Ally Mircevski writes Where the Air Was Thin, a beautiful story about nostalgia and the places that stay with us. The air smelled of eucalyptus and dust. Above it all, the sky pressed into her chest until it felt both empty and full. (Image: Adobe Stock) The sky was between apricot and indigo, the city softened by the golden haze of a Sunday sunset. Riley sat cross-legged on the balcony, a half-drunk mug of peppermint tea warming her hands. The ceramic was chipped, but she li

In The Stench of Roses, Erin Kavanagh writes on losing young love and growing up, in a grungy rock-band romance. I think he liked how I admired him. (Image: WIX) He dropped my hand. He dropped my hand, and everyone saw. Dallas dropped my fucking hand and let me go in front of the rest of the band. I had never been so embarrassed. All night, he had been acting weird. He said he was just stressed from the concert, but I had seen him stressed many times, and I knew something els

Twenty years after its first release, Claudia Harvey reviews Twilight —and has her feminism confronted by the complexity of the fantasy teen romance genre. I sidled up to the first chapter, scoffed, and journeyed into Forks with the whimsy of a budget auditor, clipboard and red pen in hand. (Image: WIX) Twilight . A generation-defining, teen vampire romance. The saga passed me by in its heyday. Too young for it during the original release; too cool for it during its persever

In The New York Detective, Nicolas Lamattina writes a crime fiction retelling of the Three Little Pigs, through audio recordings. New York's notorious crime trio. (Image: WIX) Overview: The New York detective is a Crime fiction retelling of the Three Little Pigs. Derek Ringford, a NYPD detective is trying to solve a murder and robbery allegedly caused by a crime trio named “The Three Little Pigs”. The story is told with 4 audio recordings retrieved by the NYPD a couple days a

Reporter: James Ohis-Kummer. Accessible tram stops in Melbourne’s north have been neglected. Of the 35 stops on the Route 19 tram, only seven stops are accessible for people who experience mobility access issues and most of the stops are kerbside hailing points without ramps. Merri-Bek local Will Taylor lives with arthritis in his knee and knows this firsthand. “Seven accessible stops isn’t the same thing as an accessible tram route,” said Taylor. “Getting up onto and off th

Reporter: Molly Davis. For many women, coming home to an empty house isn’t a sign of loneliness; it’s a sign of freedom. Women account for around 55 per cent of people living alone, and this figure is expected to increase. For Siobhan Beggs, living alone with her cat has given her the freedom to do what she wants, when she wants, without worrying about someone else’s needs. “Compared to some of the previous stages in my life where I lived with someone, I’m in a healthier head

Reporter: Ruby Taylor. Despite the cost of living crisis, the Winter Night Market in Melbourne’s CBD is attracting huge crowds and organisers have extended its annual run by two weeks. The market is a part of the Queen Victoria Market’s Winter Series, which highlights in-season produce and retail items. Specialty traders set up at the Night Market every Wednesday from June through to August, but due to high demand have extended their stay. Retailer Marshall Waters said, “Ther

Reporter: Beyonce Kariuki. Women are no longer making the first move on the dating app Bumble but experts say the change may do little to solve dating app fatigue. The design feature was initially meant to change expectations that men should message first, but Bumble has now dropped it. Swinburne psychology lecturer Dr Taylor Gogan said removing the rule that women make first contact could place more pressure on women by giving them the additional task of initiating conversa

Reporter: Charlotte Dyer. Businesses in Melbourne’s east are struggling with disruptions caused by the Eastern Freeway upgrades, with one Balwyn North restaurant owner reporting customer numbers have fallen by more than 50 per cent since roadworks began. Greekery co-owner Elaheh Hashemi said congestion near the Doncaster Road exit had made it increasingly difficult for customers and delivery drivers to reach her restaurant. “More than half of our walk-in customers are gone,”

Ashleigh Illingworth offers a sneak peek into her developing novel, Barely Friends, with this excerpt. Chapter 8 I am woken up with a loud scream from across the street. I sit up and see the lights on in Florence’s house and a shadowy figure running through the upstairs hallway. Another scream sends me out of bed. I run to the top of the stairs to see Mum putting on a dressing gown and bolting out the front door, down our one-step veranda. Dad must still be asleep. That man c

When were you last at the circus? Genevieve Spiteri reviews the Circus Oz show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. When was the last time you went to the circus? Do you remember the incredible acrobatics and hilarious antics of the performers? Now is the perfect time to experience it again with Circus Oz’s Here, There and Everywhere these school holidays at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. An absolutely seamless performance from start to finish,

Estonian clowns Piip and Tuut have landed in Melbourne to brighten your school holidays for Melbourne Comedy Festival, Genevieve Spiteri reviews. Welcome to Piip and Tuut at Concert! Two impatient janitors who can’t seem to sit still are here to entertain and delight your young ones this school holidays as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival . I had the absolute privilege of attending the "World-Famous known only in Estonia" clown duo Piip and Tuut ’s Mel