Two Books

Take Me To Paradise

a novel

Marilyn wakes up one morning and instead of catching the bus to work, catches the ‘I don’t like Mondays’ flight to Bali. But is she too late to indulge her paradise dream? How many western women have arrived before her and fallen headlong for the lush green island, its exotic culture, and their attractive driver?

Set in the artisan hill town of Ubud, Bali, in the aftermath of the bombing that rocked Bali's famed peace and serenity, Jan Cornall’s novel explores notions of paradise and a modern woman’s quest for meaning in an increasingly hostile world.

Take Me to Paradise shows how different the paradise dream can be: for a western woman, for a Balinese man, for a Balinese wife, and the many characters Marilyn meets. Cornall reminds us, as the Balinese do, that while the painful events of our lives leave their mark, if we are to go on living, we have no choice but to let them go.
Buy here $20AUD

Reviews
“Marilyn’s escape is one that turns into a journey, not so much of self-discovery as one of self-awakening -- of senses and sensuality, independence and individuality. Paradise, in this sense, exists within oneself. Part travel journal, part diary, Take Me to Paradise is a gem of a novella likely to become a well-worn travel companion. Chisato Hara, Jakarta Post

“Take Me to Paradise is a story of loss, longing and the search for meaning in the garden island of Bali. Can we find what we're looking for by escaping to a kinder, gentler world; is every journey an inner journey; or does a culture more attuned to finding happiness amidst the vagaries of life have something to teach us?"

Rob Schneider, author, blogger, Sihanoukville.

“Take Me to Paradise is about the paradox between east and west. The Balinese live a very simple life in a complex environment. Westerners come to Bali to find romance. They find it and much more. Marilyn must choose between transitioning to the sacred heart to find her inner happiness, or lost and afraid, remain ignorant at the gate.”

Lily Campbell, Bali

“Jan Cornall approaches the travel romance genre and subverts it with satirical insight. The best satire cuts deep; you can cut with cruelty or you can cut with a compassionate understanding of our human failings.  It is no surprise that Cornall does the latter and once again we reap the benefit.”

Brian Joyce, writer, former director Hunter Writers Centre.

Archipelagogo – Love Songs to Indonesia 

A collection of poems, songs and stories with illustrations by Indonesian artist, Jumaadi.

Penned during a decade of travel around Indonesia, many of these love-song-poems about people, places and the complexities of cross-cultural relationships, have been sung acapella to audiences at literary festivals across the Asia Pacific region. With a frank and fresh approach, Jan applies her playful wit and raw insight to her experiences as a naive bule (foreigner) who falls in love with everything Indonesian and every Indonesian she meets. With songs and poems like Indonesian Handbag, Jogja Cowboy, Lampung Boy, Married Men Invite You In, Pleasure and Pain, Money Honey, Exotic Erotic, Jan’s literary cabaret takes you on a tour of the sights and sounds of Indonesia via a map of the heart.
Buy here $20AUD


Reviews

“This book is a treasure trove of sensual, literary and musical delights revealingly embedded in Indonesian culture and place.” 

Narelle Scotford, author.

“A fantasy Balinese folk tale called Seven Husbands is certainly my favourite part of the book. In it a Balinese woman uses her desire to rebel against our oppressive Balinese culture and show the men that women have needs just like them, whether in terms of education, participation in ‘Banjar’ community activities, voicing our need to be heard or for gaining equality in sexual desire. It shows that Balinese culture is not paying a lot of attention to basic human needs such as sex, still pretending it doesn’t exist and still upholding the taboo to talk about it. I would recommend it to both Indonesians and westerners to raise and eyebrow and question their innocent sweet smile. “  

Desak Yoni,  Balinese author.

'A visually stunning array, a concoction of diarist tales even Borges would be proud of.”  

Tony Laurent, Architect.

“Late last year I stumbled upon a wonderful evening at Bar Luna in Jalan Goutama Ubud, as part of the Ubud writers festival. It was Jan Cornall and her Archipelagogo cabaret and I felt like I had been transported back to a time when performances were more personal, what some call 'old school'. To me it means multi skilled, multi talented, funny, smart, relaxed; like being welcomed into the artists home, but with the edge of sharp wit. My friends and I left laughing and singing one of her ditties which had definitely touched the spot for one friend in particular,who felt as if Jan had read her emails to friends back in Australia of the idiosycratic lifestyle of an expat in Bali. We all agreed..."they dont make em like they used to!" Jan is a treasure.”  Maria Wilson, Artist

BUY TWO BOOKS HERE $30AUD

Buy ebook of Take Me To Paradise here. $6.99 USD

The New York launch.

The day of the cabaret launch arrived! In the mid afternoon I trundled my books down to the venue a few blocks from where I was staying on the Lower East Side. There I met Adam Horowitz, the manager of the Bowery Poetry Club, and checked out the space. Lovely, perfect, it couldn't be better. A bar near the entrance draws people off the street into a high ceilinged cabaret space, with chandelier and white clothed tables and chairs gathered around a small small stage — very durasienne indeed.

.

I took a few pics and walked home again, swinging by the Essex fresh food market to my now fave Japanese snack bar for some brown rice balls with umeboshi. I'd been trying to cure my traveller's belly with bland foods — so far it wasn't working, and I didn't know what to do for my swollen ankles except put them up the wall when I got home as I went over my running order and ran through a few tunes.

Singing in New York! I was already doing it, in a tiny apartment down near the East River, to the accompaniment of jack hammers from the building site next door. Somehow it's these small moments that are the most memorable. Like my walk back to the Bowery once I had showered, dressed and fiddle fuddled around with accessories. Even if I somehow I took the wrong turn and didn't get to the venue until after the audience had gone home (a recurring dream of mine), even if no body turned up, even if the whole thing turned out to be a big flop, I would forever cherish this moment of feeling like a NY local walking to work in my momentary NY neighbourhood, past the Chinese grocer stacking his cartons of smelly frozen fish, past the Taqueria taco bar, the Indian convenience store, the red neon sign of PSYCHIC $25, past designer shops as big as cupboards, past noodle bars, cocktail bars,  green juice bars, frozen yoghurt bars, tiny art galleries, teeny bookshops, kinky vintage shops and more; to join the crowd of New York street characters on a hot July afternoon.

It turned out I wasn't dream walking and I arrived with a good 45 mins to spare before our 6.30pm show time. Not long after, my assistant for the night, fellow theatre maker from Oz, Suze Smith appeared and we got to, setting up the books and CDs on a table between the bar and the cabaret room. Then I popped downstairs to freshen up.The bathroom/dressing room was as stylish as the bar and I changed my shoes, fluffed up my hair with a bit of yummy smelling stuff, wacked on some lippy and deodorant, threw my red silk scarf back and forth in different positions and emerged to greet my fans. 

They hadn't turned up yet, but soon enough they began to trickle in: old friends from Bali, Australia, New York, other parts of the US, even a Londoner among them. At the end of this July 4th weekend it was quality, not quantity; an intimate crowd who laughed, smiled and nodded a lot, perhaps even shed a tear, as I delivered my song-poem, Money Honey, about a young man mourning the death of his much older sugar mummy, not because now he misses the money honey, but the love that has grown between them over the years. 

I felt relaxed and happy on the wee stage, doing what I was born to do: sing a song, perform a poem, give a little patter in between. I was in my element and I could tell those who hadn't seen my work before were pleasantly surprised and delighted. 

The feedback afterwards was genuine and appreciative, I even sold some books! and it was wonderful to hang about chatting with old friends until it was time to leave. Suze and I went for ramen then met up with friends, Sally Ford and partner Patrick, who had just come off tour with the Melbourne Ska Orchestra. They had  been at the launch and rushed off to a jazz club after.We caught the last song of the Mingus Band with them, then rode the lifts to the top of the Empire State Building. A great end to a great night! 

 Early next morning I was on a Greyhound bus to Shelburne Falls in Massachusetts for some extra curricular activities, including attending a dance festival and retreat, running a writing workshop and taking part in a cafe reading with noted poets: Louise Landes Levi, Jacqueline Gens, Peter Fortunato, Mary Gilliland and Jim Bauerlein. 

Jacqueline worked closely with Allen Ginsberg for many years and was co-director and a founder of the MFA Program in Poetry at New England College.  She is currently involved with running the Khandroling Paper Making Cooperative in Conway MA. We had a long chat about possible future projects. 

Back in NYC on my last day I visited the Poets House, a free, open to the public, 60,000-volume poetry library in New York City. Its collection is among the most comprehensive, open-stack collections of poetry in the United States and they also run excellent poetry events and workshops.  'Poets House documents the wealth and diversity of modern poetry and stimulates public dialogue on issues of poetry in culture.' I donated a copy of Archipelagogo to the grateful librarian who remarked what a beautiful book it was. I left wondering who it will sit next to on their rows and rows of shelves. Another reason to go back for a second visit!

When you make a book you are making a gift for the world. A gift is a talking point, a gesture, the beginning of a conversation, an opening. When you doubt yourself, you close down, you contract, the light can't get in. Plenty of doubt and fear goes into writing a book, a poem, a song; the biggest being that you will make a complete fool of yourself, and believe me, along the way you will. Yes, there will be moments when you feel so foolish you want to crawl back in your hole and never come out AND there will be moments of total euphoria, as you revel in your audacity and daring to reach for the heights only you know you are capable of. 

For those of you who helped make my New York dream a reality, I give my deepest thanks. I went to New York City to launch a book but in fact I did much more. I revisited a creative relationship I began in a country where in the mid 70s I wrote my first song which, unbenowns to me then, began my writing career. I made new connections with poets, artists, musicians, dancers, writers and got a taste for more —of one of the wonders of the world, New York, NewYork.

There's something very satisfying about coming full circle and arriving in a familiar but different place. Stay tuned, who knows what will happen next!

Buy the book Archipelagogo here.

Performance photos by Cok Agung Wiramajaya, Thuy Nguyen.

NYC - The Lower East Side

I arrived  in NYC yesterday after a long haul flight with transit stopovers in Taipei and Osaka. I'm feeling a bit woozy and my time clock is confused but I'm walking it off by exploring the lower east side and the east and west village. The weather when I arrived was 38 degrees but a big electrical storm came through in the evening and cooled everything down.

In this part of town, close to Chinatown, I'm catching whiffs of other cities I've visited: Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Yangon, even Paris! Found a wonderful fresh food market and got some supplies in and had a long deep sleep in my tiny but cute airbnb room.

Today I'm in search of a print shop to get some leaflets done re the show but businesses are closed due to the July 4 holiday. I went down to the Bowery Poetry club too, but it is closed as well.
But it's good to be getting my bearings, and sussing out the territory. Now I've landed in  the Noho Starbucks for a large peppermint tea and free wifi. It's raining outside and I've left my brolly at home so I might just have to go singing in the rain!

Newtown send off

We could easily have been in NYC. A cute wee cafe on a busy boheme street, where we celebrated the end of our Indiegogo Campaign with a sneak preview of the Archipelagogo cabaret.

The tiny venue, Parliament on King,  was packed with friends and supporters.

Pumpkin soup, coffee, tea and champers kept the crowd happy.

How many people can you fit in a living room cafe!

and this was before the latecomers arrived.

Somehow as more people arrived we managed to find a place to put them!

It was standing room only for 10 or so peeps and they stood valiantly enjoying the show.

I was in my element of course, on the wee stage, made from books, specially built by host Ravi Prasad.

On a talk I gave two nights before at Ultimo Library with Walter Mason, I gave some creativity tips. 'We all need a cheer squad,' I said. 'A small group of people who encourage your creative side no matter what.' My cheer squad are in these pics. Thanks dear friends! Your support means everything to me. Without it I would forget to do the things I love to do!


Read more about Archipelagogo here.

BUY THE BOOK HERE 

And thanks to Jennifer Smart for pics!

Newtown gets a sneak preview

The New York Launch is all set for July 7 at The Bowery Poetry Club. It's been a whirlwind of activity organising the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to get there, but the payoff has been receiving the fabulous support from friends, family, fellow artists and sympathisers while covering my travel expenses.

The campaign is still rolling and I'm hoping to hit a renewed target of $4500 by the June 26 deadline. To receive a signed copy of the book or other great goodies you can still make a contribution HERE.

In the meantime I need to turn a little attention to the cabaret performance I have promised of the songs and poems from the book, so I will be doing a sneak preview at my fave cafe, Parliament On King, 632 King St on Friday June 27 at 6.30 pm. Do drop by if you can for a taste of what I will be presenting in NYC.

Please spread the word to all your NY friends (doesn't everyone have them?) to show up for the real thing, the launch and cabaret of Archipelagogo,  on July 7, 6.30 pm at The Bowery Poetry Club for the launch and cabaret.

 Read excerpts from and about the book here.

Archipelagogo New York Launch Campaign

Breaking News!! Archipelagogo, the book and cabaret is set to launch in New York City on July 7th at the Bowery Poetry Club, 308 The Bowery NY, NY.

That's if I can get there!

I've just launched an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign to help raise funds for my air fare, accommodation and travel expenses. The target goal is $3500. The cut off date is June 26.

I do hope you can help. Any contribution no matter how small will be greatly appreciated.

                                     MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION HERE

"Archipelagogo - Love Songs To Indonesia is Jan Cornall's spoken and sung cabaret of songs and poems, rants and raves, from the recently published book of the same name. Many of these love-song-poems about people, places and the complexities of cross cultural relationships, have been sung acapella to audiences at literary festivals across the Asia Pacific Region. With a frank and fresh approach, Jan applies her playful wit and raw insight to her experiences as a naive bule (foreigner) who falls in love with everything Indonesian and every Indonesian she meets. With songs and poems like Indonesian Handbag, Jogja Cowboy, Lampung Boy, Married Men Invite You In, Pleasure and Pain, Money Honey, Exotic Erotic, Jan’s cabaret takes you on a tour of the sights and sounds of Indonesia via a map of the heart.

"

The words in the book are accompanied by a selection of wonderful paintings by Indonesian artist Jumaadi. See more of his work and read some of the poem/songs here.

Many thanks for your support! See you in New York!

Reviews

Archipelagogo Love Songs to Indonesia by Jan Cornall

This unique collection of songs, poems and stories pays tribute to Jan’s travels around Indonesia in the decade beginning 2002. While many of them are written for Jan’s musical performances this book immerses you in her evocative, hilarious, playful and original creations of words , words, words. The beautiful illustrations and the way the text is presented contribute to the delicious pleasure of dipping into this erotic pool of poems again and again.

The songs/poems are enhanced by reading them aloud allowing their cadence, rhythm, alliteration and imagery to come alive. However, if you choose to read them silently they also have another story to tell. I love her depiction of cultural difference which she sometimes turns upside down as in the delightful poem Married Men where she imagines how their wives may be pursuing erotic adventures just like them. Jogya Cowboy is another such song and Jan comments that if he had a horse he would ride like John Wayne but instead he is small in stature, rides a Vespa and is so charismatic you can’t help falling under his spell. When you read the poem you believe her and want to catch the first plane to Yogyakarta in Java and not just to wander among the Buddhas.

Erotic hilarity reaches new heights in the song Follow that Thing featuring the lament of wives which easily crosses cultures and cannot fail to bring a smile, a laugh, a grimace and a nod of recognition.

Other poems and stories show us the shadow side of eroticism but they never fail to intrigue and bring both joy and sadness to the reader. The Balinese ‘folk tale’ of the woman with seven husbands is such fun but has a message of loving presence that transcends the stereotypes of age and place. There isn’t a single poem or story I could suggest you skip even the chilling House of a Thousand Doors which evokes its history of torture and death.  

When you are near of the book there is a special treat in store for you in the wonderfully moving poem Little Mother. After her mother’s death Jan imagines her presence wherever she goes so that her mother becomes part of the landscape and the people that Jan loves so much. It is impossible not to have tears in your eyes and love in your heart as you read this poem.

This book is a treasure trove of sensual, literary and musical delights revealingly embedded in Indonesian culture and place.  

Narelle Scotford, author, singer, lover.


Archipelagogo It is certainly a book filled with desire, culture, vibrancy and colour which give the reader  insight into the deepest exploration of the exotic and erotic dreams of every woman. The writer certainly expresses her love for Indonesia – which in my bones is the exact feeling I have for Australia. In her travels  Jan Cornall seemed to fall in love with all kinds of Indonesian men, Indonesian culture and everything Indonesian. A  fantasy Balinese folk tale called Seven Husbands is certainly my favourite part of the book. In it a Balinese woman uses her desire to rebel against our oppressive Balinese culture and show the men that women have needs just like them, whether in terms of education, participation in ‘Banjar’ community activities, voicing our need to be heard or for gaining equality in sexual desire. It shows that Balinese culture is not paying a lot of attention to basic human needs such as sex, still pretending it doesn’t exist and still upholding the taboo to talk about it. I would recommend it to both Indonesians and westerners to raise and eyebrow and question their innocent sweet smile.

Desak Yoni, author of Renditions of My Soul - The Story of a Balinese Woman


'Jan Cornall's new book of love stories, songs, and poems to Indonesia and its people is like a joyous rollercoaster ride. I was both moved to laughing out loud and close to tears. Jan's witty and fast paced language and word play leaves one dazzled as each sentence is a little rollicking adventure that needs to be savoured and explored. This is a fun book and one of the best I have read in a while - and mind you I am usually not one for poetry. Enjoy the ride!'

Ilka Schroeder.

'A visually stunning array, a concoction of diarist tales even Borges would be proud of….

Jan'’s world takes us along a jungle path, through the gates of Indonesian intimacy, exposing us to tales of inaccessible Javanese familiarity.

She presents the seduced  traveller to a delicious plate of petit four brimming with a delicate scent and wafting up from her collection of love songs…. 

Tony Laurent

Late last year I stumbled upon a wonderful evening at Bar Luna in Jalan Goutama Ubud, as part of the Ubud writers festival. It was Jan Cornall and her Archipelagogo cabaret and I felt like I had been transported back to a time when performances were more personal, what some call 'old school'. To me it means multi skilled, multi talented, funny, smart, relaxed; like being welcomed into the artists home, but with the edge of sharp wit. My friends and I left laughing and singing one of her ditties which had definitely touched the spot for one friend in particular,who felt as if Jan had read her emails to friends back in Australia of the idiosycratic lifestyle of an expat in Bali. We all agreed..."they dont make em like they used to!" Jan is a treasure. 

 Maria Wilson Singer/Texta Artist/Shutterbug

" reading Archipelagogo so blowing the mind, as outsider Jan Cornall the author with beautifully write down her every unique experience exploring the Indonesian islands and aspect of life in it by elaborated through poetry and short story so deep and detail, collaboration the beauty paintings of Jumaadi in each chapter make more lively the story within. Archipelagogo should not be missed, once you get drowned into page to next page till the end....never think twice to read over and over again ! "

Melisa, Surabaya - Indonesia