Catherine Deveny. In The Eyes Of The Beholder.

Catherine Deveny is always in the spotlight for her controversial views. But in an interview with La Trobe University journalism students, she revealed a softer side to her public persona, writes Jordan Witte.

Nobody personifies the word ‘provocative’ better than Catherine Deveny.

The Melbourne-born-and-bred social commentator exudes confidence as she ignores a proffered chair, instead choosing the non-conventional option of perching upon a table.

She fields questions from an unusually attentive throng of La Trobe University students – her former university, at which she studied Cinema Studies – with assumed ease, her body language indicating her comfort with and level of control over the situation.

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What I Know. From Madison Magazine

In the words of Catherine Deveny

POSTED 28.08.2012 

44-year-old writer, comedian, social commentator and founder of the Atheist Kibbutz, Catherine Deveny spoke with madison about what life has taught her so far. If you'd like to hear more from Catherine, don't forget to catch her on SBS's 'Go Back to Where You Came From'tonight at 8:30pm.

What has been the most painful lesson for you to learn in life – and how has it changed you?
The best indicator of future behaviour is past behaviour and knowing when to walk away. There have been five people in my life that for some reason I have felt compelled to fix, heal and make happy. I painfully came to the realization I was enabling their unhappiness by feeling their happiness was my job. The preoccupation with other people’s happiness caused me deep unhappiness. I eventually found out they were manipulative users (and in some cases I suspect suffer NPD/BPD) and they were just never going to get past their biological unhappiness and keep blaming others for it. 

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Go Back To Where You Came From La Trobe Uni Alumni Profile

Two La Trobe alumni, Dr David Corlett and Catherine Deveny will appear in the SBS TV series return of Go Back to Where You Came From later this month.

Asylum seeker expert, Dr David Corlett returns as program host and social commentator Catherine Deveny is one of the six prominent Australians chosen to experience refugee life, alongside Peter Reith, Angry Anderson and others.

Go Back To Where You Came From is a ground-breaking, award-winning SBS documentary series which debuted last year, giving Australians a taste of life as a refugee, in an effort to challenge assumptions and opinions and deepen their understanding of the divisive issue.  

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Interview with Lip Magazine about The Feminist Supremacy

Catherine Deveny  -author, writer for the ABC’s The Drum, a former columnist for The Age, social commentator, and stand up comedian – is a woman with a lot of things to say.

She was in Sydney recently for the Sydney Writer’s Festival, where she appeared with Tara Moss, Emily Maguire, Kathy Lette and Julia Baird on a panel to discuss perceptions and ideals surrounding contemporary feminism. Deveny is perfect for such discussion,as evident by her creation of  ‘No Chicks, No Excuses’, a website she launched with Leslie Cannold and Jane Caro after they were concerned about the lack of female representation in public arenas. The  website was designed to allow people to find intelligent, articulate women to speak at events.

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Arts Hub profile for Sydney Writer's Festival 2012

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Carol Burnett. I actually hated being a child. I wanted to be a grown up.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer/editor/publisher?
I didn’t. I have always written so I never wanted to be a writer I just was. I wanted to be a singer, an actor aMagda Szubanski, alas I couldn’t act. Or sing. I do regret not becoming a dentist, I have always been fascinated by teeth.

How would you describe your work to a complete stranger? 
Australia’s biggest fraud.

What’s your favourite book? 
The Bible. Best joke book ever.

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