Madison Griffiths is an artist, poet, activist and podcaster. She was co-host of the podcast No Chill. And is writer, producer and presenter for her newest podcast Tender, the story of what happens when a woman leaves an abusive relationship.
I'm so thrilled to welcome Madison Griffiths into the Castaway Studios for our first studio episode of 2019. Our previous ALL DOG themed episode was held at the wonderful Merri Creek Tavern. Our next live show will be held on Wednesday May 1st, 2019 at Merri Creek Tavern. Put it in your diary.
Madison tells me her origin story as writer which all began when Vice published an article of hers in 2016 called An Open Letter to My Vagina: Sex, Pain, and Vaginismus
In 2017 Madison and Lucinda Price had a live online conversation called No Chill as part of the Digital Writers Festival. This went on to become a six part podcast series presented by Pedestrian TV.
On the three year anniversary of leaving an abusive relationship Madison had a powerful dream that motivated her to start her own deeply personal and powerful podcast called Tender.
Madison then tells me about her experience performing on a poetry open mic for the first time. And we discuss how vibrant the spoken word scene is in Melbourne. The best resource in Melbourne for things spoken word is Melbourne Spoken Word. Go there to discover upcoming events, workshops, competitions, publishing opportunities, mentorships, EVERYTHING relating to spoken word.
There were many amazing creative prompts posted on both our Facebook and Instagram pages this week. Thank you so much. Keep them coming in.
At the moment, every week on the show we will give away a More Than A Whelan koozie (stubby holder) to my favourite creative prompt of the week.
Madison reads an original poem of hers called A Meadow in response to the prompt : Hair. Its power, its stigma, how it changes us in the eyes of others AND ourselves. This was supplied by Matt H Kennedy. Thank you Matt. You are More Than A Whelan Muse of the Week!
I chose two prompts to inspire a new poem.
The prompts were...
Breakdown in communication by Johnny Moretti.
The risks and joys of sleeping naked by Annie Molenaar. AKA Celebrant Lady Love. and Unholy Matrimony
Flip It and Reverse It.
I nearly always sleep naked.
I say nearly because sometimes I will fall asleep in my undies or t-shirt or both.
But every time I awake, I am liberated from my clothing.
Sometime during the night I have removed them in my sleep
and I never have any memory of it whatsoever.
I imagine myself wriggling from the cocoon of my clothing bit by bit during the night
and sometimes I forget about exactly where that clothing goes
and I'll think where the hell have all my undies gone?
Until it's time to change the sheets and there they are wedged at the end of the bed, sometimes two or three pairs
Curled and cuddled up like sleeping cats.
When alone in a house, as I often up when house sitting, I will often rise naked, and walk bleary eyes into the kitchen to turn the kettle on,
maybe whack a muffin or two into the toaster.
Sometimes I'll even drop a banging hiphop playlist on to put a little boost into butt and a little sass into my strut as I start grooving around the kitchen.
One such morning at a house sit in Carlton I was doing exactly this
when I suddenly thought I heard a sound above the banging bass thumps of Missy Elliott.
When I looked up , there was the cleaning lady lugging a vacuum cleaner down the hallway.
She had her head down and hadn't noticed me yet.
I panicked I was in open ground there wasn't enough time to flee.
I seized the closest object I could find to protect my modesty.
So when the cleaning lady finally looked up,
there I was holding a frying pan in front of my groin.
The owner told me the cleaning lady wasn't coming until the next day,
the cleaning lady was told something else.
A breakdown in communication of mortifying consequences.
She dropped the vacuum and returned from whence she came.
I fled to my room and shut the door.
Missy Elliott kept booming throughout the house,
singing "Is it worth it? Let me work it
I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it"
Our Golden Muse of the Week this week is Annie. Congrats Annie! You'll be receiving a piece of More Than A Whelan merch supplied by our generous supporter Luxe Country.
Visit our online store here!
Whelan and Stealin'
For the segment where my guests and I choose a piece of work to cover, Meredith reads a poem by Olivia Gatwood called Alternate Universe in Which I Am Unfazed by the Men Who Do Not Love Me.
I read a poem by Salena Godden called It Isn't Punk to Ask Permission.
WORLD OF WHELAN
As DJ Hot Wheels I'll be MCing and DJing the Palais-Hepburn official launch on Friday Feb 22. 7pm until late. FREE ENTRY.
Meredith's wonderful podcast Tender is a finalist in the Frankie Good Stuff Awards. You can vote for her right here!
Thank you to our generous supporters Castaway Studio and Luxe Country.
Thank you for listening.
More Than A Whelan does not exist without you. I am super thankful.
Whelan, out.