Stan Grant: When Words Fail Us

 Stan Grant: When Words Fail Us - in conversation with Sally Warhaft

Capitol Theatre, Swanston Street

As a part of the Wheeler Centre Fifth Estate series

One of the best gifts I've ever received is a voucher for the Wheeler Centre. A gift from a friend, she regifted it to me after it was gifted to her by her daughter. Neither of them would use this. I do hope they know how thankful I am for this gift. This gift voucher has got me in for free to see all these amazing talks. Zadie Smith for one. Unfortunately, Florence Knapp and Salman Rushdie have had to cancel upcoming talks. 

On the back of Florence Knapp cancelling, I booked a ticket to hear Stan Grant speak - he's a journalist, media presenter, academic. I've followed his career for years. So, I thought - I don't do much on Thursday nights. Set and listen to some ideas for an hour. 

I've walked away with my mind blown. 

Something I didn't know about Grant is that he holds a PhD in Theology. He was asked by the Australian Catholic University to give a series of lectures for the Simone Weil talks - Weil, being a French philosopher and mystic. His latest book - When Words Fail Us reflects on how we struggle to speak to, and listen to, and hear each other in today's world. 

So much was covered in the conversation with Sally Warhaft. How we can find truth in silence. How the cacophony of daily life has impeded on our ability to understand one another. How those who have nothing have a clearer, easier relationship with the truth. Of how faith can be manipulated (see America at the moment). I was sitting there with my head taken in 15 places at once. Masonic ritual, poetry, politics, indigenous affairs, becoming quiet, the rise of the right, consumerism.... My poor brain barely kept up with the fifteen other conversations which were sparked in my head from the words coming from the stage. (By 7 pm my Ritalin has worn off),

But sheesh - I walked away with a heap of ideas for Masonic website blog posts (The bit about humans, ritual and silence set off an earthquake in my brain. I've been challenged to now read Simone Weil. My brain's been set off on a heap of different paths. 

And I've come away in awe of Grant's humble, ferocious intelligence and understanding. I also bought a copy of the book - a small, hardback volume which sits nicely in the hand and is baying to be savoured while being read. 

This was a seriously great night. I love when I'm challenged to think and feel. Especially when the subject hits as hard as it did tonight. 

How lucky we are here in Melbourne, where we get access to this sort of thing. 

Today's song: 

Resilience

 I've got custody of two more cats this weekend - Irene and Philip. Their Dad is going away for the weekend, so I'm on feed, water and cuddle duty. I've met Irene before, but Philip, who's fairly new is a ginger. This should be fun.

Their dad and I had a chat about a few things - what to feed them, when to come in etc. Then we got talking about the state of the block. 

I've lived in this place for a very long time. There's been a lot of changes. Being two floors up and at the back of the block, I'm lucky - it's quiet, secure and I have lovely neighbours. 

Across the other side of the driveway, things are not as good. There's been problems with the hot water, the plumbing. Land recession has meant the building has needed to be repinned, and walls reinforced, plus there are ongoing dramas with gates  and the body corporate... which I don't have anything to do with. 

Another thing that happens occasionally, cars get broken into. In the last 20 years I've been done twice. But I make an effort to ensure the car is locked and I don't leave anything of value in there for just this reason. In the past, cars were robbed more regularly. It was also worse when there was an active drug dealer across the road. We'd often find people shooting up in the car ports - that hasn't happened in years. 

My neighbour was saying he was wondering if he'd made the right move moving here. He said about some local shops being fire-bombed, the dodgy neighbours in the next block over (there are some trippers over there) and a few other things. 

Oh, I should mention, he's in his twenties. 

"So, are you scared?"

"Not really."

"Are you running a bootleg tobacco shop, with some stand over men wanting safety money?"

"No."

"Do you check your car is locked before leaving the carport?"

"I'm getting better at it."

"Do you walk down the street at night and feel unsafe?"

"Not particularly."

"Then what are you complaining about? It's only the dodgy tobacconists who are getting fire-bombed - though I feel for the shops next door to them. You're taking your personal safety seriously. You're a young bloke. Why move? It's just as bad everywhere else - if not worse. Crime happens."

"You're awfully blase about this," he told me.

"Mate, I lived in London in the 90s when the IRA bombed indiscriminatingly. I've been here when junkies left their syringes in the hallways. I was here before the injecting room cleaned up the streets. I've travelled the world alone. I like living here. I'm also happy that I'm not in the other block."

The youth of today - utter snowflakes. Little resilience. 

 Or am I just a Gen X woman who gives few fucks and doesn't get phased? 

Maybe I'd feel the same if I was in my 20s.... but I'm forged from sterner stuff. 

Today's song:

Movie Review: The Invite

 Movie Number 27 of 2026

The Movie: The Invite

The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

Runtime: One hour 47 minutes

Stars: 4

I spent this film thinking 'This would be great as a play." It turns out that this is a remake of a Spanish film, The People Upstairs, which is based on the play of the same name. I mean, the action takes place in one apartment and there are four characters. Easy. Yes. And it seems it's very transferable to celluloid.

There were other things that went through my mind - like Penelope Cruz still looks like an ostrich and why do I want to sort of punch Edward Norton every time I see him on stage, but these didn't stop me from enjoying the film. 

The imdb.com blurb reads, 'Joe and Angela's marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places.'

Joe (Seth Rogan) is a disillusioned teacher. Angela (Olivia Wilde) is not enjoying her marriage, and you get the feeling early on that she wants to pull the pin. Annoying them both are the couple upstairs, whose apparent loving relationship, noisy sex life and other traits drive them crazy. The couple invite Pina (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) over for dinner, with the intention to gently confront them with a few home truths. 

And that's where the fun begins. 

The Invite is laugh out loud funny in many places, with unexpected twists taking the plot in many directions that you'll never see coming. Will McCormack and Rashida Jones have done a great job in adapting Cesc Gay's original script. It's fast-paced, wise and very cool in many ways. I like the films emotional intelligence, which goes well with the adult humour. 

My only small reservation is some of Olivia Wilde's direction. Some of the camera work is quite jarring - especially at the start of the film. It settles down once Pina and Hawk enter the room. Wilde has some directing kudos - the work she did  on Booksmart was fantastic. This is nearly as good. 

This is definitely worth a look. In my opinion, you can't beat smart funny - which this has in droves. 

Today's song: 

So, who's the third?

Derryn Hinch I could understand and process easily. He'd lived a good life, an interesting life, he'd had a liver transplant and had various health complaints over the last decade. So mote it be and all that. Rest well, Derryn. 

But Sam Neill?!

No. 

I'm sorry, Sam Neill is an Australasian treasure, despite the fact that he was born in Northern Ireland and emigrated to the South Island of New Zealand as a child - like all things good from New Zealand - read pavlova, Split Enz, Russell Crowe (but you can have him back, please), Sam Neill was ours. 

The news came through about his passing mid-afternoon. It's sad news. He was a legend. 

Sam Neill has been on our screens since God was a boy. I remember him as Harry in My Brilliant Career. He was the awful husband in The Piano (must watch that again). He was in the Australian classic, The Dish. He played Norman Lindsay in Sirens. I'm not counting his work in the Jurassic Park movies or his better-known television appearances. 

Most particular, I loved him as Hector in The Hunt for the Wilderpeople - one of my most favourite films. 

Sam Neill (originally named Nigel John Dermott Neill... nah, he's not a Nigel) has been around since the year dot on our screens, and he was reliably good in most things. 

Adding to this, word on the street was he was a thoroughly decent bloke. My friend Geetangeli used to run into him at the farmer's market in Christchurch. During COVID, he made videos of him roaming around his acreage with this animals. He had a dry wit and a lot of charm. He had been battling a blood cancer in recent years, but appears to have beaten it in the last year. He spoke openly and honestly about his possible demise with a huge amount of grace.  

And he will be sadly missed and remembered very fondly - and can you want much more than this. 

However, it seems the rule of threes is taking out people of New Zealand origin. I mean, Derryn Hinch - Sam Neill... if I was an octogenarian Kiwi I'd be looking over my shoulder - if I were Dame Kiri Te Kanawa I'd be a little worried. 

Regardless, Sam Neill - thank you for all the joy you've brought us over the years. May you rest in power, and may heaven be exactly how you wanted it to be. Know you are very well loved. Thoughts are stretched to your large whanau. 

Today's song: 

Theatre Review: Losing Face by Marieke Hardy

The Production: Losing Face by Marieke Hardy

The Company: Melbourne Theatre Company

The Theatre: The Southbank Theatre

Runtime: One hour, 40 minutes (no interval)

Until: 25 July

Stars: 4

This was fun. Good fun. And relatable. And lovely to look at. And very funny. A little bit of light relief after the serious matter that was Retrograde and the classical drama we're seeing in a few weeks when Uncle Vanya opens. 

Losing Face is a girl's own adventure. 

According to the MTC website, "Travel writer Jo is turning 50 and has invited her two ride-or-dies along for an unforgettable celebration: an all-expenses-paid visit to flashy new wellness resort, The Royal You. Expecting a long-overdue catch-up in steam rooms and infrared saunas, they instead arrive at a high-end medispa, where supercharged cosmetic procedures are upsold to unsuspecting guests. When a medical mishap turns disastrous, the women are left with some wildly unexpected and gravity-defying side effects."

Although this bordered on pastiche in places, the first thing I loved about this was the friendship portrayed between Jo (Michaela Banas), Lauren (Kristy Whelan Browne) and Simone (Madelaine Sami). The three women were all hilarious in their own way, with a lot of pathos mixed in for good measure. Looking after them at the medispa is the Nurse (Genevieve Morris) and the medical director, Tomas (Wil King).

The play is souped up for laughs. Marieke Hardy's script, which draws out the nuances of the women's friendship while providing insights of what it's like to be a perimenopausal woman in these times. The twist in the play's end put another layer on this tale of women's friendship and the search for what is perceived as eternal youth.

This was a very enjoyable night out, funny and thought provoking. You can't ask for more than that. 

Today's song:

Sunday Stealing Ask Your Name

 I look at this and I see a lot of red flags - I mean, here are people's passwords there and ready for the taking. But as I've moved on to double authentication and I'm going to do some lying here, I'll play. I have to get ready to go to the theatre in a bit anyway, so it's good to get the questions out of the way. I need to have a shower, because I smell like dog - was cuddling a toy poodle at the hairdressers today. He was adorable and fell asleep on my shelf, but still, I smell like dog and the cat doesn't like it. 

Questions come from Sunday Stealing - but know, they're not going to be quite correct. So a big ner ner raspberry to the scammers out there. 

What Is Your ...

1. ROCK STAR NAME (current pet and first car)? Example: If you have a dog named Max and your first car was a Chevy Malibu, your rock star name would be Max Malibu.

Okay, this one is public knowledge. My rock star name would be Lucifer Holden. That's pretty cool. We'd be on the harder edge of rock, but not death metal. 

2. RACECAR DRIVER NAME (the first names of your grandfathers)?

I'll use my grandfather's middle names for this. Elliot Llewellyn. That sounds pretty good. Mind you, I think that's more suited to racing of old-time race cars. Can see myself in an old MG or Caterham jaunting around the back roads of England. 

3. SOAP OPERA NAME (your middle name, town you were born in)?

I'm going to use my preferred name and place of birth here. I'd be Arcadia London. I could see myself being able to sing with a name like that. 

4. WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM NAME (your parents' middle names)?

Neither of my parents have a middle name so I'm going to have to make this one up too. Mum has always said that if she had a middle name it would be Elizabeth. As for Dad, we'll I'll give him a generic one. His middle name can be John. So that would make me some derivative of Elizabeth John. Maybe Lizzie Johnstone. 

5. ROMANCE AUTHOR NAME (favorite flower, favorite season/holiday)?

Ah, see this one is far enough removed not to be used for a password. And again, I'm going to lie.

Jonquil Rose Winters would be my romance writers name - though I still think that my other writerly name, Trelawny Thom would be good too.

Today's song: 

The Land Seal

 I'm busy binge watching the Legally Blonde prequel, Elle, on Netflix. This is happily entertaining, so I don't feel like writing. 

I'll tell you about the land seal tomorrow. 

Her name is Zoe. She's a Staffie. 

Not Neil. She does look a bit like him. 

Neil, however, doesn't play fetch with gumnuts. And Neil's Dad doesn't yell out, "Zoe, your mate's here,' when I walk past. 

Today's song: