Reading is revolutionary
And textiles are radical
Sometimes it’s good to embrace the stereotype, so we had most of our first offline Pink Shorts meetings in and around the sandstone institutions of North Terrace. And we recently returned to the Art Gallery of SA for the fabulous Radical Textiles exhibition.
Not only did we get to hear a bunch of school art students talk about how Don Dunstan’s pink shorts and legacy made them proud to be South Australian, but we also got to hear Frida Las Vegas, aka Stavroula Adameitis, discuss her SA Great kaftan (complete with frog cakes).
Stav, another recently returned South Australian (is this the prophetic brain un-drain?), talked about clothes as canvas. It made me think about the soft items on the walls and mannequins of the exhibition, or in our own homes – woven baby blankets, crocheted washcloths, a great pair of shorts – which are works of art not in spite of their domestic ‘practicality’, but because of it. They are radical acts of co-creation, between maker and user.
That in turn reminded me of a revelation my dad had recently, on finishing one of his three or so books per year: reading a book really is just like watching a movie, only you get to be the director (perhaps why book adaptations can be so controversial). Books too are acts of co-creation, between writer and reader.
Just like textiles – and more than most seed-funded entertainment platforms – books are constantly evolving. Every reader will have a singular experience every time they read any book, even if they’ve read it before. The themes and ideas will feel different; the characters and settings will look different; the narrator’s voice will sound completely different, every time.
It’s part of why we’re so excited about bringing Barbara Hanrahan’s Sea Green back into print: because a young reader now, especially one who might’ve moved away to pursue a creative career, will find so much in its pages, as will someone who first encountered the book back when it was published fifty years ago. (Incidentally, it’s also a book that takes clothes seriously.)
We’re unlikely to be sending newsletters this regularly as we go on, perhaps more like once a month. But in these early moments, Pink Shorts Press is also doing lots of evolving and it feels like we have lots to share. That includes a new website, built with the wonderful Jordy of Rumble Studio. It makes us look a lot more professional – I guess the internet equivalent of a book cover, or a great pair of shorts.
– Emily
Not all pink
What are we reading (apart from Pink Shorts books)?
Margot is on her hundredth reading of Say Hello, a children’s book with unhinged illustrations and lots of animal noises (baby appreciates a full-voiced cock-a-doodle-do).
Em is tearing through the heatwave-appropriate Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna.
Some fun shorts
What are we reading online?
Wyld on Wyld: Olivia De Zilva put us on to this considered Overland essay by South Australian writer Karen Wyld, with a surprise ‘put a bird on it’ reference.
Didn’t know we needed another AI think piece until we read this headline: ‘ChatGPT is a balloon and the book is a bicycle’. Editing AI copy is a big part of our Wordshops offering; our think piece is still to come.
This one’s for the publishing nerds, but the new Australia Reads report offers insights on getting people back into books (just like riding a bike).
Behind the press
What are we doing for Pink Shorts?
A grand tour of South Australia’s beautiful independent bookshops, talking about Sea Green and all things bookselling and publishing. Emily picked up a copy of Hossein Asgari’s novel from the recs table in Mostly Books and wishes this event didn’t clash with this one.
Sending so many emails about posters and submissions and Wordshops and publicity and cheese (for our upcoming launch). For two people who don’t drink coffee, we are also sending a lot of emails to organise ‘coffee catch-ups’. What is the alternative phrase?
Trying desperately to find time to edit our upcoming titles, something we’re both looking forward to so much – we’ve been wearing lots of hats recently, but editing is our first love.
Three ways you can support us
Pre-order Sea Green from your local bookshop or online.
Ask us about Wordshops.
Forward this email to a friend who likes books or words.
