Articles in ‘Arts & Culture’

As one of New Zealand’s larger than life and undoubtedly most rock n roll poets, Sam Hunt is a rare commodity that has always remained somewhat unconventional, an essentialist and unashamedly honest in his plethora of work that spans more than forty decades. Born Samuel Percival Maitland Hunt, July 4th 1946 in Castor Bay, Auckland, he has one other sibling, an older brother,…

Credited with helping to advance the genre of ‘Confessional Poetry’ in the mid twentieth century; the style of writing that was written in an autobiographical manner and dealt with subject matter relating but not limited to, death, tragedy, trauma and depression, came one of America’s and subsequently Britain’s, brilliant but tortured poet and novelists of that era, Sylvia Plath.

You wouldn’t believe it was that easy. In the dead of night, I crept out of my closet-sized room, across the rickety wooden floor. Their door is left open a crack. I peep through; Mother is sleeping peacefully. Her raven hair spread over her ragged, stained pillow. The many lines that crease her face now smoothe in slumber. I hesitate; my throat tightens. The lurch of regret…

You wouldn’t believe that it had never defined me because, once it was gone, I felt its loss immensely. Life is that simple, that complicated. Major decisions at that time focused on where to meet for lunch, what pest was eating the passionfruit vine, which book from the library to read first. Were the grandchildren being exposed to too many electronic gizmos and not enough…

You wouldn’t believe why my grandson doubts my sanity. ‘What did you do in the war, granddad?’ I looked down at my grandson, about to snap, ‘I’m only 68, not 98!’ and then realised, to an eight-year-old, anyone passed middle age must be ancient and had to have fought at Trafalgar. His question, I suppose, arose from all the news about Dunkirk on the television. The end of…

You wouldn’t believe how guilty it made you feel to have the girls’ night at his flat. You urged all the sisters-in-crime to help, to move faster. Throwing the windows wide open you flap tea towels madly, giggling nervously, frantic to expunge all whiffs of reefers, coconut oil and alcohol. And heat. Colin would be home soon. But your face was beaming, smiles were wide, white…

You wouldn’t believe that we’d never discussed it. ‘Want some?’ Tony mumbles, offering the soggy roach hanging off his lip. I take the spit-soaked thing, sucking it hard, and we’re the neighbourhood kids we once were again, when we’d share a straw, working the dregs of childhood chocolate shakes. Me and Antonio go way back. We share teenage days, sporting successes and…

You wouldn’t believe that the elderly lady in front of me used to be one of the most famous Chinese opera singers in Singapore. In the 1960s, she dominated the show business in Southeast Asia, touring the countries with her stage name Fenghuang, meaning phoenix in Chinese, known for its virtue and grace. Wherever she went, she was closely followed by throngs of admirers who…

With a mercurial mind, at times untameable but unashamedly honest, one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed literary icons lived a brief but tumultuous life. Born as Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp, October 14th, 1888 in a small wooden house in Thorndon, Wellington, she was the third daughter of five siblings in a commercially and socially expansive family. Her father, Harold Beauchamp,…

Tim Ashby-Peckham is a 26 year old photographer based in South Auckland. He specialises in two types of photography, nature and astrophotography, which is photographing stars and other astronomical subjects. His passion for space and New Zealand wildlife is reflected in the themes and subject matter of his photographs. After buying a DSLR camera back in 2015, one of Tim’s first…

When you meet noteworthy contemporary photographer Tatiana Skorik for the first time you instantly get the sense that her poise and calm nature allow her the space and privilege of an advanced level of insight when it comes to observing life and the interactions that give life meaning. It is this level of insight that helps her to capture moments in such a remarkable manner.…