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LETTERS@FRANKIE.COM.AU Kia ora frankie, I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how much I’ve been admiring the way your magazine has been weaving Aboriginal place names and language into your stories lately. It’s subtle, respectful and feels beautifully natural – like it’s always belonged there (which, of course, it has!). As someone who’s actively involved in utilising and advocating for te reo Māori here in Aotearoa/New Zealand, I often reflect on our own journey with language revitalisation. We’ve come a long way, and it’s heartening to see more and more people recognising that language isn’t just words – it’s identity, whakapapa (genealogy) and connection to whenua (land and place). Seeing that same kaupapa (practice/purpose) being embraced in Australia gives me all the feels. I’ll be honest…

SPARK(L)ING JOY Did you know that ‘millefiori’ translates from Italian literally into ‘one thousand flowers’? If you did, well done smartypants. Either way, check out Emily Green’s crystal bracelets, necklaces and anklets that are made with millefiori beads – a glassmaking technique resulting in subtly sparkling gems that catch light from every angle. Handmade in her Melbourne/Naarm studio, each piece is as unique and colourful as a bouquet of flowers: perfect for gifting or a pick-me-up. Prices start from $39, pinkysstore.com BIG VEGAN CAT Whether you follow fashion trends or actively avoid them, there’s one thing we all agree on: leopard print is a neutral. That’s why we love these Wildcat slides from Freedom Moses. Not only will they go with any warm-weather outfit, they’ll also keep you going, since…

THE POST-NIGHT-OUT Mission: to make it through the day. Remain sociable while nursing a hangover, the likes of which only a handful of brave souls have survived. DIFFICULTY LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS THE FAMILY BBQ Mission: avoid conflict at all costs. Dodge questions about major life decisions from nosy aunts, and deflect problematic statements from curmudgeonly uncles. DIFFICULTY LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS THE SILLY SEASON RUN-AROUND Mission: to become the superior auntie. Secure the limited-edition doll your niece has not stopped talking about since February. DIFFICULTY LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS THE FRIENDSMAS Mission: to celebrate! Go down in history as the friend group’s most economically efficient yet impressive Secret Santa. DIFFICULTY LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS THE BEACH DAY Mission: achieve optimum relaxation. Relax and rejuvenate while remembering to reapply SPF at least every two…

By Jack Vening – The worst gift I ever received was some Japanese pornography that someone mailed to me anonymously. I’m using “gift” loosely here. In the same way a cat owner might find the “gift” of an annihilated mouse left as tribute at their bedroom door, though in this case, the cat has mailed the owner what appears to be a full-on hentai magazine, with the tentacles and everything. Before I go on, I appreciate how this looks: if someone tried to tell me, unprompted, that it totally wasn’t them who ordered this hentai in the mail, I’d naturally assume that they’re single handedly propping up the adult legacy media space. But consider this: I am a creature of endless shame. I can walk into a room and immediately…

Hunchback (2023) By Saou Ichikawa The gist: A Japanese woman, who was born with a congenital muscle disorder, writes porn and makes a deal with her nurse. Emily’s notes: This is a short story that I read very recently. I’m really into translated fiction at the moment. Essentially, it follows a physically disabled woman, and it explores a lot of important questions about disabled love and sexuality, which I think is really overlooked in society. This character essentially writes smut as a hobby, and it can be really confronting, but it’s also unapologetically funny in some ways. We follow the character writing and submitting all of these short stories, and we see her perspective, but she’s not writing all these stories based on the experience of a disabled woman. Sometimes…

STRANGEST THING TO HAPPEN On our first overseas tour we played at a venue called Windmill Brixton in London and there was a dog who lived on the roof. He was up there all night, looking down. I don’t know how he got up there. He had a ball in his mouth which he drops down and you throw it up to him on the roof. FAVOURITE TOUR We did a tour a few years ago for Guts Touring, which brings tours to regional areas. Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers toured with The Grogans and it was the first time we met them – we were all in a bus in Tasmania, driving around to all these shows. It was so amazing. After the tour ended, we’d listen to…

If you’ve ever gazed upon a vibrant embroidered garment or an intricately beaded handbag and thought, “Damn, I wish I could hang that on my wall,” then Liz Payne is the creative maker for you. The Sydney/Warrane artist’s work combines paint with fabric, thread, and delicate hand-stitched details like embroidery and beading – which is why we simply had to hit her up to create our festive frankie cover. For issue 129, Liz pulled a variety of elements from her extensive body of work to place pre-existing handmade elements into a sparkling digital collage. “Doing the cover was such a thrill,” she says. “It has pushed the medium of textiles to be able to create new works that are digital. It’s an exciting avenue – I haven’t seen a lot…

I grew up in Lima, Peru – a beautiful place full of colour and noise. There’s contradiction, as on the surface Peru feels warm and communal, but it’s also profoundly religious. And when you are queer, the warmth people know can suddenly be cold. Homosexuality isn’t illegal in Peru, but it’s still something people whisper about or make jokes at your expense. I learnt from a very young age that coldness can come from your own family too. When my father found out I was gay, he chucked me out of the house. I was 17 years old. My mother couldn’t do much about it. I lived on the streets for about a year, singing and trying to survive. I met my wife Ana Claudia 13 years ago, while we…

I am not someone who “solo travels”. At least not in the way you’re imagining. I struggle to sleep in my own bed, let alone an eight-bed dorm. I find it hard to maintain contact with my best friend, let alone effortlessly make pals in foreign countries. And I would rather walk three kilometres in the wrong direction than ask a stranger if I’m going the right way. So when the opportunity to travel around Europe by rail for two weeks by myself to write this article popped up, I instantly thought of all the reasons I couldn’t. But by taking a risk and actually doing it, I found that solo travel doesn’t have to be Eat, Pray, Love or some unhinged gap year fuelled by cheap liquor; it can…