14:29 TUESDAY 08 JULY 2008

"You are a beast!" Bethesda cried to Alexander this afternoon. "You will eat my slippers!" Otherwise? My essay on turning 40 has been uploaded here (please click on these words), a new review has been uploaded here, and another here. And The Eclipse is FINALLY available to be downloaded as an audiobook:

11:59 SUNDAY 06 JULY 2008

The stove needs replacing. My laptop was fixed for the third time this week. The laundry light leaked water. A column had to be rewritten three times. It has been raining. And Bee is potty-training. In short: mayhem.

20:32 WEDNESDAY 02 JULY 2008

A developmental psychologist informed us that Bee is in the 99.7th percentile verbally, and in the 95th percentile cognitively. Which makes sense, as we are regularly startled by her feats of memory, doggerel, and general adorableness. Otherwise? Alexander and I are beginning to emerge from the swamp of taxation demands, and I am learning to make salmon sushi - salmon sushi that resembles a major car crash in Tokyo, sure, but still salmon sushi.

13:47 SATURDAY 28 JUNE 2008

I have a pile of brand spanking new Marilyn Manson CDs and am more than happy to send them - without charge - to the first people who request a copy. Drop me a line with your name and address, and I shall mail one to you. Otherwise? Filed a column and an essay, am preparing for an interview, and will be returning to book commitments tomorrow. My darling Alexander is sorting through pitches, and little Bee is absolutely enamored of her beautiful new burnt orange snowboots.

11:43 TUESDAY 24 JUNE 2008

A beautiful winter's day. Poor Alexander cut his finger this morning on a lead crystal glass, Bee is ecstatic over her new matryoshka dolls, and Laura's devoted parents have flown out from London to be there for the birth of her second child, who may just be named Eden or Odin. Otherwise? Finalizing tax documents, finishing an essay, and addressing literary matters.

12:42 SUNDAY 22 JUNE 2008

Accompanied our darling girl to Luna Park yesterday, where we rode the white swan on the merry-go-round and then visited Coney Island for the first time. This was a mistake. The canned laughter scared her, the robot Alexander consulted for his fortune roared rather than spoke (poor little Bee huddled, terrified, in my arms), and she panicked as she watched me careening down the mountainous slides.

14:00 SATURDAY 21 JUNE 2008

Bee as she handed a banana to Alexander this morning: "Peel it, my most beautiful darling!" Otherwise? Carving into a deeply interesting essay, finalizing taxation documents, and preparing to launch into various book-related matters. And the (endless) rain appears to have abated and sunlight is flooding the study, which is absolutely heavenly.

11:46 WEDNESDAY 18 JUNE 2008

Bee had what could be described as a fractured night with the full moon (3am: "I LOVE YOU, MAMA AND DADDA!" 4am: "MAMA AND DADDA, I LOVE YOU!" 5am: "TIME TO WAKE UP, MAMA AND DADDA!"). As a consequence, Alexander and I are staggering about the house today with our eyes hanging out.

12:11 SATURDAY 14 JUNE 2008

Beyond thrilled. The Eclipse will - finally - soon be available on podcast through Lifestyle Pod Network. Read an extract by clicking on these words. Otherwise? Discussing Rowena's upcoming wedding, Bee paused. "But will her husband wear pants?" she asked.

16:24 FRIDAY 6 JUNE 2008

My essay on turning 40 (coverline: "Why 40 is the New Black") is in the July issue of Vogue, out now.

23:26 THURSDAY 5 JUNE 2008

So ill I can barely stand, but still braved the lashing rain and wind to attend the launch of my dear old schoolmate's first book, God, Actually, at his old law firm. As Bee sang nursery rhymes and Alexander chatted to Thomas Keneally about Stalin, I gazed through the plate glass walls at city lights and gently swayed, close to passing out.

14:20 WEDNESDAY 4 JUNE 2008

Flattened by 'flu, the lot of us. Alexander has been snorting eucalyptus oil, Bethesda has been snuffly, and I've been staggering about, feeling something like Spooner's half-warmed fish. The Language of the Dead, my essay for Some Girls Do, can be found here, and I'm gearing up for next week's extremely exciting announcement. Otherwise? Staring at the rain.

00:03 SATURDAY 31 MAY 2008

Four Australians, with a map in the background.

14:43 FRIDAY 30 MAY 2008

Alexander has written a superlative feature, soon to be published in a general interest magazine. Otherwise? Shattered after completing a 5,500 word essay, preparing to write another 2000 words this weekend (in addition to revisiting Little Bee's beloved merry-go-round and buying four new catfish, as all the others committed suicide), and anticipating a movie on Saturday night with my darling husband (who, like me, is reluctantly practicing portion control in an effort to shift a satanic abundance of avoirdupois).

21:44 TUESDAY 27 MAY 2008

A very excellent meeting this morning regarding my first literary collaboration (more on that soon). Otherwise? We spent Saturday on the merry-go-round at Luna Park; Stephen and Shareen are expecting a girl; Laura is due to give birth any second; Rowena is to marry her great love, Adeh; I am plowing through an involving literary essay; and my Alexander has decided to make this snap - taken tonight, not long after the changing of Bethesda's diaper - the home page (click on image):

00:01 FRIDAY 23 MAY 2008

A Danish fairy story.

11:34 THURSDAY 22 MAY 2008

For the past four nights, Beebo has had trouble falling asleep. We exhausted her with long, wintry walks and hour-long visits to the playground, stories and games, kisses and cuddles, but to no avail: the minute the lights were switched off, she bucked and wailed and began to whack me in the head with an open palm. This morning I remembered that we visited the Natural History Museum on Saturday, where she saw scale reproductions of dinosaurs for the first time, and that a certain bedtime story about a dinosaur named Skunk had been repeatedly requested, and that may Bee fear - or anticipate - his visit. (The degree of earnestness, analysis, and the endless deduction processes involved in parenting can make life feel like a thriller.) Otherwise? A big birthday for Edward on Monday (happy birthday, old friend), another dear chum's book launch coming up, and planning a weekend break (o, yes yes yes).

13:26 FRIDAY 16 MAY 2008

New review uploaded.

20:30 MONDAY 12 MAY 2008

So busy my head is spinning. My interview with Ricki Lake about her birth politics documentary is in this month's issue of My Child, my interview with Allison DuBois, the bestselling author and inspiration for NBC hit, Medium, is in the June issue of Vive, my essay on the mouth is in this month's issue of Men's Style, and an essay I absolutely love will be published in the July issue of Vogue. On Saturday, I interviewed a superlative American writer - the real thing, natch - and I'm potentially collaborating on a book with a high-profile chum, on top of working on my fifth book and ... something very wonderful (more soon). Otherwise? I nearly had a breakdown this morning when my hairdresser interpreted "streaks" as meaning "significant orange patch that sits atop the head like a toupee". He didn't charge me but I was close to wringing my hands in the cab home. (Alex and Bee recognized me, which made me feel a little better.)

12:42 WEDNESDAY 7 MAY 2008

My Beloved :

DIARY CONTINUED ...