Bio
Name: Michael Forman
Born: Sydney, Australia
Age: 57
Lived: Brisbane, Queensland
Lives: Mandurah, W.A
Book Site: SMASHWORDS
Podcast: Spotify
Interests: Writing, Photography, Acting, Tennis, Karaoke.
Michael began writing copy for newspapers in the early ’90s.
“As a photographer with a growing collection of travel photographs, I began writing copy to get them published. I sold my first feature story to a major Australian newspaper in 1994. Since then, my written and photographed work has been published in Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.” -Michael Forman
Michael is the recipient of a diploma: Photography with Journalism.
SEETHINGS became an entirely new writing project — one that didn’t require photographs at all. It became a novel. Actually, it became a series.
“I was itching to expand my creative horizons by using words to make pictures, not film.” -Michael Forman
SEETHINGS and SEETHINGS 2 are the first two books of a pseudo-autobiographical trilogy — a darker look at love, marriage, sex and photography. It’s about a photographer who’s eager to shoot the perfect thunderstorm but ends up participating in a storm of another kind. (excerpts here)
The narrative places the reader inside a living room where an attack on a couple is taking place and it’s happening during a thunderstorm. Next, a body is found by a morning jogger and it’s hanging from a cliff. At first, these patterns of events are loosely connected until they line up and reveal an explosive ending. It’s sure to horrify the tender-hearted.
If I could leave you, dear reader, with a tiny clue — not everything a photographer wants to understand about pictures comes from the front of a lens. Sometimes, the answers they’re seeking are found deep inside themselves. All I can say is, thank God the truth remains hidden and all that’s left is to criticise an image’s composition. The rest is far too dangerous to disturb.
Get ready for twists that will bend your senses!
Tags Used Throughout This Site:
Books fiction Reading relationships sexless marriage stories Writing
Hi Micheal just found your insightful podcast, I have been with the same partner for nearly 28 years married for 23 years and based on the definition of a sexless marriage of sex less than 10 times a year I’ve been sexless for 25 years. I can fully relate to everything you talk about.
Regards
Hi Cam. Thanks for writing.
It’s a headspin, that’s for sure. I found it a battle to remain calm and objective, while maintaining a ‘nice’ facade. I don’t know how you’ve managed to continue to do it for so long.
-Michael
You are welcome to contact me if you need any further input
I heard “Elissa” relate her agonizing experience with her indifferent husband today.
It sounds as though she’s still coping with that relationship and it also sounds as though she feels you and she are unusual.
The common estimate I hear is that 20% of marriages are sexless. Perhaps she could benefit from a support group of people also in sexless marriages and those who used to be and no longer are?
Could I ask you to pass along the forum ILIASM.org? (I Live In A Sexless Marriage) So many people show up there sounding a lot like she did and find a path forward. Maybe have a look and if you agree it could help, send her an email?
It’s free of charge to participate; not even a “premium membership”. Just sexless and formerly sexless people helping each other out.
Dear Mr. Forman,
Should you find it helpful to guide your listeners to ILIASM.org, the acronym is “I Live In A Sexless Marriage” – ILIASM. Likely easier to remember if you’re driving while listening.
A question, is their an audiobook version of Seethings?
Willing to ask these questions another way if it’s too much space on your comments section, but I don’t see a contact method… I’d have messaged you at ILIASM, but I didn’t know when you might visit again. Apologies. Happy to use whatever protocol works best.
Hi. Here is fine. (I check this space more often)
I’ll mention the forum again in an upcoming podcast and how the letters relate to it’s address.
Seethings isn’t currently available as an audio book but I’m working on getting it done soon!
-Michael
I listened to the vocabulary episode today.
If you ever do a follow-up, ILIASM has a glossary with more terms you might be interested in sharing:
https://iliasm.org/thread/10/glossary-abbreviations
Some of them are rather fun portmanteaus/puns.
In your “Shallow” episode, you misread my name. It’s MirrorOrchid, rather than MirrorChild. You’re not the first, won’t be the last.
Amen to the fruitcake, TV, camping, boating, and fishing marriage. It’s what I offered Mrs. MirrorOrchid a bit over three years ago.
Mirror child? Really?
Wow. That one slipped through the cracks. Sorry. It must’ve been the small print I was working with on the day.
I’ll get back to that link for a future episode. Thanks.
Let them eat cake.
-M
Fantasy. Had to block him so I would not dream of pleasure w no pleasure. Mainly because I got tired of explaining my sexless experience.
I know that feeling! -M
An ILIASM post about the term “Incel” inspired by your podcast episode “Incel or Sexless Marriage?”:
https://iliasm.org/post/147371/thread
Coining the phrase “Non-concel”
I’ll have a look.
Non-concel? Very good. I hope it sticks! -M