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The school lunch kōrero is a fascinating exercise in not recognising intergenerational privilege. Here are the arguments I'm seeing: * Parents fed their kids back in the day. * It's parents' job to feed their kids, not anyone else's - and if the parents can&
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I lived in Naenae, Lower Hutt, for several years, before our family moved a few kilometres north to Upper Hutt. When we shifted, I thought about changing my pen name to ‘Straight Outta Trentham’, but rapidly realised I couldn’t be bothered. And anyway, I still feel an allegiance to
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Kia ora Brian I’ve spent time in both churches and libraries, and I can tell you which I prefer. Here’s a story about me and my older kid, although I don’t expect you’ll like it much. You’ve been pretty clear: those ‘family values’ of yours
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A reflection. Humans are both stupid and sublime. I thought about this a lot when I wrote my PhD. I studied social policy in Aotearoa, and the contrasts in our history captured me. We were a nation that, at our height, built ten thousand state houses a year to give
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In confidence, for my paid subscribers.
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I learned about World War Two through family and movies and in class. I wasn’t especially worried. Humans learn from experience. We seldom mess up that badly twice, I figured - or, at least, not on any kind of scale. The battles of that time didn’t interest me,
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This is a story with questionable characters. You've met some of them before.
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People who take the train to and from the office in Pōneke are, more often than not, Pākehā and comfortable.
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The COVID-19 inquiry is starting to drip feed its findings, and I'm having a lot of feelings. Some of those feelings come from being a person who worked in the response in 2020. I can't even begin to say how awful it was - and I
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This piece is about the use of the 'rough sex defence' by men who harm women. I focus on ideas, not acts of violence, but it remains a challenging read. As always, a reminder I'm not a lawyer.
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I've thought carefully about the kind of words I want to toss into this cauldron. I'm feeling disillusioned of course, and angry, and bereft. But I can't let myself be without hope. Subscribe now Things have been shit before and things will be shit
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This starts with a giant thanks to my paid subscribers. I've dropped down to a four-day work week so I can manage my long COVID and still be able to write. Ngā mihi for your support, e hoa mā.