Franks First edition was eagerly snapped up by an adoring crowd.
Another fascinating insight from Frank of the North West Frontier.
In this-un Frank gives an engaging insight into French influence and literature. Although we are allegedly a not for profit organisation, (As in most Australian not for profit organisations our CEO allegedly is on a paltry 500k salary and enduring a European fact-finding tour) we urge you to dig deep and endorse the publishing renaissance from Yuendumu. He also gives some salutary pointers on French Literature and rest assured although he inadvertently left out the ‘ Count of Monte Christo’ we know he is ghost writing Julian Assange’s upcoming classic, “the Kant of Monte Belmarsh” in which Julian philosophises the true meaning of Crime and Punishment.
A must read.
Frank writes…..
Bonjour mes amis,
The printing presses started to smoulder with the intensity of getting the first edition into the book-stalls.
Two days ago was France’s National Day, better known to us as Bastille Day.
It was also my mother’s birthday (she would have been 103 years old).
And it was the publication date of the second edition of My Yuendumu Story.
A delegation of Warlpiri men installed a massive traditional ground painting at the Pompidou Centre in Paris. I recall that on their return to Yuendumu they were proudly wearing bright red berets. It was just as bizarre (to use a French word) as Old Darby’s Gucci t-shirt.
Apart from two brief visits to France, most of what I learnt about France and its history is from two memorable books:
Isabel Allende’s novel ‘La Isla Bajo el Mar’ (Island Beneath the Sea) which deals with slavery in Haiti and Louisiana.
Haiti gained its independence as a consequence of the 1791 slave rebellion. The impudence of the rebels has been severely punished. Political and economic turmoil and interference has wreaked the Island of Hispaniola ever since, and Haiti remains one of the world’s poorest nations. Not only have they been subjected to such as the occupation by U.S. Marines (1915-1934) but have suffered tempests and earthquakes and disease. But look on the bright side- they own some amazing music!
Unhappy with the draft first edition, the public demanded a more colourful and sentimental ‘happy ending’ to Frank’s first edition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-4XtWut3S0
The Louisiana purchase (1803) was to prove a real bargain 827,000 square miles for $15 million.
Some amazing music was thrown in for free.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa8vyTfugcI
Stephen Clarke’s ‘1000 Years of Annoying the French’ taught me inter alia that la guillotine and les croissants did not originate in France.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH5V2uqiSXc
Then there are the en passant French speaking volunteers and workers at Warlukurlangu Arts Centre not to mention Little Sisters of Jesus Claire and Magali who spent many years in Yuendumu.
Did you know that Edith Piaf picked up the song La Foule on a visit to Argentina where it had been composed in 1936?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgn8gZHJZzA
Que nadie sepa mi sufrir (Amor de mis amores)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPOSZ2rg2-I
The first edition of My Yuendumu Story had a print run of 600 copies all of which were sold or spoken for. Most sales were to recipients of these Musical Dispatches and many were sold by Red Kangaroo Book shop in Alice Springs that I expect will soon have copies of the second edition in stock.
From the feedback I’ve had, I am fairly confident that if you don’t yet have a copy, you won’t regret buying one.
Edith Piaff, told the reporters to ‘Pee-off’ as she sang the entire first chapter in French whilst smoking a Gitane..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Kvu6Kgp88
If you deposit $40 in my account: F. Baarda ANZ A/Springs
BSB 015881 A/C 550272713 (Reference your name)
And supply a postal address, I’ll arrange for a copy to be mailed to you.
For $30 I’ll arrange for a copy of Kate Thompson’s Provenance to be mailed to you.
(also available at Red Kangaroo Books)
Kate wrote her book while house-sitting in Yuendumu. It is a work of fiction that deals with exploitation of Aboriginal art but so much more. It is one of only a few cross-cultural books written by a whitefellow that didn’t make me cringe.
I consider the two books complement each other, like bookends.
A bientot,
The philosopher who most influenced Assange gave it all up to focus on confectionary.
François