Tag Archives: school

My satirical Novel about American Gun Culture … coming soon.

Posted on by
Reply

My satirical novel, TARGET 91, about American Gun Culture  is being published soon in the US (Penmore Press, Tucson, Arizona), UK & Aus. As an Aussie author of 20 books, I still had to work out how to introduce myself to an American audience. Here is my bio blurb introduction for the new book. 

And here are some pics of The Andy Griffith Show (1960 – 1968). It was a sitcom with heart about a widowed sheriff, his small son and a dumb deputy. I grew up in a household that was the The Andy Griffith Show times 5 (there were 5 kids)  on crack cocaine. Not that we took drugs. But my family was crazy enough without chemical intervention. I did write 3 best selling books about growing up on a small police station in rural Australia.

My satirical Novel about American Gun Culture

Posted on by
Reply

My satirical novel, TARGET 91, about American Gun Culture is being published soon. As an Aussie author of 20 books, I still had to work out how to introduce myself to an American audience. Here is my bio blurb introduction for the new book. 

And here are some pics of The Andy Griffith Show (1960 – 1968). It was a sitcom with heart about a widowed sheriff, his small son and a dumb deputy. I grew up in a household that was the The Andy Griffith Show times 5 (there were 5 kids)  on crack cocaine. Not that we took drugs. But my family was crazy enough without chemical intervention. I did write 3 best selling books about growing up on a small police station in rural Australia.

The Kinder Nativity Play when … a STAR … a king, a donkey or an angel … is born!

Posted on by
2

I wrote this when my daughter was in the kinder nativity play. And that was in 1993, over 20 years ago! But little has changed from the delightful yuletide chaos known as the kinder Nativity Play.

No Stephen Spielberg, Fred Schepsi or Peter Weir could bring to life a story bursting with the tinselled excitement or wide-eyed wonder of that choreographed chaos known as the Kinder Nativity Play. The job of feverish direction rests with an experienced kindergarten teacher. And the play has become a cherished Christmas tradition of cherubic grins and dimpled mayhem.

The first problem facing the director involves casting. Kinder kids can be very definite about the part they wish to play. They want a good line. And that line is often ‘Baa’.

Kinder Nativity Play

The kinder teacher is then left with the problem of putting on a nativity play with 25 sheep and no one else. After much begging, pleading and coaxing she can muster one sulking Joseph, a radiant freckled Mary -who is allowed to wear her patent leather shoes and a brides veil – and a donkey, if they can wear the donkey suit.

Full article from The Advertiser, The Herald Sun and The Canberra Times here: CHRISTMAS ACCORDING TO ST JASON

Sometimes It’s the Class Clown that Performs Well in Life

Posted on by
5

Eighteen years ago, HRH and I made the standard middle-class decision to send our first-born to a posh school. Off he went in the oversized blazer armed with a weighty school bag, sports bag, and high expectations. After three weeks he burst through the door, threw his school bag on the kitchen floor, and muttered ”It’s boring. English is boring.”

How did I respond? I did something a bit odd. I wrote him a book. (Not pictured) A novel had been kicking around inside my head for some time. In fact, I had read him many of the ”boy” classics: Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and, dare I add, Richmal Crompton’s hilarious Just William series. During this time I actually dreamt the novel. When Mr Reluctant Reader started complaining, I whacked the novel down on paper over three weeks and fed him one chapter at a time. He loved it.

Nicko, the 13-year-old lead character, is one of those kids seldom recognised in education. Let’s be honest. Schools seem to only make a fuss over the top, say, 10 percent of academic students, a few sports stars, and some classically trained musicians. Nicko, however, was one of those kids (and there are hundreds like him) who are smart but not in a way school wants them to be smart. I taught many, many Nickos and I adored them. Let me give you some examples.

Read more here: The Nickos of this World

This article appeared in The Canberra Times, 24 Jul 2012 as Sometimes It’s the Class Clown that Performs Well in Life.