David Astle Re-works Words

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Writer and crossword maker David Astle dropped into the Wheeler Centre to re-mix words and minds with his unique take on language.

Who?

David Astle

David Astle is a full-time word nerd. You may know his loud shirts from SBS’s Letters and Numbers. Or his black-and-white boxes in Friday’s Age. He’s also the author of Wordburger (How to be a champion puzzler in 20 quick bites), plus Riddledom, Puzzled and Cluetopia. His favourite word is ‘acrobat’.

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The Festival of Questions

Is monogamy dead, or just taking a nanna nap?Do terms like ‘right wing’ and ‘left wing’ still have meaning today?Should there be a citizenship test to buy property in Australia?Should the public really have a say about ‘marriage equality’?Is compulsory voting bad for democracy?Is there one truly superior way of hanging the toilet roll?Are we really ready for self-driving cars?Have smartphones really damaged our relationships – or are they just a scapegoat?Has science ever verified a psychic's abilities?Is there such a thing as 'first world problems'?Should we add plaques to monuments or dismantle them?Would moving Australia Day to 8 May reflect our values, or perpetuate a problematic tradition of 'mateship' in Australia?Can history ever really be past?What happens so many users have passed away that Facebook becomes more of a memorial site, than a social one? Which international leader do you respect, and why?Are tenured teaching positions a dream of the past?What does the Gough Whitlam dismissal say about the limits of Australian foreign and domestic policy?What's to blame for the Australian public's aversion to progressive policy changes?What role do your parents play in your political ideology?What was the last book which caused you to miss your stop?How are we going to solve our plastics recycling problem?Will we ever not be completely weird about sex?Are mobile phones warping the way we interact with the world?How do we learn to daydream again?What's wrong with being in our own bubble? Why should we have to talk to people we don't agree with?Is all this 'woke' talk engendering a new era of empathy – or just crippling productive conversations?Is sadness more productive than happiness?Aren't open ended questions pointless?Is the eight hour working day extinct?I'm pro high levels of immigration, but I still want a big backyard; can I have both?I only pray when I need something … does that make me religious, or just opportunistic?Is it OK to lie to the bank?When did people forget to hate real estate agents?Is our culture childphobic or childcentric?Is honesty more important than compassion?Does anyone actually want to change their mind about anything – really?Given that climate change has arrived, why are humans so hellbent on trying to turn the clock back – rather than looks for ways to adapt (socially and technologically) to the new paradigm? Should Australia be renamed from 'Commonwealth of Australia' to 'Corporation of Australia'?Aren't we all just fictional versions of ourselves?Do democracies work in the 21st Century – and if not, what is the next step forward?

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David Astle Re-works Words