blog 104: In which I spend a couple of great days in beautiful Monto.

Posted on November 29, 2017 by mgbauer

In October this year I had the good fortunate to be invited by Monto State High School to be part of their fantastic Growing Young Literary Artists in the North Burnett project.

On Wednesday Oct 11th around midday, I flew from Melbourne (where my wife and I were house-sitting) home to Brisbane and from there caught another flight to Bundaberg.

At Bundaberg airport I was picked up by the amazing Kylie (my guide, minder and travelling companion for the next few days) and driven around 175 kilometres to Monto where we rendezvoused at around 8 pm with some of the local teachers for a lovely meal and a chat at the Family Refreshment Cafe & Restaurant.

After dinner, there was a final 20 km drive to my accommodation at the Cania Gorge Tourist and Caravan Park.

The shots below show the view at the start of my journey compared to the view at the end from my cabin at Cania Gorge. Massive improvement!

Right from the start, the organisers of the visit and the great people from Monto made me feel very welcome.

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IMG_20171012_084842The next day, Thursday, I had three sessions at the beautiful Monto Community Hall presenting  to grade 4 – 10 students from schools within the local region. IMG_20171012_084827IMG_4426IMG_4423 (2)

Attending schools included Monto SHS, Monto Primary School, Burnett State College Gayndah, Mundubbera SS, St Therese’s Catholic Primary School Monto, Abercorn SS, Mulgildie SS. All the students were fantastic to talk to and it was a fun day

Following the sessions, after negotiating the local traffic …

… I had the chance (thanks again to Kylie’s generosity in chauffeuring me around) to take in some of the beautiful sights and scenery of the local area …

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Lake Cania.

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… and to also learn some of the history, including the Legend of the Three Moons.

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That night (Pizza Night YAY!) and on the following morning at the Cania Gorge Holiday Park, I had the pleasure of spending time with some members of the local writers community and around 30 young keen and talented writers from Monto SHS, Burnett State College and Mundubbera SS who were there on a Writers Retreat.

We were also joined by quite a bit of bird-life!

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The students taking part in a Young Writers Retreat were each working on a writing piece that needed to encompass a location, event or identity from within the beautiful Burnett region.

It was terrific to hear these enthusiastic and talented writers discussing their projects and hopefully I was able to provide some advice and writing tips that were useful to them. The students’ completed pieces are to be published in book form and online. A great thing for these young authors and for the local community.

After spending Friday morning at the Writers Retreat it was time to start the long reverse journey back to Melbourne.

A big thanks once again to Monto SHS for the invitation to be a part of this great project and to and all the teachers, volunteers, local people, students and young writers who made the trip so enjoyable for me. Much appreciated.

Look, even the Mulgildie Bunyip was friendly!

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And thanks too for the lovely gifts to remember the visit by!

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Cheers
Michael

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ps: There are two wallabies in this photo although you can only see a tiny bit of the second one.

 

 

 

 

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blog 103: In which I say ‘Cheers & Thanks’ to Germany and post a video.

Posted on November 24, 2017 by mgbauer

Apart from at home here in Australia, my books have been most successful in Germany.

As well as having nine books presently published in the country, there has also been a radio broadcast of the complete Ishmael series, short-listings and an award win for The Running Man, stage productions of Don’t Call Me Ishmael and The Running Man and both those novels have also been used as class texts and in state exams.

The Running Man, The Ishmael series, Dinosaur Knights, Just a Dog and the Eric Vale series were all published by the wonderful Carl Hanser company. In January 2018 they will add the German edition of The Pain, My Mother, Sir Tiffy, Cyber Boy and Me to their list. I am so grateful for the support and friendship of this fantastic company over the years. See below.

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On top of that there have been terrific German audio versions of the Ishmael series, Dinosaur Knights, Just a Dog and Eric Vale produced by the wonderful Hörcompany. Now they have just finished recording their audio edition of The Pain, My Mother, Sir Tiffy, Cyber Boy and Me. 

Below is a brief video from Hörcompany of the very talented German theatre actor JULIA NACHTMANN recording the audio version of The Pain etc and Me. I love how expressive Julia’s voice and face are in the reading. Even though I couldn’t understand the German it didn’t take me long to work out that what she was reading was the scene where Maggie is being asked out on a date by a boy but at first doesn’t realise it. I’ve added the English text below the video.

 

For some reason Jason was still there when I’d finished. And still talking.

‘So you’re thinking of doing Film and Television next year?’

‘Ah, yes, probably. If I can convince my mother. I want to go into acting and maybe directing. Thought it would help.’

‘Yeah, I’m doing it too. Figured it’d be a bludge.’

‘Right. Cool. You’ve thought it through then.’

I was about to walk off but Jason still hadn’t finished.

‘So … then … maybe we could … catch a movie together sometime.’

I was confused. ‘Catch a movie together’? What a strange thing to say. I mean really, what were the chances of Jason Price and I ending up at the same place when a movie was screening?

Then something clicked. Wait a minute. Is he? Was he? Did he? Have I … just been asked out? OMG, I think I had. I think Jason Price had just asked me out. Do something. SAY something. SPEAK!

‘A movie? What? You mean … you … and me? Us?’

‘Yeah. If you want to. I can’t do much this weekend ’cause I’ve got football on and then I have to help my brother with some stuff. But next Sunday would be good. Unless you’re doing something already.’

Doing something? Let me think. Does disinfecting my room of cat urine count?

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So cheers and thanks to all my German friends and readers.

Or should that be prost und danke!

Michael

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blog 102: In which I try to remember what happened in the 3 months since I last posted.

Posted on November 10, 2017 by mgbauer

It’s been quite an eventful few months since my last update.

August and September are usually the busiest months for school bookings because of BOOK WEEK and this year was no exception for me.

During that time I visited 24 schools in 6 cities (Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Ayr/Home Hill), presented around 55 sessions, took part in 2 festivals and launched one book. Phew!

As always, a big thank you to BOOKED OUT SPEAKERS AGENCY for making most of that happen (and happen so smoothly) and to the staff and students of all the schools for making me feel so welcome.

Here are some random shots from my week in MELBOURNE:

(Schools visited: Simonds Catholic College, Ivanhoe Grammar School, St Bernard’s College, Camberwell HS, Emmaus College, Toorak College, East Doncaster S College)

With Reina Phung – Ivanhoe Grammar

One of the highlights of the Melbourne tour was my visit to Toorak College where I had the thrill and honour of presenting for the first time with my good friend Barry Heard. The year 9 girls there had studied my book The Running Man which contains a Vietnam vet character and Barry’s powerful and important book Well Done Those Men tells the real life story of his experiences as a nineteen year old country boy thrust into the horrors of the Vietnam war and the terrible impact of that experience on his life. A wonderful and moving experience for the students and for me to hear Barry talk.

 Some random shots from Book Week spent in Brisbane and around QUEENSLAND:

(Schools visited: St Matthew’s School Cornubia, Wilsonton State School Toowoomba, Ashgrove State Primary School, The Springfield Anglican College, Ayr?Home Hill Schools – Home Hill SS, St Colman’s, St Francis Primary School, Burdekin Christian College, Burdekin Catholic State High, East Ayr State Primary & High School)

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With Lance Balchin

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Burdekin – Ayr/Home Hill

Some random shots from post-Book Week in ADELAIDE:

(Schools visited: Immanuel College, Prince Alfred College, Tatachilla Lutheran College, Glenelg Primary School, Walford Anglican Girls, Endeavour College, The Heights School)

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Near Tatachilla College McLaren Vale

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Something fishy about this library!

Apart for school visits and festivals a big highlight that occurred since my last blog was the release of my first picture book RODNEY LOSES IT illustrated by the very talented Chrissie Krebs.

So far Rodney has received some lovely reviews …

Rodney Loses It! is a fun book, with text from Michael Gerard Bauer that is perfect for a read-along with any young reader. The illustrations by Chrissie Krebs are gloriously colourful and funny, in line with the fun text from Bauer. Rodney with his glasses, his floppy ears and his own artwork are sure to be a hit with any young reader still learning the fun of reading and rhyming.

Reading Time: Reviewer Verushka Byrow

Unlike some picture books this book can be enjoyed multiple times and different themes can be explored. Tantrums, hobbies, favourite things and boredom to name a few. This is Michael Gerard Bauer’s first picture book and let’s hope it is the first of many. A tantrum is a part of the life of young children and Rodney does it well with the help of illustrator Chrissie Krebs. The book is in verse and a pleasure to read out loud. It’s great!

Bug in a Book: Reviewer Megan Stuart

A wonderfully funny story.

Pass It On: Reviewer Jackie Hosking

Highly recommended. Anger, Drawing. Rodney loves to draw, so much so that he draws just about everywhere. He has a range of pens with which to draw, but one is his special favourite. This pen is so special, that he has given it a name, Penny, and has even been known to kiss Penny, so thrilled is he by his favourite pen. One day while sitting at his desk, drawing, Penny disappears. He has lost things before: his bow tie, his rubber duck, his keys but he has always found them. Losing Penny causes him great distress, and the path of his distress is revealed through this very funny picture book. 
Bauer cleverly shows readers the steps they should take when trying to find something, and the outcome when the thing being searched for cannot be found. 
Krebs’ illustrations add another level of humour to the tale, showing Rodney at the highs and lows of the problem of having, then losing something precious. Children will see the problem illuminated before their eyes in illustrations full of life and movement, and learn a lesson from the tale.

ReadPlus: Reviewer Fran Knight

Always great to get such positive feedback so here’s some pictures of me losing it with Rodney. (Brilliant plush Rodney toy created by the amazing Chrissie Krebs!)

And finally back in August I had the pleasure of launching Darren Groth’s new book EXCHANGE OF HEART at Where the Wild Things Are in Brisbane. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it. Also if you haven’t read Darren’s previous novel ARE YOU SEEING ME well, you’re being a fool to yourself and a burden to society! It’s wonderful. Both books are funny, intelligent and poignant. A bit like big Daz himself!

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Two of the worlds biggest Big Lebowski fans. Am I right or am I right?

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With Darren and Chris Bongers (Intruders, Henry Hoey Hobson, Dust)

Well that about takes us up to the end of September. My wife and I spent most of October in Melbourne house and bunny sitting for our daughter and son-in-law. What happened while we were there, plus a great couple of days I had in Monto in Qld, as well as happy news on my Work in Progress, I’ll leave until the next blog which is coming SOON.

No, it really is.

Seriously.

I promise!

Cheers
Michael

 

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blog 101: In which I say something (but not much) about my WIP.

Posted on August 10, 2017 by mgbauer

I was thinking the other day (yes, it does happen occasionally) that every new thing I’ve written has been different in some fundamental way from everything else that has gone before it.

For example …

My first published book The Running Man was a very serious YA novel.

This was followed by the Ishmael books which were comedies.

Then came Dinosaur Knights which was an action-adventure story with a touch of sci-fi and history.

Next was You Turkeys which was my first chapter book for early readers and also my first illustrated book thanks to Nahum Ziersch. Hi Nahum!

Just a Dog was different because it was my first book for middle-grade readers plus it had an 11 year old boy as the first person narrator

The Eric Vale series and their spin offs the Derek ‘Danger’ Dale series were different again because they were in a cartoon/comic book/graphic novel style and they were the first books I shared with my son Joe as illustrator.

My most recent book The Pain, My Mother, Sir Tiffy, Cyber Boy and Me is a light-hearted teenage novel like the Ishmael books but it’s different from everything else I’ve done because for the first time it features a female character Maggie Butt as the first person narrator.

And in September 2017 I’m happy and excited to say, my first children’s picture book Rodney Loses It! will be published by Scholastic Australia with fabulous illustrations by Chrissie Krebs.

All of which brings me to the current WORK IN PROGRESS – my unauthorised autobiography with each copy personally handwritten in crayon on recycled butcher’s paper!

Wait, wait, wait.  Calm down.  Don’t get too excited. It was all just a cruel joke that went too far. I apologise without reservation. (and next time I promise I’ll book ahead with my apology.)

I never really like to talk much about what I’m  currently working on until it’s all finished. I’d be hopeless in a writers’ group. But what I can say is that my WIP is a semi-serious teenager novel with a 16-year-old boy as the narrator. So in that respect it’s similar to the Ishmael books although not with as much exaggerated humour.

The two main points of difference for the WIP from everything else I’ve had published, are that firstly, it’s  written in the present tense and secondly, all the action takes at one place on the one day – around eight hours to be more precise. The setting is a university open day for future students.

Here’s one I visited earlier this month for background research and inadvertently got myself enrolled in three university courses …

               

So far I’m on about my fourth draft. I think it’s getting there. Maybe 75+% of what I feel it could be. So there’s still a bit of improvement to go yet before I’m ready to let someone else read it (after my wife Adriana who is always my first reader) and pass their judgement on it.

And the next project after that?

Well I guess, ironically (or is it paradoxically) given the theme of this post, if all goes to plan, the next project actually won’t involve me doing something different.

Instead it will be a return to something I haven’t done since my first novel The Running Man was published in 2004 – and that is, to write a completely serious dramatic story. A story that might be set again in my home suburb of Ashgrove and could even contain some slender plot threads that link it ever so slightly to The Running Man.

Well that’s the plan, but of course there’s no guarantee that will actually happen because I’ve been going to write that serious YA novel for about the last six years now, and every time I’ve thought that I was ready to start, some other story has always managed to push its way in ahead of it.

But that’s the way it goes. You don’t find stories. They find you. And often they can be determined and stubborn little buggers who demand to be heard.

So while I think my next project will be a serious YA novel, you know what they say about the best laid plans of Mike and men …

Cheers
Michael

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