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Kristen Alexander

@kristenauthor.bsky.social

1.8K followers 340 following 1.3K posts

Aust aviation & captivity historian. 6th book Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III (alexanderfaxbooks.com.au or Amazon) winner 2024 NSW Premier's History Awards. Reading, cats & cake. #IAmWriting (at last!)

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · Nov 12

V happy to meet new additions to this wild blue yonder space. Hallo & welcome! I'm into cake, books (read a few, written some) history, Australian aviation (people not machines; I'm interested in what they felt more than what they did), captivity, & cats. More at www.kristenalexander.com.au

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 56m

When the paperwork comes through I'll be making the acquaintance of Squadron Leader Jack Tipford Sandford DSO DFC 30 Squadron RAAF. Not much 'out there' but I'm looking forward to researching him. (Pic clipped from www.awm.gov.au/collection/C... taken c. September 1944, shortly after the DSO award).

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 15h

There's a wishing tree in our neighbourhood! Naturally (because some kids never grow up) I wished. Mine is the pink one with a bow. I'm not telling anyone what I wished for as I would dearly like it to come true. My writer friends can perhaps guess.

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 16h

Me and my scissors went a-walking. The first jasmine of the season! Its heady perfume has been wafting throughout the house. I know nicking from other gardens is naughty (but I am my sister's sister!) and who could resist? Anything over the verge, as I've said before, is fair game.

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 22h

Just sent out Alexander Fax Booksellers latest military bargain list to subscribers. It's a bumper one! Locals: please do come down to the Mawson (Canberra) shop and help clear our shelves (Wed-Sat 10-3). We have some spaces but we need more! LOTS and LOTS of good books at bargain prices.

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 1d

Lunch! Sometimes a girl just has to have hash browns with her toastie. And what toastie is any good without tinned beetroot! And pink milkshake. Very full but it was a lovely treat after a busy few days. Back to it now, tho. I'm 'all but' on some revisions! When I finish I can have another treat!!!

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 3d

If you could see my struggle with the revisions for my latest piece of writing, you might not say that! But I do appreciate it.😆

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 3d

The wisteria at Margaret Timpson Park is past its peak, but it is still lovely. I, too, am well past my peak.

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 3d

Welcome to the family and the #catsofbluesky They are beautiful! And so fortunate to have a new life together.

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 5d

Note to self. If the serving staff ask if you want your choice heated up, that is code for it is a sale as hell. This wasn’t one of my regular haunts and it won’t become ones. But I had a lovely morning chatting with a good friend and friendship is more important than Fresh croissant.

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 6d

A purpley kind of day. These blue Pacifica and lilac trees are looking stunning at the moment. I have some very colourful neighbourhood walks.

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 7d

My front garden is looking particularly pretty at the moment. The banksia rose little B more magnificent in a day or so.

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 7d

Every week I say I don’t need more books. And then I walk past a bookshop and see that my favourite authors have released something. So definitely I need another book! Good luck with your move. One good thing about sorting through books you will find all sorts of old favourites and treasures.

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 8d

David up bright and early, heading off to the Mawson shop (Alexander Fax Booksellers) for the beginning of Week 4 of our Closing the Shop Forever Sale. He spent most of the weekend restocking shelves (lots in storage) so if you're Canberran and haven't visited yet, do pop in & help clear some space.

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Reposted by Kristen Alexander

Australian Historical Studies @ahsjournal.bsky.social · 8d

Kate Ariotti reviews ‘Gull Force: Australian POWs on Ambon and Hainan, 1941–45’ by Joan Beaumont
@newsouthpublishing.bsky.social

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 8d

Free to a good home! Found these on my walk and had to carry them home in stages. I figured I wasn’t being selfish because the stages were over three days. Obviously, nobody else wanted them. I think they are beautiful. Hopefully, I won’t kill them. I am not famous for my green thumb.

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 9d

Agreed. And the wiki P authors all read the sources. They are secondary sources but they are transparent and you can check them. I’ve pulled apart a few in my time and I have only encountered a handful of problems. I would trust Wikipedia over AI any time.

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 9d

Continuing ... and allowing myself a little pun ... the AI tutorial was scraping the bottom of the barrel of the internet in producing study content riddled with errors.

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 9d

Elsewhere a group member posted details about an AI RAAF tutorial site: 'a curated collection of concise study posts' on RAAF history. I checked a couple & thought to myself, Wiki is more accurate. Its not perfect, & not scholarly, but content is produced by humans who follow Wiki's content rules.

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 9d

#HistBookChat morning tea!

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 9d

Looks like you are planning a murder!

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 10d

Fun morning! Met up with some old friends, got some ideas about what to do with my mother's old glomesh bags, and found a piece of cake with my name on it!

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 11d

I'm sorry. I was greatly interested in this idea when you first mentioned it. Keep trying: literary journal perhaps or something cultural-based. There are plenty of journals out there ... one will be the right 'home' for it.

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 11d

Done! I have put this is my diary. I am supposed to be working but have juggled.

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Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 11d

I'd like it too: I would love to 'attend' if I can.

Kristen Alexander @kristenauthor.bsky.social · 11d

Early morning coffee then off to the markets to stock up on jam.