Given that Writers’ Week is a partner, do you have books with you and if so what are they?

Clare

We were invited to bring books, CDs and DVDs. All my media is digital so I couldn’t bring any music or film/TV but I did have a few books in tree format.

I have William Gibson’s Sppok Country, Neil Gaiman’s Smoke & Mirrors, David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest and was given Michael Faber’s Under the Skin the night before I came to the lab. I also have three copies of The Wanderer (the Campervan & Motorhome Club of Australia’s member magazine) and Build your own Motorhome by John Wickersham which was a Christmas present two years ago from my sister. (the latter make sense when you know about http://reallybigroadtrip.com!).

I’ve not had much time/brain to read, though, so I doubt I’ll get through much.

Fee Plumley

This is weird. Weirder than usual, I mean. There was a slight intimation before we went to sleep that something might happen that would affect our awakening, something we would discuss over breakfast. This I didn’t predict.

A short time ago, the lights came on (more…)

They let us sleep at last, gluing electrodes to our heads and plugging us in to the little board beside the bed which sends our brainwaves and eye movements off to be monitored. I have a tape measure wrapped around my skull and a blue line ruled on the top of my head, and then I have ten wires taped to various bits of my noggin. It seems like a very inefficient way to communicate with the world. It takes an hour for Scientist Michaela to hook me up to the machine and then I have to sit on the edge of the bed waiting until the others are ready. I don’t know how long I’ve been awake but I am guessing it’s a while from the way the carpet is pulsating like a life form. I try to lie down but someone appears in the doorway and politely but firmly tells me to sit up again. In here you only find out what the rules are when you break them. (more…)

Okay, so we’re in. After two years or more of talking and planning, this has finally happened!

The project officially started at 9.30am. (In a sense it actually started three days ago, when those who drink coffee had to stop drinking it. We also all had to try to sleep for a solid eight hours a night. And last night alcohol was completely verboten (more…)

The way I typically process my day to day existence is through twitter (I’m @feesable, although of course this week I’ll be unusually quiet there). I may hear or see something interesting and my first thought is to tweet about it, ideally with a photo. This (more often than not) generates responses from my online community, whom I love dearly. This connection to friends, family, colleagues and total strangers means the world to me. (more…)

Image: Fee Plumley

I’m in the blue room. There’s nothing to distinguish it from the others except the colour of the door and the linen, my initials in bold type on an A4 piece of paper tacked to the door. There’s a partition drawn between the waking half of the room – a desk, a table and a comfortable chair – and the sleeping half, where I will go when the lights go dark. All the furniture and fittings are brand new, so at the moment it’s a bit like we’re squatting an office building. We’re all in good spirits, joking and getting to know each other, but (more…)

Firstly, huge props to you all for taking one for the creative sector in Oz and worldwide.
Q: Do you have Net access, Twitter access and similar during the residency?

Ben Fox

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Do you intend to upload work in your usual medium, or are you taking this as an opportunity to experiment artistically (as well as physically, psychologically, emotionally!)?

Vicki

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I was wondering if  The Subjects have any thoughts – or visual responses – on one of my favourite images – Goya’s The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. (more…)

*stands up* *straightens dress* *clears throat* *smiles, awkwardly*

Good Morning. My name is Fee Plumley and I am a technoevangelist. I have used this ‘careerchoice’ as an excuse, a cover to conceal my addiction, for nearly seventeen years now. It’s time that I was honest with everyone – and myself – and admit that… I Have A Problem.

I go online via whatever internet-enabled device is closest to hand at that moment. (more…)