Over the years I have passed around my battered copies of Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey and Forever by Judy Blue. They are my two favourite books of all time. Teenage girls have an insatiable appetite for these stories because of their honesty regarding sexuality and self-esteem.  I decided to write about young females' first sexual encounter and the impact it has on their self-esteem and body image. I am also interested in exploring the concept of loss, in all its forms, physical, emotional, environment and emotional. Many of my poems are based on this theme.