Alright, let’s do one of those 2020 threads. Going back for the photos actually reminded me of some moments that were genuinely good that were, uh, subsumed by later events. Started the year in my new place in Sydney. That plant dead now.
In January, I flew to Japan to interview this little dude. Coronavirus was a thing, of course, but not yet our thing. How silly we were.
I filed this piece, the first of many I would file on the outbreak, while still at the airport about to board my flight. Unfortunately it has largely held up in the year since. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/share/9332/tVGgnDn
Wrote some of my next book right here which was incredibly fucken indulgent but, hindsight, so glad I did.
Toured the Fukushima exclusion zone in Japan for some book research. Haunting. Lives just left in a single moment. We’re in early February now.
Wrote this in my notes folder about 1am after waking up for some reason. Forgot about it until the next day when I looked.
Came home to the finished portrait an artist, Dany Weus, had done for the Archibald. We were not selected but also, lol.
Later, Hamish has a little meltdown because he loves me so much and I dared go home.
Then I flew to Perth and ran into homegrown boy / my friend @Rabe9 and he brought me into the culture.
Also, @bencjenkins was there
Then I flew home and had, from memory, a day before I flew to New York. For context, I had never travelled for fun at any point in my 20s. Now I was doing it TWICE in two months. This wouldn’t do anything bad to civilisation right!?
Saw the biggest dinosaur of my life at the American Museum of Natural History. It was in three rooms.
And just generally had an amazing time. Again, everyone was talking about THE VIRUS but it had not made its fateful strike here yet. I was barely ahead of it.
While in New York I filed this piece of commentary about all the ways in which truth so elides our Prime Minister. Unfortunately based on lots of encounters over many years. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/share/9332/tVGgnDn
Wrote some more of my big book here, with this amazing view, and was then upgraded to Business on the way home. Last of the truly good vibes!
A day after I returned home I was driving to Canberra to cover George Pell’s leave for appeal in the High Court of Australia.
Actually for the most part April thru June is REDACTED. But I did watch Tiger King, lose my mind and buy a tracksuit and grow a topknot.
Started cooking. A LOT. Turns out I can do it if I finally have all the equipment, time, energy, mental fallow, cultural knowledge and palate.
Wrote many, many, many more features on the coronavirus and our responses to it. This was, at the time in April, the biggest disaster since the Ruby Princess. Two whole hospitals were closed. Compare and contrast to what would happen later. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/04/18/tasmanian-hospitals-caught-coronavirus-storm/15871320009706
And, in May-June, tried to find other things totally unrelated about which to write. This one was such a fascinating, sad piece. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/environment/2020/05/30/how-one-mine-ate-town/15907608009899
Then I finally got to see my little buddy again. And then meet his new brother! My heart doubled in size!
End of June, stumbled across this little morsel which would, of course, be overshadowed by later events. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/06/27/exclusive-new-govt-report-targets-abc/159318000010021
Then Hamish traumatised his parents and uncle and me just moments after this photo was taken. There was a medical emergency and I was so upset I couldn’t talk about it for weeks. No longer want children!
July through December: misc. mental breakdowns. More detail to follow, however.
I was really proud of this July piece. Heartbreaking and confronting. The fight goes on. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2020/07/11/exclusive-doctors-ignore-terminal-cancer/159438960010102
By late July, I had pulled together this sweeping look (with the first genomic testing results) about how the Vic second wave broke. Again, sadly, confirmed by later inquiries. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2020/07/18/how-the-second-wave-broke/159499440010121
Hard to pick piece of which I am most proud. I think there were some important ones. But this one explains much about how hundreds died in aged care homes. Lots of detail from sources and documents tabled to the #agedcareRC that had not been reported. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/08/15/exclusive-the-phone-call-that-denied-elderly-patients-access-hospital
And took my friend @bkjabour to the beach so she could swim while I pretended to be a dad pushing the park and nodding at all the other dads.
Then decided to write a 5000-word, two-part piece about the collapse of aged care because the only way to really understand what happened this year was to take in deleterious policy changes over more than two decades. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/09/12/the-collapse-aged-care-part-one/159983280010409
Here's Part Two: https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/09/19/the-collapse-aged-care-part-two/160043760010442
Then I FINALLY, in late September, finished writing this 83,000 word manuscript which had haunted my every waking hour since January. But, alas, not the end.
And had this piece, Thirst, published in Island Magazine under the exquisite handling of @annaspargoryan https://islandmag.com/currentissue
In October, the bad news just kept coming. No rhyme or reason, just administrative malice. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/10/17/exclusive-war-refugees-moves-final-phase-onshore/160285320010560
Unfortunately, this also held up. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/10/31/trump-2020-this-how-you-steal-election/160406280010627
And then this baby was published. I was a little unsure, but the kind of feedback I’ve been getting helps me remember how important it is to see our lives and peculiarities of thought and behaviour on the page. Thanks everyone.
Was really stoked to be given the space to explain why Robodebt and the Productivity Commission's mental health report are not two separate stories. This is all connected across policy. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/11/21/big-picture-robo-debt-politics-and-poverty/160587720010726
Bought some totally weird capes and shit from Sydney Opera at a costume sale. Will find reasons to wear them.
I promise this will be over soon. I am tired and want dinner.
Filed this piece about the long-game on the NDIS: what those proposed new independent assessments really mean and how the government moved the necessary pieces into place over years. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/12/05/exclusive-the-seven-year-plot-undermine-the-ndis/160708680010805
And then went into surgery the very next day. @bkjabour picked me up, thank my stars. Fucken horrific.
Ah, almost forgot! Was announced as editor of @BlackIncBooks latest anthology Growing Up in Country Australia. Super excited about the stories we can tell with this. Submissions are open now and close January 22. Please write for us! Paid. https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/news/growing-country-australia-call-submissions
Then finally got to make a break for Queensland to see my mum after precisely a year. Had to file my second last feature for the year on the side of the road.
Here's that piece, about how the NDIS agency is systematically and quietly cutting supported independent living funds for participants even when there has been NO change in their needs. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/12/12/how-the-ndia-devaluing-disability/160769160010861
Filed my last @SatPaper piece for the year and finished some 8500 edits on my now 90,000 word manuscript in this very pleasant spot at home but, frankly, what a fucken week and a bit.
That last piece is an urgent and beautiful read about sacred country in the NT and the government's 'gas-led economic recovery'. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/12/19/fracking-country-the-nt/160829640010913