RiP Kat Muscat

Kat Muscat, a Melbourne writer and former editor of the magazine Voiceworks, has died, aged 25.

Adolfo Aranjuez, who was deputy editor of Voiceworks during Muscat’s editorship, writes:

‘I first met Kat Muscat in 2007, when I started volunteering as a proofreader for Voiceworks. I didn’t know it then, but this badass-looking goth-nerd—who, it turned out, had been on the editorial committee since 2005—was, in fact, still in high school. I was inducted into EdComm the following year and, soon, we bonded over “Buffy”, bad dialogue in submissions, and the benefit of George Orwell’s writing rules from Politics and the English Language (she was a fan, I was not).

‘At some point, the magazine outgrew its grunge beginnings and Express Media gained new headquarters at The Wheeler Centre. Alongside the amazing editorial committee, Kat and I worked together through three editorships and Voiceworks themes as manifold as “Innuendo”, “Missionary”, “Pulp”, “Play” and “Translate”. In 2012, she assumed the role of editor and, while having el cheapo curry at Crossways, honoured me by asking me to be her deputy editor.

‘Kat wasn’t the type to just “do a job”—she would incorporate her life into her work in a way that not many would’ve pulled off. She threw herself into everything she did and, in this way, she touched both the minds and hearts of everyone she encountered (I’ve already twice broken Orwell’s first rule—“Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print”—I’m sorry, Kat).

‘At Voiceworks, she was not simply an effective volunteer coordinator but also a really good friend to all. Every EdCommer would’ve had coffee with her at least once, during which she’d have spoken to them about their aspirations, difficulties, interests, ideas. She would’ve taught them not just the importance of a succinct sentence, but also how to best roll a cigarette (I still can’t) and why the Backstreet Boys aren’t just pop fodder. Meetings weren’t obligatory bores; we looked forward to the flatbread and dips, beers and M&Ms strewn carelessly on humongous desks among pens and submissions unread, then to the post-meeting hangouts. She was an expert in “inspired chaos”, which is how she described her leadership style.

‘This comingling of life and labour was consistent with how she approached the rest of her work—whether that be putting together the publication Dialect by the young’uns of Global Express, inspiring western-suburban kids at 100 Story Building, helping smash the patriarchy as a SlutWalk organiser, or speaking at the Emerging Writers’ Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival or her (and my) particularly beloved National Young Writers’ Festival.

‘In her writing, she had mastered the art of making accessible the complex—and so we were treated to pieces on the problematic figure of the “hysterical woman” via “X-Men” and “Mad Men”; on rage, feminism and “intent versus impact” via Miley Cyrus (one of her best, I’d say); and on creative collaboration via “Animorphs”. We read her words about sex and consent via “Clueless” and the story of her crashing at a friend’s house after a huge breakup. We learnt about polyamory and communications technologies via Kat examining her own dating history.

‘When her two-year tenure at Voiceworks was almost up, I posted about Express Media’s search for her replacement and made a joke about how Kat’s infamous, sizeable Doc Martens would be difficult to fill. Now, it seems as though another one of her tenures has come to a close. This time, however, it won’t just be her proverbial shoes that need filling but rather the chasm in our hearts, created by her departure (another rule broken—“Never use the passive voice where you can use the active”).’

This is an edited version of a piece that was first published on the Writers Victoria website. Donations to a fund in Muscat’s honour can be made on the Express Media website.

Category: Local news Obituaries