"The poem 'Upon Gaining Sexual Maturity' had some pointedly ironic juxtapositions that me laugh out loud."  Fay Zwicky "An introspective outlook of two parallel worlds, country and city, by two highly talented local women authors in the modern era. An enthralling read of both poetry and prose."    Dymocks. "Local writers Sue Clennell and Laurel Lamperd have put together a collection of poetry and short stories covering a diverse range of subject matter from the awkwardness of adolescence to life in a psychiatric ward and reclaiming your spirit through belly dancing. Some are quite poignant, others will make you smile and reminisce like the poem 'Upon gaining sexual maturity'. There's the quirky 'A double self-portrait', Samantha's struggle for self in 'The forsaken merman' and the rather horrifying tale of the fate of a child molester in 'The wolf and the riding hoods.' The Ink Drinkers is an A5 easy to read book. Many of the poems and short stories have already been published in major newspapers and other journals." Have a go news. "Anthology. Age 16+    This is a challenging and diverse anthology of poetry and prose by two very different writers. 'The Ink Drinkers' would be good for literature students interested in expanding their reading experience, or for teachers looking for contemporary, local work to spark the imagination and enthusiasm of students. The works in this collection have a distinctively West Australian feel, mentioning Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie, Guildford Road and Rotto, which students always enjoy when encountering literature. Both writers explore contentious and gritty issues such as domestic violence, mental illness, abortion and grief. I really like using literature that challenges students' ideas and judgements about others. However, the points being made by these writers definitely require careful exploration in the context of class discussion in order for students to really gain the most from their reading experience. … teachers would certainly be able to find some works within it to suit their purpose." Marie Hoy, Newman College. "Fiction Focus" "Writers and friends mingled excitedly for the Hopetoun launch of 'The Ink Drinkers', a book of poetry and short stories by Jerdacuttup writer Laurel Lamperd and Sue Clennell from Perth. The title for the co-authored collection came from Sue's poem, The Ink Drinker, that was inspired by American actor Jimmy Stewart's story of an actor who always had to upstage everyone else. Once a director said to the actor 'just sit on one side of the stage and write a letter' so the other actor could take centre stage. So to draw attention to himself, he drank the ink and still managed to upstage the other actor. 'the rule had been carved and grained into me like an old school desk, You can't beat an ink drinker.' But there was certainly no upstaging between these two writer friends. The launch … was the culmination of two friends' passion for the written word that has helped bridge the country-city divide. Sue's city experience is in sharp contrast to Laurel's country life, although both investigate feelings of isolation. Sue was a librarian for the Department of Army. She raised a family on her own and studied a Diploma of Education before becoming a teacher at some of the toughest schools in Sydney. In her poem 'Escapism', she writes 'I just want a field of sunflowers like the margarine advertisement Big golden suns shining at me from everywhere, The lost reassure of the Incas. And if they come up in their thousands So much the better, To help me forget I am a prisoner in suburbia To help me forget I can hear Next door shaving her armpits Or shouting at the kids.' Sue moved to Perth in 1983 and met Laurel in 1990 at a New Norcia writers' retreat. She has visited Laurel in Jerdacuttup ever since. She loves where the hills meet the sea in Hopetoun and says the country has inspired her poems, like in 'Salt on my lips.' The two writers share a similar uncomplicated and down-to-earth style. 'We have both humour and drama in our poems. But my poems are light like her short stories and my short stories are dark like her poems,' Sue laughs."  Clare Harvey. The Esperance Express.