Lee Franklin
Emma Dehaney


G'day Em, and welcome to my Couch of Chaos.
I see the kids are getting along like a house on fire tormenting the Snow-Yetis together. I apologise for being late, but I had to drop the car in for a service. Did you find the special pot of tea I brewed for you? .... Oh, is that why your mouth is bleeding. So when you say Silver Needles, it is not literally silver needles. Bugger, umm sorry. This is kind of awkward... You do balance wonderfully on the Couch of Chaos, must be all that Yoga. Ok, lets get this started, here is a napkin. For the blood, gushing from your lips.
Now I can’t start writing until I have a coffee and digestive biscuits to hand. Do you have a ritual before you start writing, or is it spontaneous venture?
Tea, always tea. I’m a bit of a tea geek. My favourite is Silver Needles White Tea, made with loose leaf, of course. But other than a pretentious cup of tea, there is no magic ritual, I tend to just jam my writing in wherever I can with the rest of my life as a working mum of two.
Self care is important these days, and women tend to leave ourselves to last everytime. How do you care for yourself?
Yoga. I had my first ever migraines at the start of the first UK lockdown in March (would not recommend), and a friend suggested yoga might help. I had done yoga classes when I was pregnant but had never really been that interested in it. But since April 2020 I have been doing yoga every day without fail, and I love it. I feel taller, stronger, fitter, happier, and the migraines have gone. Not to drift into hyperbole, but it has really changed my life. I never thought of myself as a hippy-dippy type, I always saw myself as a bit of a punk, but I’ve mellowed as I hit 40. And, as they say, these days kindness is a revolutionary punk act, especially kindness to yourself.
You have a choice of five people to invite to dinner. Any five in life or beyond? Ok, make that four because it is a given you will invite yours truly. Four friends plus me to your dinner party. Who are they and why?
I would want a chilled, creative vibe at my dinner party. I would want to hear stories of the good old days, and talk about new and exciting creative projects. My guests would be:
Marilyn Monroe – She is a massively misunderstood and misrepresented woman, and I would love to discuss poetry, art, film and theatre with her.