Alexandra Heller-Nicholas guided us through Monday’s class today. Alex is an Australian film critic, broadcaster and writer, and her cross media knowledge was an interesting and insightful view into the Australian media industry. Starting the class by introducing herself, she successfully compartmentalised the aspects, responsibilities, and privileges of criticism that I previously hadn’t thought of. One topic that resonated strongly with me was the idea of privilege, as she stated ‘that a single mother working two jobs, wouldn’t have the luxury of watching two feature lengths films that I do each week’. This got me thinking about the true inclusion of criticism, and how in our day and age, where ‘everyone’s a critic’ that might not be such a bad thing. One thing I have been tackling with quite personally this semester is the differentiation between high and low culture, and how does one voice and opinion get credentialed over another. Alex investigated this with the class, modestly stating how she still doesn’t understand what determines her right of say over some else’s art.

Applying this questioning to my own skepticisms, specifically in relation to the investigations I have conducted PB3, I have decided that cultural criticism is my most interested format. Conducting investigations about the content’s relationship with context as oppose to the value of content itself.

This week in Everyone’s A Critic, acclaimed writer Yossi Klein met and spoke to the class about his experience as a professional writer. Currently the chief editor of Bread, Wine and Thou as well as having previously published fiction and poetry, listening to Yossi was extremely informative and inspiring. In a world that is continuously focused on including everyone, it at times can either feel like you’ve already been forgotten or have nothing of worth to say. Yossi however, disputed this idealism, passionately affirming that ‘everyone has a story to tell, you just have to know how to tell it’. I always find it interesting listening to professional creatives, as their application of work ethic onto something that I’ve been taught either comes naturally or doesn’t, always makes me reframe my interpretation of art and the artist’s experience. Yossi was a really interesting guest to listen too, as his ability to speak clearly and on a multitude of subjects is I have no doubt consequential to him making a living off using his voice. Raising some provoking ideas regarding Indigenous Australians and our contribution to their conversation, reaffirmed a sense of credibility within my own writing. As these days we are surrounded by the internet, and therefore a multitude of critics, it can at times feel daunting to use your own voice in case it offends some one else’s. Also, trying to manouver around the ethics of who’s right to the conversaiton is it anyway? These reasons are what stop me from focuing and publishing my writing, as my fear of criticism that I did not know even existed within my own critiques, seem inevitable these days. However, Yossi confirmed a sense of duty within myself, making me realise that everyone is allowed to contribute to the conversation, as long as you’re bettering it.

Wednesday’s In Class Exercise

I woke up late this morning – as usual. I had no clean clothes and the fridge was next to bare. Traffic heaved unbearably through the city scape, achieving fleeting moments of exuberant movement before collapsing once again onto itself like an insufferable dying bug. At work I went to my desk and there was a note to go and see the boss. I waited outsider her offie for a while before she called me in. I couldn’t figure out why she wanted to see me. I went inside and sat down. She handed me an envelope with manicured claws. The artificial pink tips of her fingers laughing mockingly at the exposed rawness of my own. Whilst telling me that my services were longer needed, I imagined her in her turbulent teen years, understanding that her current conviction was at fault to an education who encouraged her to talk as oppose to listen. In her conclusion, she stated that I was then ‘free’ to go, in an attempt to deceive my recent unemployment as liberation rather then defeat. I got my belongings from my desk and left. The drive home was quick. I am now unemployed.

I found this exercise so much fun. I love getting the chance to write. I find that in university I am not pushed outside of the boundaries of my degree enough, which although makes complete sense (considering I am studying Media and not Creative Writing), can sometimes find a bit limiting. Having a task set for you to write within the confines of, I also find makes the writing process a lot easier and more rewarding, as it allows me to become creative within the format of a traditional structure.