The Audacity of Hope

I had Barack Obama's latest book, The Promised Land,  pumping through my headphones at work today. He's easy to listen to, easy to take in. His melifluous tone are the right side of soporific, yet the discussion is invigorating and interesting, but not exciting that it stops you doing any work. He's good to have in the ears as your working. 

He keeps using the term 'the audacity of hope,' which he explains comes from a preacher friend of his. It's the title of his second book, which I think might be on my to read list at some time in the future. 

And I've been given something to hope for. I'm hoping somebody drops out of their place at Varuna and I get to go up there for a week. 

Varuna you ask? 

What can I tell you about Varuna? Well, it's THE writer's retreat. It's the place that publishers send their recalcitrant writers to get writing. It's a place where writers hang out and write. Getting offered a place there is a big deal. They do all sorts of fellowships, courses and other things, but the thing you hear the most is of people going into residence for a week with other writers. The thing is that the don't let anybody in here. To get a place you have to submit work, plans, bios, synopses. There's an application fee. I applied for a place earlier this year and got nowhere. As one of my Faber mates said, it's $65 down the drain, but you never know - if you don't enter, you don't know if you'll get a spot. 

This time I applied for a cancellation place - and got news yesterday that my application was successful and I'm on the cancellation wait list. If somebody drops out - I'll be offered a place. 

On receiving the email, after the necessary jumping around, I emailed my Faber tutors, saying "I think I did something half good." 

One came back to tell me that this was ALL good and these places are hotly contested. The other sent me congratulations and has every faith in me and that I will get up there and shine. Both of them have spent time there over the years. To have the support of these women means the world to me. Between them they've won The Stella Prize, the Queensland Literary prize and have been shortlisted for everything else under the sun. As somebody attempting to write literary fiction, these are the people I look up to. They're my mentors and friends. 

But for me, now, I just see the audacity of hope. It's been a pipe dream of mine to get to Varuna for years. I've watched writers I admire talk of their time there. It's not only about the writing but the networking. Meeting the people who's books may come out with yours. Exchange ideas, processed, thoughts, tips and tricks. There are others you can work through the blocks with, talk about plots, relay themes...

Varuna is a long held dream. Just like getting a story into Meanjin.... don't ask. All too hard to explain. 

And then I get ahead of myself and think about getting on a plane again - it's been nearly a year since I've been on a plane. Then getting out to Katoomba, and.. and.. and...

It's a big thing. It may not happen. It's just a cancellation waitlist place.

But I have the audacity of hope. 

Today's Song: