Author Archives: ashleighlou

Today’s rehashed column is from August 2019, just after Ronnie Van Hout’s sculpture Quasimodo was installed on the roof of the Wellington City Gallery. The Hand      I’m going to look at the Hand in Wellington’s Civic Square for the first … Continue reading →

A while I wrote something about clown collars for Metro magazine, but a month later Metro folded. I thought I’d post this here anyway – something from the Before times. I remember being a bit nervous about this piece because … Continue reading →

I was eating an apple when I got self-conscious. The student on work experience sitting at the table nearby would be able to hear my crunching and was probably bothered by it. But I also thought how freeing it would … Continue reading →

My childhood sweetheart rang. We hadn’t spoken in twenty-five years. He said, ‘Also, I am seeing somebody else now.’ He’d wanted to tell me earlier, but hadn’t been able to come out with it. My body started to tremble. I … Continue reading →

I was riding my bike to the train station. With me was a large dog that was very old and sick. I was carrying it in a large white sling. Behind us in a trailer were all the things we … Continue reading →

A couple of years ago a friend asked me, ‘Are you someone who is easily contented?’ I don’t know why I’ve always remembered that question. We were sitting in a bar next to a window and the sun was shining … Continue reading →