Marianne de Pierres

Marianne de Pierres is an author and academic

So today I pressed send on my Fulbright submission to write the book about Colonel Thorn. It’s been almost a year since I began to put it together. Whatever happens, I’ve learned a lot. It definitely took a village to get over the line and there are many people I’d like to acknowledge.

Firstly, thank you to my referees Dr Kim Wilkins, Dr Bronwyn Lea, and Dr Ros Petelin. Writing references for these kind of applications is time consuming and usually lands on your desk when you least have the time to do it. They were all gracious and encouraging, and Ros even found a colleague to give me feedback on the project statement.

Dr Jess White was simply amazing. She gave me ideas on how to track down host invitations, performed several edits on the project statement, and just made me feel like I could do it. Without Jess there would have been no application. She is the bomb! She and Dr Amber Gwynne (who thankfully found my dangling modifiers and stamped on them!) also suggested talking to Dr Murray Pomerance, a visiting Canadian scholar, who opened his address book and connected me all his New York colleagues. It was a collegial and generous act.

Colleagues of his, contacted colleagues of theirs, and the email tree grew until I was finally introduced to Professors at NYU and Pace universities who liked my project and were happy to support it. To say I felt elated was an understatement.

I want to thank my son Marcus and my sister, Nicci, who have been with me from the start: reading, encouraging, and suggesting. Marcus also went through the online form and double checked it and saved me from submitting something that was incomplete (I’m a shocker at reading forms properly).

And lastly, thanks to all who have patiently listened while I have rattled on about my Colonel Thorn story and the Fulbright for so long. It has been an obsession for a few years, and one way or the other I WILL write the book.

So now… lets finish this damn PhD!

Over and out.

Marianne de Pierres

Hi All,

sorry for complete radio silence for so long. Between a PhD, two house moves, and significant personal issues, the last year or so has proved to be a time-sapping black hole. However, I am back with renewed verve, and am looking forward to bringing you stories and ideas.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a think camp at Think Place in Canberra. It was an event being held for the RAAF in conjunction with their project Plan Jericho. I got to meet some ultra cool people (including some rather brilliant women among them) working in the defence area and we built possible future worlds from scratch. You know how I like to build worlds! The workshop was well-facilitated and many ideas were generated. I’m looking forward to seeing the outcomes of the next innovation stage.

Once I submit my PhD (next month or so), I’ll be returning to a normal writing and appearances routine. In early August, I’ll be doing a tour of regional Queensland (around the Rockhampton area) with the Gondor Writer’s Centre, and stay tuned for a big announcement about this years Brisbane Writers Festival.

My application for a Fulbright scholarship is about to go in, so keep your fingers crossed for me. If I am fortunate enough to be selected, I will be overseas next year writing the biography of my American ancestor, Colonel Thorn. I’ve been hankering to write this book for some time (I like to call it the original Gatsby tale), but so many obstacles have been in my way. Then a few weeks ago, out of the blue, an Irish gentleman contacted me to say that he is also descended from Herman Thorn’s line and has a copper engraved image of him and his son, Albert. I think life is finally giving me the green light.