Ed’s Letter
by Amy Hetherington Editor @amyhetherington
Jon Bon Jovial
B
LETTER OF THE FORTNIGHT
ack in 2019, in Ed#579, we published The Happiness Project. We asked Big Issue vendors around the country to take photos of things that made them happy: moments, places, things, pets, people… They are images that still live in my mind. Photos of Sydney Harbour in all its glory, a pink-iced doughnut, a cactus-filled backyard, a baby granddaughter, and a hand-drawn portrait of Jon Bon Jovi. For Caroline, in Perth, JBJ is her happy place. “It’s the hair, the music, the leather jacket,” she wrote at the time. It was clear I needed her expertise for this edition, as we bring you Jon Bon Jovi’s Letter to My Younger Self. “You’ve made my day!” she told me, elatedly, over the phone. “I’m looking forward to having Jon on the cover. I hope it sells well for me – I need the sales. For me, it’s been tough. It’s been quiet.” Bon Jovi won Caroline’s heart back in 1986 with the release of their hit-fuelled
album Slippery When Wet. Today, a pencil sketch of Jon – a birthday gift from a good friend – still holds pride of place on her dining room wall. “I like the music – it makes me feel happy and helps me through hard times,” she says. “I listen to it at night when I go to bed. I have it playing all night, I just put it on shuffle. My favourite songs are ‘No Apologies’ and ‘Story of Love’.” She even got to meet her shaggy‑haired idols when they played the Perth Entertainment Centre in 1989. “They did an album signing at a record shop, and I was standing there talking to Jon. He had his sunglasses on. I don’t even remember what I said, but I just got the most amazing ear‑to‑ear smile that I’ve ever seen on any man,” she reveals. “I love his compassion, his empathy and his thoughtfulness towards people who are less well off than him, people who are homeless and veterans. He has a big heart.”
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The Big Issue Story The Big Issue is an independent, not-for-profit magazine sold on the streets around Australia. It was created as a social enterprise 25 years ago to provide both a voice and a work opportunity for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. Your purchase of this magazine has directly benefited the person who sold it to you. Big Issue vendors buy each copy for $4.50 and sell it to you for $9, keeping the profits. But The Big Issue is more than a magazine.
Your Say
Being an avid foodie and loving recipes, I laughed till I cried when I read Nat’s What I Reckon’s recipe and comments in Ed#652. He certainly takes the piss out of the serious dudes. I would never make one of these cheesecakes but was tempted solely just by how it was written. Keep up the great work Big Issue!! MICHELLE DAVIS SOUTH BRISBANE I QLD
After this morning’s session at the dentist, I walked to nearby Jamison Centre, in Canberra. I was pleased to see the comforting sight of a Big Issue fluoro vest. Murray sold me Ed#641 and signed page 19. His sporting Paralympian profile was a bonus, a brush with fame. Thanks, Murray, for honouring me with your moniker. Can always rely on The Big Issue to lift your spirits. CHRISTOPHER RYAN WATSON I ACT
Just read Fiona Scott-Norman’s ‘Happy New Weird’ in Ed#652 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Funny and informative – great combo!!! Keep up the good work, Fiona! LYN COMAR MACLEOD I VIC
• Our Women’s Subscription Enterprise provides employment and training for women through the sale of magazine subscriptions as well as social procurement work. • The Community Street Soccer Program promotes social inclusion and good health at weekly soccer games at 23 locations around the country. • The Vendor Support Fund will offset the cost price of products for vendors, allowing them to earn a larger margin on their own street sales. • The Big Issue Education workshops provide school, tertiary and corporate groups with insights into homelessness and disadvantage, and provide work opportunities for people experiencing marginalisation. CHECK OUT ALL THE DETAILS AT THEBIGISSUE.ORG.AU
Michelle wins a copy of Ross Dobson’s new cookbook Firepit Barbecue. You can check out his recipe for Whole Snapper With Ginger and Spring Onions on page 40. We’d also love to hear your feedback and suggestions: SUBMISSIONS@BIGISSUE.ORG.AU
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