13 October, 2016. 17:34
ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
IN A FIT OF NOSTALGIA, a local Pedestrian.tv content producer scrawled a quote by immortal American folk musician, Woody Guthrie, across the lid of his work laptop.
This Machine Kills Fascists.
He did it not to spite his employer, or to make a statement as he walks through the office with his head held high above his Tarocash-wrapped body.
He did it to remember why he got into journalism in the first place.
“Not everybody has what it takes to be a content writer,” explained Dennis Foggily, the Pedestrian veteran behind the bold graffiti.
“You need to have this unquenchable thirst for truth, but also a desire to make as much money as possible. Nobody gets into this game wanting to get rich, that’s why we diversify our writing,”
“But you don’t want to lose sight of those things, which is why I quoted Paper Towns by John Green, my favourite author, on my laptop. He’s a pretty ordinary writer, but he writes for an audience. And the cunt is rolling in it, so there’s that to aspire to.” he guessed.
After taking the time to speak so candidly to The Advocate, the 25-year-old writer retired from the office to a nearby park to work on his passion project, a long novella that plays on the idealism of youth and the culture of excess.
“It’s a work in progress, but Black Inc might publish it next fall. It’s right on the edge of what you can publish these days, so the press will be all over it,” he explained.
“Then I should be able to deserve to buy a house around here.”
As someone who once hung around in the Aussie writing scene…this is painfully true.