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Mark from LP invited me to judge the thread running there on two-word definitions of Ruddism. It’s a spin-off from a competition we ran to promote Bob Ellis’s essay ‘Muscular Timidity’ and his upcoming Melbourne presentation (2 April at the State Library) for the launch of Overland 194. Anyway, the LPers are a very industrious crew, and below is a hastily compiled short-list:

‘pointless hyperactivity’
‘aspirational regression’
‘diet Howard’
‘bold banality’
‘meagre beaver’
‘apologise, forget’
‘frenzied inaction’
‘earnest catchphrase’
‘ruthless equivocation’

Winner announced soon.

Jeff Sparrow

Jeff Sparrow is a writer, editor, broadcaster and Walkley award-winning journalist. He is a former columnist for Guardian Australia, a former Breakfaster at radio station 3RRR, and a past editor of Overland. His most recent book is a collaboration with Sam Wallman called Twelve Rules for Strife (Scribe). He works at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne.

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