"If I close my eyes, I see femininity as an apple. Whole or halved, with a star at its heart concealing traces of a poison that, as it kills - and like a woman - can accelerate its target’s heartrate. I imagine the sound of that acceleration from within, listening as we all once listened, never thinking it would end, to the aria, charivari or lullaby of our mothers’ hearts."

• from APPLE: SEX, DRUGS, MOTHERHOOD AND THE RECOVERY OF THE FEMININE, by Antonella Gambotto-Burke Links to podcasts, essays and reviews can be found on gambottoburke.com and instagram.com/gambottoburke