Jim Barrett was born on the edge of the Great Dividing Range on the mid-east coast of Australia. A long term interest in music, words and images has plagued him his whole life. A Bachelor of Arts in journalism and Asian studies in Australia began a career of inquiry. A Masters of Arts in English Literature in Sweden followed some years later after a decade of travel. Presently a research assistant, teacher and doctoral researcher in HUMlab at Umeå University.