Almanac Poetry: Bruce Dawe’s ‘Figgy: A portrait’ (For Kaye Liset)

John Harms’s old school mate Kaye Liset became good friends with Bruce and Liz Dawe in a somewhat novel way. Bruce wrote a poem about her dog.

Almanac Poetry: Chad Morgan, the Sheik of Scrubby Creek

In this week’s poem, Kevin Densley deals with Australian country music legend Chad Morgan (Kevin stresses that the particular incidents mentioned in connection with the great man are ‘fictional’)

Almanac Music: Australian Country Music

In this Friday’s post, KD looks at Australian country music, especially the kind of songs his father listened to when he was a kid.

Round 3 – There once was a kick after the siren

Troy Brunel-O’Peerents reviews the Round 3 matches in verse.

Almanac Music: Calexico – a musical sound of their own

Calexico is one of those bands with a sound all of their own, and also one of Col’s favourites. Have a listen to their fantastic sounds.

Almanac Poetry: ‘Gerona Street Blues’ – Bill Wootton

Bill Wootton’s poem ‘Gerona Street Blues’ reflects upon life in Keilor during an earlier time.

Round 2 – Haiku Bob: armchair ride

Haiku Bob reflects on some special moments from Round 2.

The Great 2022 Free Rail Travel Challenge: Part 1 – the Bairnsdale Cup

Roger Lowrey is always up for a challenge. What is the maximum number of kilometres possible for travel in one year under the Victorian Seniors’ free train travel program? Roger begins his pursuit of an answer with a trip to the Bairnsdale Cup.

Almanac Book Review – ‘The Boy from Birdum’: Bill Dempsey’s magnificent story of humility

He may not be well known outside Western Australia or the Northern Territory but Bill Dempsey was a prominent Indigenous footballer in the 1960s and a strong contributor to Indigenous affairs after he retired from the game. Dennis Gedling reviews Dempsey’s story, ‘The Boy from Birdum’.

Wantok Almanac: PNG Footy and the Zimmie, Ace & Thyra show

Jarrod Landells and David Bridie’s Wantok Almanac highlight the love of footy in all its codes in found in PNG, with focus on some names of the future.

Almanac Music: ‘Road To Nowhere’ – David Byrne

Watching David Byrne on a FaceBook clip solved a long time musical puzzle for Col as he explains.

Almanac Poetry: ‘the live sherrin’ – Bill Wootton

Bill Wootton on that most animated of inanimate objects, the footy.

Almanac Music: Not Quite Bob – Something Cooking In LA: Serving of Buffalo, Burritos and Byrds with a side of (C)larks thrown in

Trevor Blainey presents the music and his thoughts on some of the greatest LA based bands and solo artists the musical world has known.

Almanac (Footy) Art: Not another bloody ‘Art of Football’ exhibition!

Citrus Bob Utber’s art curating career has come out of retirement with ‘The Art of Football’ exhibiting at the Balranald Art Gallery.

Almanac Book Launch: The All-Rounder by Dan Christian and Gideon Haigh (April 8)

Gideon Haigh invites everyone at the Almanac to the launch of The All-Rounder at Como Park, the home of the Yarras, on April 8.

Almanac Music: House of Blues – Blues Harmonica

A brilliant evening of blues music, especially blues harmonica, was had by all at The Gov in Adelaide recently as Peter Crossing reports.

Almanac Music: Absolute Game Changers – A Song That Shook Your World

According to Kevin Densley, we all have a song that is an ‘absolute game changer’ for us, a particular one that shakes up our world and changes it in some fundamental way. He puts forward his own choice, and asks Almanackers to do the same.

There once was a round of footy: Edition 1.

We welcome occasional rhymester and writer, the elusive Troy Brunel-O’Peerents who has chosen the poetic form of his homeland, Ireland, to report on Round 1 of the AFL season. We were not expecting match reports in haiku and we’ve been enjoying them for a decade. Now we’re rapt to be getting match reports as limericks.

Round 1 – St Kilda v Collingwood: Haiku Bob – autumn clarity

Haiku Bob is back with a footy haiku about the Collingwood win over St Kilda.

1986

Two stars crossed paths and missed the real show in the sky in Damian Balassone’s tongue in cheek look back at 1986.