Author Archives: sagesomethymes

About sagesomethymes

Daniela is a writer, theatre producer and civic educator. She has had short stories and poetry published in: 'Prayers of a Secular World', Inkerman & Blunt; 'Blue Crow Magazine', Blue Crow Press; 'Knitting and other stories', Margaret River Press and Radio National’s '360 documentaries'. Her debut play, 'Talc', was produced in 2010. Her short play, 'Sicilian Biscotti', was produced for the launch of “Women Power and Culture” at New Theatre in 2011 and shortlisted for the Lane Cove Literary Award in 2015. Her second full length play, 'Friday', was produced by SITCO at the Old Fitzroy Theatre in 2013. 'The Poor Kitchen' was produced in 2016 as part of the Old 505 Theatre’s Fresh Works Season and was published by the Australian Script Centre in 2017 (https://australianplays.org/script/ASC-1836). It was re-staged by Patina Productions at Limelight on Oxford in 2019. She co-wrote 'Shut Up And Drive' with Paul Gilchrist and it was produced at KXT in 2016. 'Seed Bomb' was produced at Old 505 Theatre as part of the FreshWorks Season in 2019 and has been published by the Australian Script Centre (https://australianplays.org/script/ASC-2166). She co-wrote 'Softly Surely' with Paul Gilchrist and it was produced at Flight Path Theatre in 2022. She directed 'Augusta' by Paul Gilchrist for the 2024 Sydney Fringe. She is the co-founder of indie theatre company subtlenuance (www.subtlenuance.com) and has produced over thirty plays. Her published short stories can be read via the Short Stories tab on this blog.

The Courage To Eat Plums

Posted on May 25, 2017 by sagesomethymes

Recently I discovered a secret source of wild berries. Or they discovered me. I was walking innocently along a footpath while on a lunch break when my shoes became stuck in a patch of violet slime. After using the edge of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Experiments with Food, Habitat | Tagged Adani Coal Mine, blueberries, Diprotodons, foraging, Illawarra Plums, Indigenous Seasons, native bush foods, Podocarpus elatus, Queensland, urban food forager, viticulture, wild berries, wine making | 2 Comments

The Ninety Percent Club

Posted on April 25, 2017 by sagesomethymes

The other day I was speaking to a group of gynecologists from the USA. This is the kind of thing I get paid to do. They were a very political group, and as part of their conference program in Sydney, had … Continue reading →

Posted in democracy | Tagged 1967 Referendum, Australian citizenship, Australian Constitution, citizenship, citizenship test, civil rights movement, compulsory voting, Constitutional Recognition, democracy, electoral law, migration, Recognition Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution., voting | 2 Comments

A Sapphire Blue Sydney Sky

Posted on April 6, 2017 by sagesomethymes

“We’re going to stick it where the sun don’t shine.” That’s not actually what he said. It’s just what I imagined he was thinking. I blame such crassness on several days of ‘low residue white food’ diet followed by 24 hours of … Continue reading →

Posted in My Mother and Me, The Sex Diaries, Time | Tagged bowel cancer, Canopic jars, colonoscopy, death, guts, hospital, intestines, medical procedures, menstruation, nurses, periods, show bag, sunshine, viscera | 2 Comments

Naked in Melbourne

Posted on February 23, 2017 by sagesomethymes

I’ve never been a fan of sleeping naked. I have difficulty slipping into otherworldly slumber without the soft cotton comfort of my nightie, not to mention my undies. But recently, on a trip to our southern sister city, the airline we traveled with … Continue reading →

Posted in Spirit of Place | Tagged baggage, inner health, lost luggage, Melbourne, nudity, Skybus, sleep, sleeping naked, Tullamarine airport, underwear | 5 Comments

My Top Ten Books

Posted on January 16, 2017 by sagesomethymes

Here are ten books that I enjoyed reading last year and thought were worth sharing. They’re a mix of fiction and non-fiction in no particular order. I read them at the beach, on the train, on the couch, in the park, … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review | Tagged Anna Quindlen, Anne Patchett, Australia day, Australian native Foods, Barbara Kingsolver, Gloria Steinem, Grace, Hope in the Dark, Life, Loss, Love, Nicole Mones, philosophy, reading, Rebecca Solnit | Leave a comment

Get On Your Soap Box

Posted on December 13, 2016 by sagesomethymes

This summer, as you enjoy Christmas carols or the symphony in the Domain, see if you can also spot an old time orator on their soap box in Speaker’s Corner. The tradition of Speaker’s Corner comes to us from London’s Hyde Park, … Continue reading →

Posted in democracy, Spirit of Place, Time | Tagged 1932, 1975, communism, Debra Phillips, Egon Kisch, free speech, Gough Whitlam, Governor Game, Governor General Kerr, H.V.Evatt, High Court, Hitler, John Webster, Menzies, Moreton Bay figs, NAZIS, Premier Jack Lang, psychogeography, Reichstag fire, Reverend Bill Crews, Speaker's Corner, Sydney Botanic Gardens, The Domain, Viva Voce’ Soap-Box sculpture | Leave a comment

Bugs, Birds and Bees

Posted on November 30, 2016 by sagesomethymes

Recently I was talking to my mother. My phone call interrupted her in the shed where she was wrestling with the pesticide pump. She was removing the original hose and replacing it with a longer one. By way of making conversation I … Continue reading →

Posted in My Mother and Me | Tagged bees, bees and pesticide, cockroach baits, European Parliament, pesticides, toxic chemical warfare | 4 Comments

Songlines, Starmaps and Ubiquitous Suburban Roads

Posted on November 20, 2016 by sagesomethymes

A friend recently flew back into Sydney. It was after sunset and she had the window seat. As the plane banked lower and lower across the north west of the city she began to recognise some of the main roads that … Continue reading →

Posted in Habitat, Spirit of Place, Time | Tagged Aboriginal culture, Aboriginal dot painting, Aboriginal history, Aboriginal spirituality, Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth, Blue Mountains, Botany Road, D'harawal, Darug, dreaming tracks, First Peoples, Gamay, George Street, Great Westren Highway, Gundungurra, Indigenous belief system, old roads, original inhabitants, Parramatta road, Pitt Street, Shannon Foster, Songlines, Starmaps, suburban roads, War-ran, Wiradjuri | Leave a comment

A Conversation

Posted on November 13, 2016 by sagesomethymes

The USA will soon have a President elected by people who voted for simplicity over complexity. The kind of simplicity that harks back to 20th Century Germany and Italy, Spain and Japan, Austria, Chile and Brazil. The list unfortunately goes on. … Continue reading →

Posted in democracy | Tagged BREXIT, childhood versus adulthood, compromise, democracy, fascism, Parliament, political elite, politics, power, simplicity versus complexity, taxation, USA elections | 4 Comments

The Art of Grace

Posted on November 5, 2016 by sagesomethymes

What does the word grace conjure in your mind? For some it’s divine assistance, particularly when unmerited. For others it’s a gentle disposition and an elegance of movement. For me it’s the sublime beauty of a sunset at the end of … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, The Sages | Tagged Cary Grant, Grace, Grace Darling, Greta Garbo, John Waterhouse, Lionel Barrymore, On Moving Well Through Life, Ptahhotep, Sarah L Kaufman, spirituality, The Art of Grace, The Soul of the Rose, virtue | Leave a comment