Tag: Australian Story

Watched Save The Last Dance for me from ABC News

For decades Luc Longley has remained largely silent about his years with Michael Jordan’s legendary Chicago Bulls team.  Now he reveals his disappointment about being omitted from The Last Dance documentary and how he made peace with his basketball past. 

On the back of documentary The Last Dance, Australian Story explores Luc Longley’s legacy and ommision. I grew up with the myth of Michael Jordan’s achievement being on the back of effort and persistence. I am not sure I understood the sacrifice that comes with such success.

Once again, Longley was forced to reshape himself, to transform his inherently gentle nature into something more warlike. He found that process, and Jordan’s remorseless aggression, challenging.

“He just had all these sharp edges, like some sort of a ninja star,” Longley says. “He felt for whatever reason like he needed to charge me with his electricity, which I didn’t actually … I’m not a conduit for that kind of electricity naturally. 

Bookmarked John Olsen’s life lived by the brush (ABC News)

There’s a distinct style to a John Olsen painting. His bird’s-eye view of the Australian landscape has cemented him as one of our most sought-after artists. But the light of genius can sometimes cast a great shadow.

Vanessa Gorman and Susan Chenery explore the often hidden side of the artist and that is the world around them. They tie together his family and the challenges that they have faced in living in the shadows.

“Some may say,” Tim explains, “to be a great artist you have to be a selfish bastard.

“Dad wasn’t selfish. He had to do what he had to do.

“I think the word selfish could be replaced with the word committed.”

I am intrigued by the word ‘committed’, on the one hand it represents a dedication, while on the other hand it is a word often used in association with mental asylums.