almanac Humour: A Visit by the England Football Team

In this Friday’s post, KD shares what he considers to be one of the funniest brief pieces of sports humour he’s ever read.