Change the Channel to Southern Deadly Yarns with Tyson Yunkaporta

It’s difficult as an adult to acknowledge your least impressive addictions.

We’re all strangely impressed by our darkest addictions, of course, drugs, alcohol, fetish sex, fetish porn and collecting human ears are all seen as acceptable because they promote at least mildly interesting conversation. It’s the addictions to the mundane that are a source of embarrassment. Hummus, unbiased political commentary and Anh’s Brush With Fame are all addictions which, when brought up in a social scenario, can kill the room faster than even the most skilled ear-collecting serial killer.

The most mundane addiction which we all seem to share is an addiction to spectacle. It’s something, by virtue of its nature, is non-participatory and requires little more than loud screaming and vaguely doom-laden rhetoric to enthral us.

Unfortunately, it too easily distracts us from genuinely interesting, albeit quieter, things occurring, often far closer to our person. So perhaps take a moment to tear your bloodshot eyes from the yankee s***show and turn your sights inland, to the curious works of Tyson Yunkaporta.

Yes, Neporendi Aboriginal Forum Inc. and Onkaparinga Libraries presents Southern Deadly Yarns, a series of virtual author events highlighting the incredible work of First Nations authors. This event will feature Tyson Yunkaporta, an academic, an arts critic, and a researcher who belongs to the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland. His book Sand Talk covers everything from narcissistic emus to how Dreaming can guide the world in sustainability.

The US spectacle will be always be there. As of this moment, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. But homegrown artistry and talent is fragile and, if unrecognised, in four more years from now, all 25 million of us will have completely and irrevocably dropped the ‘i’s from ‘aluminium’ and be burning our bacon like violent arsonists.

 

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