Roma
Female | Age unspecified | 5 to 10 minutes
Starts on page 1
EXTRACT: In the summer the soldiers come. We are putting all the tomatoes in the bottles - My brothers and I run and hide in the tomatoes - the little tomatoes have little hairs on their arms like us. The soldiers take my papa away - to join them, even though he's never won a fight in his life. While he is gone I dance in his shoes. My brothers go in four directions. One to love, one to fight, one to prison and the other to God.
Stephanie
Female | Age unspecified | 5 to 10 minutes
Starts on page 5
EXTRACT: When you found the condoms all through the Volvo? /My pants wrapped round the federation lampshade - /The expulsion for my nipple ring?/ Hmm? Shadows of doubt?/ That particular midnight when you were meant to be interstate?/ The lounge room floor - my legs to heaven and Scragger Williams/ A pogo stick with a head -/ 10 minute Sumo wrestler orgasm -/ We were eye to eye Dad -/ Couldn’t you have given up on me then?
Contains adult themesSwannie
Female | Age unspecified | 5 to 10 minutes
Starts on page 11
EXTRACT: Could you give an old girl a/ hand. Won't bite you know. Can't./ Lost my teeth in a frozen pie two year back./ Look at you lot. Wouldn't give me the time of day./ No point, anyroad. Who cares about the time of day or even the/ day itself. Since Bobby Skilton gave the game away there's no/ point to nothing./ 3 Brownlow medals they give him - you'll never see no-one do/ that for the Swans again./ Look at him now - can't talk proper and walks like a fucking rowboat.
Contains coarse languagePeta
Female | Age unspecified | 3 to 5 minutes
Starts on page 15
EXTRACT: Can King Lear be Chinese?/ Macbeth - an Iroquois/ Let's set Stanley Kawalski in Arnhem Land/ And My Fair Lady in the Bronx./ Who can we play?/ Can we swap shoes-/ Your Ug-boots for my bare feet,/ My high heels for your moccasins./ How else can I understand you?/ Isn't it time to trade tongues?/ Let your language lactate on my lips./Ingest your intuitions, your ancient histories/ And gulp at your blood-/ And play you back.
Judy Garland
Female | Age unspecified | 3 to 5 minutes
Starts on page 16
EXTRACT: Oh, I've got a feeling this isn't Kansas anymore./ I feel so wonderful, don't you?/ A girl just feels at her best when she's slept for 8 hours and lost two pounds, doesn't she?/ These tablets my boss gives me - they make a new girl of me every day./ A little friend to wake me - a little friend to 'un-wake' me - and a whole/ party of friends to make me look 12 years old.
Contains adult themesKellie
Female | Age unspecified | 3 to 5 minutes
Starts on page 18
EXTRACT: Me and Mum had a blue -/ A big stink just before Christmas./ Me and my mouth,/ I laid into her something shocking,/ Told her I’d lost my virginity -/ I don’t know where it went - Had it when I went in the party -/ She threw a big mental - but she boasts how quick she lost hers -/ Then we both went up in flames -
Contains adult themesMiriam
Female | Age unspecified | 5 to 10 minutes
Starts on page 21
EXTRACT: I'm working on my family tree. I sometimes think it's of no use. The tree remains whether I water it or not. It seems, sometimes, to tower over me. And there is my Mother - Who never gave in - A depression, a war - a family - And Grandma Mae - two wars, a depression and a family - Way back to Penelope... A pioneer - More depressions, wars and family than you could shake a stick at - All useful women - staring down at me.
Mia
Female | Teen | Under 3 minutes
Starts on page 25
EXTRACT: I'm 18./ I want to be 18./ I want to go to that party that ends too late/and sleep with the wrong boy./ I want to vote and trust that it matters./ I want to go to the Complex and gamble away/ the money that I have - it won't take long-/ I want to press my foot on an accelerator for the first time/ A car is still a glittering toy, every dress a ball gown/ Love- a novel I wish I'd read-
Contains adult themesThe Daughter of Veronica Leigh
Female | Age unspecified | over 10 minutes
Starts on page 26
EXTRACT: We danced the Varsouviana! Suddenly, in the middle of the dance the boy I had married broke away from me and ran out of the casino. A few moments later -- a shot! I ran out -- all did! -- all ran and gathered about the terrible thing at the edge of the lake! I couldn't get near for the crowding. Then somebody caught my arm. "Don't go any closer! Come back! You don't want to see!" See? See what! Then I heard voices say -- Allan! Allan! The Grey boy! He'd stuck the revolver into his mouth, and fired
Contains adult themes