hi spirits

Southerly 71.2 A Handful of Sand

2012-01-30T22:10:00.000+08:00

Southerly is delighted to invite you to the launch for its latest issue, 71.2 A Handful of Sand: Words to the frontline. There will be readings, nibbles, and general bonhomie. Please join us! When: Thursday February 2nd, 5:30 for 6pmWhere: Woolley Common Room, John Woolley Building upstairs, University of SydneyMap: http://www.facilities.usyd.edu.au/oam/blaccess-r01.cfm?fld1=01RSVP:

The Impact of Anthologies - a personal note

2012-01-30T18:19:00.000+08:00

Some people behind the scenes influence your life - without you knowing it. Well, at least not for a very long time. The anthology above changed my writing life, which influenced the course of the rest of my life. Donald Allen (pictured) was the editor. Of course, it was the poets who first influenced my young hungry imagination - Olson, Creeley, Duncan, Lew Welch, Ginsberg, Philip Whalen,

Janet Jackson's RAW HYDE appearance

2012-01-28T18:36:00.000+08:00

On 9 February, poet Janet Jackson is the spoken word feature at Raw Hyde, the Hyde Park Hotel’s Thursday-night music, comedy and spoken word open mike night MCed by the irrepressible Tomás Ford. Show starts around 9, arrive before that to sign up for open mike. Corner Bulwer & Fitzgerald Streets, West Perth. Free entry. Raw Hyde is presented by JumpClimb.

'Bloom' by Larissa Shmailo

2012-01-28T11:03:00.000+08:00

I. Je suis une femme de lettres et je gagne ma vie. ─Colette All ways a feather: bed your bugs as they bud Welling roses these sweltering days Rose roaches blooming by books, near pillows Blooming by Bloomsday, busting out by June Busting on Broadway, busting the busts… Hey, this is…my bra! (Like swallowing feathers, you know, dirty feathers.)

The Bar between St Agnes and The Gugh from St Agnes

2012-01-27T16:43:00.000+08:00

Two seas square their dancing reaching for each other on the strength of their waves but pulling back again not all: some cross over, and more, and more, they kiss – tongues one might think merging – the rock is down below; and wrack's been pushed aside as lunch things on tables when a passion builds up... slowly, slowly, pink, bare, momentarily blue, glistening, and green,

The mystery of poetry editing: from TS Eliot to John Burnside

2012-01-25T20:31:00.001+08:00

If one poet edits another, whose work is it? In the week that John Burnside won the T S Eliot Prize, Sameer Rahim investigates the unseen hands behind that most personal and mysterious of literary forms. Image 1 of 2 T S Eliot's desk, 1965 By Sameer Rahim, Assistant Books Editor 10:42AM GMT 23 Jan 2012 Alone on the verge of Hell, Dante is rescued by a

Issa Haiku

2012-01-25T13:57:00.001+08:00

even the puppydrums his belly...rice blossoms-Issa, 1820http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Call for Submissions - Blemish Books' TRIPTYCH POETS

2012-01-23T14:52:00.000+08:00

ABOUT In 2010 Blemish Books kicked off a new series of poetry collections – the Triptych Poets series. The concept is simple – three poets: one book. We believe that all poetry (consciously or sub-consciously) reflects, reacts to and shapes the understanding of the poetry of its time - no poem can be read in isolation. By combining the work of three poets into one book, we’re

Donald Hall - in poetry for the long haul

2012-01-23T09:22:00.000+08:00

"I started my first poem 70 years ago," [Donald Hall] said. "It's been a way of life and how I would handle anything that came up, sad or happy." In a wheelchair with a full time carer, Donald Hall is now aged 83 - a fair enough innings, but a time in life when the "meteor showers" of inspiration have stopped rushing in. He still writes prose and if a poem came he states he wouldn't "send it

Yosa Buson - haiku

2012-01-21T11:49:00.004+08:00

A nice post from Chris G. at http://cianphelan.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/poetic-spotlight-the-works-of-buson/ on the Japanese haiku master, Yosa Buson. It seems like an interesting blog, I say after reading just one post. That's me - you judge for yourself. Here are the four haiku he posts from Buson in English translation: Before the white chrysanthemum the scissors hesitate a moment. -

Weather Report - more predicted

2012-01-20T20:11:00.000+08:00

We had a massive storm last night in Perth - rolling thunder, sheets of lightning, bolts of lightning, buckets of rain. This is a photo from poet and owner/founder of McQueen Books, Jamie McQueen. Today, Jamie said, "Miraculously, only lost a few books. If your books get wet... put newspaper between every page."

50 Most Quoted Lines of Poetry - via The Inky Fool

2012-01-20T18:30:00.000+08:00

Counting down from number fifty... 50. The mind is its own place, and in itself/[Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n] 403,000 Milton49. Full fathom five thy father lies 438,000 Shakespeare48. If you can keep your head when all about you 447,000Kipling47. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways 467,000Elizabeth Barrett Browning46. If music be the food of love, play on 507,000

Here are some Punctuation Marks you may not have used before!

2012-01-19T17:07:00.000+08:00

Dagger Also called an Obelisk. This bad boy (on the left), and its two-headed friend (on the right) the Double Dagger or Diesis, represents a javelin, which is cutting out extraneous stuff from your text. Its primary use through the ages has been to mark out superfluous repetitions in translation, though nowadays it mostly just stands in as a kind of footnote. Caret Also called a

2012-01-19T13:16:00.002+08:00

For the concerts that won her a Limelight Award in 2011, Fiona Campbell sped through one wardrobe change after the next to present four fabulous frocks and a sleek pants suit to the delighted audience – all this to depict the range of characters whose arias she sang. Now, for her first solo album Love + Loss, she takes the opposite approach: one that leaves her exposed in a frozen moment of

25 Things Writers Should STOP Doing

2012-01-17T23:28:00.000+08:00

Now, there are a lot of how to write books around and a lot of advice sprouted by half-baked writers for beginners, but a lot of it is so much rubbish. You noticed that, huh? Well, here's some good advice. Take it on board now - I'd love to steal it and call it my own but that wouldn't do would it. So, get going there now: Chuck Wendig : I read this cool article last week — “30 Things To Stop

Writing is easy!

2012-01-15T13:10:00.000+08:00

Steve Martin observes: “Writing is one of the most easy, pain-free, and happy ways to pass the time in all the arts. For example, right now I am sitting in my rose garden and typing on my new computer. Each rose represents a story, so I’m never at a loss for what to write. I just look deep into the heart of the rose and read its story and write it down through typing, which I enjoy anyway. I

Granny gets her own back!

2012-01-14T23:13:00.002+08:00

A poem from 2008 (he's now a young wag) ...

2012-01-13T13:35:00.000+08:00

Poem for my (second) grandson Today the price of petrol is up again but you’re not going anywhere: you lie snug in your hospital crib, visitors 3 to 8pm, Mother’s milk on tap and a wardrobe mistress to attend to those messier moments. This is life on the outside. Takes a little getting used to, I’ll admit. A word in your shell-like: always own toys, shine a light on skeletons

Book Launch News - Support your local Poets

2012-01-12T17:16:00.000+08:00

Book Launch: Sandfire All welcome to the launch of Sandfire, a book of poetry featuring Rose van Son, Flora Smith and Chris Conrad, published by Sunline Press. Saturday 14 January at Gallows Gallery, Glyde Street, Mosman Park from 2.30-4.30pm. Book Launch: The Brokenness Sonnets All welcome to the Perth launch of Mal McKimmie’s 2nd poetry collection, The Brokenness Sonnets I-III &

Peter Cowan Writers Centre: MASTER CLASS 2012 ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH, MEMBERS MEETING AND LUNCH

2012-01-12T12:24:00.000+08:00

You are invited to the launch of the 2011 Peter Cowan Writers’ Centre Advanced Poetry Workshops anthology Sunlight of Ordinary Days Twelve Poets of the Peter Cowan Writers’ Centre To be launched by Andrew Burke 12 pm (noon) Saturday 11 February 2012 Liana Joy Christensen Cuttlewoman Gary Colombo De Piazzi Matthew Hall Nicola-Jane le Breton Scott-Patrick

Ideal for young poets and prose writers! Apply now

2012-01-11T14:36:00.000+08:00

Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarships John Chisholm Marten (1908 – 1966) was born in Kent, England and moved to Australia at a young age, residing in Sydney for his adult life. John Marten was a theatrical artist and well known for his appreciation and support of the arts community. A strong advocate for the artistic capabilities of young Australians, he understood the costs involved in

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

2012-01-11T14:01:00.000+08:00

One day an acquaintance ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about Diogenes?""Wait a moment," Socrates replied, "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."'Triple filter?" asked the acquaintance."That's right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about Diogenes let's take a moment to filter what

Mascara Literary Review PROSE POETRY issue

2012-01-09T12:48:00.001+08:00

The latest issue of Mascara is of great interest to me as I'm (still) interested in prose poems. The list of contributing poets is impressive and the range of styles is very entertaining. (Maybe it is 'vary entertaining', ha ha.) I'll stop with the corny humour and show you the poets (click on name to see the poem): Image: Tamryn Bennett 'Aneki', 2011 Poetry guest editor

Musiqa examines the link between music and language in poetic show

2012-01-08T12:35:00.001+08:00

"Music and words are absolutely related," Brandt explains. "I hope to prove that children acquire language from the music slice of speech, then proceed to apprehend the meaning of it. The world begins as a concert. "The implications of such sound come second. My theory is that music is the stepping stone from which language is acquired. Music then develops into its own art form." That's

from Macmillans ... MANUSCRIPT MONDAY

2012-01-06T17:19:00.000+08:00

MANUSCRIPT MONDAY Welcome to Manuscript Monday, a new initiative which is part of Pan Macmillan Australia's manuscript submission process. If you’ve ever dreamed of getting published, and have a story you’d like to pitch, here’s your chance to have it read by a publisher. No more navigating the slush pile! Every Monday we will accept submissions between 10am and 4pm that are sent

Issa Haiku - 200 years ago

2012-01-06T14:44:00.000+08:00

old pinestarting a new year...how many spring mists?-Issa, 1812http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Read through 100 Years of POETRY magazine

2012-01-06T10:25:00.000+08:00

"It’s now been a full century since that intrepid and ingenious woman, Harriet Monroe, founded a small but seismic magazine for modern poetry. Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, D.H. Lawrence, Marianne Moore: the story is well-known by this point. Much has changed in a hundred years, though Monroe’s commitment to eclecticism (“The Open Door,” as she called it), critical rigor, and general decency

Poetic Perfection: Three Favorite Poems Of 2011

2012-01-04T09:44:00.000+08:00

by DAVID LEHMAN EnlargeiStockphoto.com text size A A A January 2, 2012 David Lehman is a poet and an editor for The Best American Poetry series. Three of my favorite poems of 2011 share a sense of mystery and the uncanny — a spooky but also exhilarating glimpse of a spiritual world beyond our own. All favor plain speech, an unadorned directness, eschewing the glamour of rhyme

Woody Guthrie's 1942 New Year Resolutions

2012-01-02T22:21:00.001+08:00

A very interesting piece of memorabilia!

Kinsella: "It's not just enough to say 'I love the kangaroos...' "

2012-01-02T20:59:00.000+08:00

THE STRAND on the BBC: The best of the world's arts, film, music and literature brought to you every day. Presented by Harriett Gilbert John Kinsella The acclaimed Australian poet and environmentalist John Kinsella makes a passionate case for poetry in action while talking about his latest collection Armour. Listen now: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00mcznf

Short+Sweet submissions OPEN

2012-01-02T16:50:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year, writers!Though the timing is a complete coincidence, Short+Sweet have opened up script entries for our 2012-13 script cycle.Entries received now are eligible for ELEVEN Short+Sweet festivals: Short+Sweets Auckland 2012, Bangalore 2012, Brisbane 2012, Canberra 2012, Chennai 2012, Delhi 2012, Malaysia 2012, Melbourne 2012, Mumbai 2012, Singapore 2012 and Sydney 2013. For just $20,

Poetry & psychoanalysis (ill: Freud's couch)

2012-01-01T17:45:00.000+08:00

from http://www.poetryandpsychoanalysis.org/ 30 June – 1 July 2012, Oxford University, UK Keynote speaker: Adam Phillips Call for papers ***Abstract deadline extended to 20 Jan. 2012*** Just as psychoanalysts have mined poetry for examples and case studies, the insights and the problems of psychoanalysis have been a rich source of inspiration for twentieth and twenty-first century

The Old Year by John Clare

2011-12-31T00:09:00.002+08:00

The Old Year's gone away To nothingness and night: We cannot find him all the day Nor hear him in the night: He left no footstep, mark or place In either shade or sun: The last year he'd a neighbour's face, In this he's known by none. All nothing everywhere: Mists we on mornings see Have more of substance when they're here And more of form than he. He was a friend

Aime Cesaire's 'Solar Throat Slashed'

2011-12-30T22:20:00.000+08:00

“BLUES” Aguacerobeautiful musicianunclothed at the foot of a treeamidst the lost harmoniesclose to our defeated memoriesamidst our hands of defeatand peoples of a strength strangewe let our eyes hangand nativeloosing the leading-rein of a sorrowwe wept. - Aime Cesaire Solar Throat Slashed The Unexpurgated 1948 Edition Aimé Césaire; A. James

Take-off for 2012

2011-12-29T11:46:00.000+08:00

2011 saw the end of an era: the space shuttle program is now history. Universe Today photographer Alan Walters captured this stunning view of the last shuttle launch ever. See a gallery of great shots at http://www.universetoday.com

Where e-books began ...

2011-12-28T09:47:00.001+08:00

e-Shorts ... In 1971, Michael S. Hart created the first eBook by typing the US Declaration of Independence into a computer. He launched Project Gutenberg to create electronic copies of more books. In 1992 Sony launched the world's first electronic bookreader. In 1995 Amazon started to sell physical books on the Internet. In 2007 Amazon launched the Kindle and its

Poetry in Paint :: Exhibition of Elizabeth Bishop's Art

2011-12-27T22:07:00.000+08:00

'HAD Elizabeth Bishop got her way, she may never have become one of North America’s finest modern poets. “How I wish I’d been a painter,” she once wrote, “that must really be the best profession—none of this fiddling with words.” “Objects and Apparitions”, an exhibition of Bishop's artwork at the Tibor de Nagy gallery in New York, lends a glimpse of her private life as a painter. The show

DALAI LAMA says ...

2011-12-26T21:11:00.001+08:00

"We are all, by nature, clearly oriented toward the basic human values of love and compassion. We all prefer the love of others to their hatred. We all prefer others’ generosity to meanness. And who is there among us who does not prefer tolerance, respect and forgiveness of our failings to bigotry, disrespect, and resentment?"

'Wants' by Philip Larkin

2011-12-25T17:44:00.002+08:00

Beyond all this, the wish to be alone:However the sky grows dark with invitation cardsHowever we follow the printed directions of sexHowever the family is photographed under the flagstaff -Beyond all this, the wish to be alone.Beneath it all, desire of oblivion runs:Despite the artful tensions of the calendar,The life insurance, the tabled fertility rites,The costly aversion of the eyes from

Evangeline calling!

2011-12-24T14:39:00.000+08:00

I dig the cartoon/raptune, but there's so much more! Australian writer and poet Helen Hagemann presents much more on her very attractive and professional blog at http://helenhagemann.blogspot.com/ Take a look at the great site and click on any 'square' that takes your fancy. But make sure you leave yourself a decent slab of time! I was there for a loooooong time. Merry happy and Jolly

Announcing 'Everything In It' by Shel Silverstein

2011-12-22T12:50:00.001+08:00

Shel Silverstein is one of my all-time favourite writers, both for children and for adults. Back in my late adolescence, I played his LP Freaking at the Freakers' Ball to death. The neighbours hated it Now that I've had grandchildren for over a decade, I've investigated and loved his children's literature. Now they have worked on a posthumous book of his unpublished works, Everything In

Translating in the Dark by Tim Parks at NYRB Blog

2011-12-21T17:30:00.000+08:00

It is a complicated subject when we address the qualities of literary translation. The language experts seem to make wooden versions while the poets and creative writers who translate are often challenged for their 'loose' approach to the original. Me, I'm for creating the essence, not necessarily the word-for-word version. But there again I worry about my own preference because without the

Issa Haiku

2011-12-21T17:10:00.002+08:00

geese landing--the farmer's field tooa famous resort-Issahttp://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Larfs from Eureka Street ...

2011-12-21T14:37:00.000+08:00

A cartoonist I respect - not always howls of laughter but always pertinent: take a look at a gallery of her cartoons at http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=29523 Fiona Katauskas' work has also appeared in ABC's The Drum, New Matilda, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian, The Financial Review and Scribe's Best Australian political cartoon anthologies.

A Letter to my Chooks - by Barbara Temperton

2011-12-19T17:11:00.002+08:00

When Barbara Temperton and I read at The Gods in Canberra, as mentioned here December 14, I read A Letter to My Chooks as a challenge to the audience to 'pick' which poem was by Barbara and not by myself. You with me so far? I promised to display it, so here it is - a crackerjack poem, one of a series of chook poems at her blog. Please don’t poop on the doormat. When you wake

POETRY ENDS WITH ME by Nicanor Parra

2011-12-17T21:45:00.002+08:00

I'm not putting an end to anythingI don't have any illusions about thatI wanted to keep on writing poemsBut the inspiration stopped.Poetry has acquitted itself wellI have conducted myself horribly. What do I gain by sayingI have acquitted myself wellAnd poetry has conducted itself badlyWhen everybody knows I'm to blame? This is what an imbecile deserves! Poetry has acquitted itself

Introducing Rochford Street Review - New Australian Writing

2011-12-17T20:41:00.000+08:00

About Rochford Street Review Rochford Street Review is an occasional free on-line review of new Australian writing – with an emphasis on poetry and small press publications. We will aim to publish around three or four new reviews each month and will attempt to cover as many publications (both traditional and on-line) as we can.If you are a publisher, no matter how small, we would appreciate

To a Locomotive in Winter

2011-12-16T13:43:00.004+08:00

by Walt Whitman Thee for my recitative! Thee in the driving storm even as now, the snow, the winter-day declining, Thee in thy panoply, thy measur'd dual throbbing and thy beat convulsive, Thy black cylindric body, golden brass, and silvery steel, Thy ponderous side-bars, parallel and connecting rods, gyrating, shuttling at thy sides, Thy metrical, now swelling pant and roar, now tapering

Fiona's cartoon from Eureka Street

2011-12-16T13:32:00.000+08:00

Fiona Katauskas' work has also appeared in ABC's The Drum, New Matilda, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian, The Financial Review and Scribe's Best Australian political cartoon anthologies.

The Day After The Gods

2011-12-14T14:17:00.001+08:00

Andrew @ The Gods Barbara Temperton @ The Gods Geoff Page, compering Last night, Barbara Temperton and I were guests at The Gods, a cafe/bar on the grounds of ANU, Canberra. The reading has been going for many years and is run and compered by its founder, Geoff Page (poet and musician). With half an hour each to read, Barbara and I had time to stretch out and talk to the audience

Poetry at The Gods - Tuesday Night

2011-12-12T18:33:00.000+08:00

From 8pm Tuesday 13th December, Poetry at The Gods, ANU, Canberra with Guests BARBARA TEMPERTON & ANDREW BURKE compered by GEOFF PAGE XXIX From the light tower, the kero drums performing their daily cycle of expansion and contraction, toll dully. She knows the smell of kerosene as well as she knows her own distilled essence, the scent of her daughter’s hair, the keeper’s

American Life in Poetry: Column 350

2011-12-09T16:11:00.001+08:00

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006 The persons we are when we are young are probably buried somewhere within us when we’ve grown old. Denise Low, who was the Kansas poet laureate, takes a look at a younger version of herself in this telling poem. Two Gates I look through glass and see a young woman of twenty, washing dishes, and the window turns into a painting. She is myself

Kinsella puts Ethics before Cash in TS Eliot Prize withdrawal

2011-12-09T16:00:00.001+08:00

"John Kinsella joins Alice Oswald in pulling out of shortlist to oppose award's funding by investment firm Aurum Funds" Read John's reasons at http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/dec/07/ts-eliot-prize-second-poet-sponsor-protest

TS Eliot Prize shortened Short List

2011-12-07T08:15:00.000+08:00

After the withdrawal of Alice Oswald, the remaining nine poets on the shortlist for the TS Eliot Prize 2012 are: John Burnside for Black Cat BoneCarol Ann Duffy for The BeesLeontia Flynn for Profit and Loss David Harsent for Night John Kinsella for Armour Esther Morgan for GraceDaljit Nagra for Tippoo Sultan's Incredible White-Man-Eating Tiger Toy-Machine!!!Sean O'Brien for Novemberand Bernard

“Bitter Heritage” or New Birth? Two Novels by Randolph Stow

2011-12-06T08:08:00.001+08:00

Articles 23.11.2011 By Andrew Taylor Randolph Stow’s two novels, To the Islands and Tourmaline, are set in the remote and arid north of Western Australia. Its hostile environment is depicted as a site of spiritual purgation and desolation. But today iron and gas deposits of enormous value have been discovered in this area and the adjacent ocean, and some of the world’s largest industrial

Anon: Poem-A-Day Poem

2011-12-04T08:54:00.001+08:00

Earth Took of Earth by Anonymous Earth took of earth earth with ill; Earth other earth gave earth with a will. Earth laid earth in the earth stock-still: Then earth in earth had of earth its fill. Erthe Toc of Erthe Erthe toc of erthe erthe wyth woh, erthe other erthe to the earthe droh, erthe leyde erthe in erthene throh, tho hevede erthe of erthe erthe ynoh.

A poem I've been fiddling with forever... Draft for comment

2011-12-03T19:10:00.001+08:00

One-Act Day My play today is dialogue at the deli’s open door with an old woman who sits on the padded seat of her walking frame. As we talk, back and forth, tradesmen bounce out of utilities and trucks to buy choc-flavoured milk and Mrs Mac’s pies. Stained with years, the old lady sips her coffee and meditates in their exhaust. Dress faded, hair grey, she likes to

Book(s) Launch Monday at UWA

2011-12-01T13:32:00.001+08:00

two books to be launched next MondayWombats of Bundanon - Twenty Australian Poets and Kit Kelen's China Years -- Selected and New Poems (translated by Iris Fan)... both are bilingual parallel text English-Chinese volumesnext Monday afternoon (5th) at 5 pm in the Arts Courtyard (with the peacocks) at UWA, Crawley - by the banks of the Swan. All are welcome!

Poet Kit Kelen and Gang visiting from Macau

2011-11-29T14:28:00.001+08:00

Photo: yesterday at UWA with Iris, Professor Kit Kelen, and Jo. We were enjoying a translation workshop, serenaded by the resident peacock and peahen strutting the stage at the New Fortune Theatre. The following poems all by Kit Kelen. everyone has their orders to follow one of the guards is in charge of the lock another keeps the key one sharpens the instruments of torture

After Language: Letters to Jack Spicer, by Stephen Vincent

2011-11-27T17:49:00.001+08:00

My friends never cease to amaze me. Poet Stephen Vincent has written letters to Jack Spicer, put them together into a manuscript entitled After Language: Letters to Jack Spicer and Blaze VOX Books has published them. Here's one now, then where to buy the book. Dear Jack, Now that I grow older and literally sheaves of poetry have passed before my eyes—let alone hundreds of public

Poets! Enter now to win $1000

2011-11-26T17:55:00.001+08:00

The Tom Collins Poetry Prize 2011 The Tom Collins Poetry Prize is an annual competition inaugurated by FAWWA in 1975 in memory of Australian author Joseph Furphy (1843 - 1912) who wrote as Tom Collins. Terms and Conditions of Entry ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS MUST BE ADHERED TO. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF ENTRY AND FORFEITURE OF ENTRY FEE. Opening Date:

2011-11-26T11:45:00.001+08:00

Robert Herrick poem for today

2011-11-26T11:01:00.001+08:00

Grace For a Childby Robert HerrickHere, a little child I stand,Heaving up my either hand:Cold as paddocks though they be,Here I lift them up to Thee,For a benison to fallOn our meat, and on us all. Amen. Sweet little poem takes me back to childhood. So many poems I have enjoyed over the past year or so when I've been on their mailing list at https://mail.google.com/mail/?tab=wm#

Jill Jones 'What Are My' poem and 'Dark Bright Doors'

2011-11-22T20:29:00.001+08:00

Australian poet, Jill Jones, has long been a friend of mine (I'm proud to say). We met on an internet literary list and connected through poetry events across Australia. In recent times I have become even more transfixed by her poetry because of the playfulness of much of her process, playfulness which often leads to enriched art. It is a truism that all art begins in play but it also needs that

Let me share with you - Poets Forum Reading: Free Audio Download

2011-11-20T16:37:00.001+08:00

The first of a series of public events, this sold out Poets Forum Reading on October 18, 2007, provided the rare opportunity to hear some of the most acclaimed poets of our day, reading together on one stage. Featuring the Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets, the reading celebrated the range of outstanding poetry being written in America. Stream the following tracks, or follow

Bloomin' Kids Garage Sale SUNDAY

2011-11-18T17:05:00.001+08:00

Bargains galore! Fun and frolic beyond measure! Shop at your leisure and support the kids who need it. Garage Sale at 17 Scroop Way Spearwood this Sunday 8-12noon J Come along and let other people know about it!!

ADVANCED POETRY WORKSHOPS TO RETURN AT PETER COWAN WRITERS CENTRE

2011-11-17T19:47:00.001+08:00

Here is the Press Release I received today: The inaugural Advanced Poetry Workshops in 2011 was met with such success, that the Peter Cowan Writers' Centre will again offer this course in 2012. It will consist of ten monthly Advanced Poetry Workshops for selected participants. Each Workshop will be led by an experienced and widely published Western Australian poet (including Emeritus

Yabba-dabba-doo! PHIL HALL wins the Governor General Award in Canada

2011-11-16T11:40:00.001+08:00

OTTAWA — Perth poet Phil Hall has won the 75th Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry, it was announced today in Toronto. Joining Hall among the major winners were B.C. author Patrick deWitt in the fiction category for his much-acclaimed novel The Sisters Brothers, and, in the non-fiction category, Peterborough writer Charles Foran for his biography of Montreal author Mordecai

Fellowship of Australian Writers Events with Peter Bishop

2011-11-15T14:43:00.001+08:00

Writer-in-residence at Mattie Furphy House Peter Bishop, former Creative Director of Varuna, the Writers’ House 1. WORKSHOPS KNOWING THE BEGINNINGS But which way is forwards? It’s a question that plagues a

A larf ...

2011-11-13T13:54:00.000+08:00

2011-11-13T09:55:00.001+08:00

Blind Dog Tale

2011-11-12T10:49:00.001+08:00

Lily a 6 year old great dane lost his eyesight due to a rare disease. He became disheartened until he met Madison. They have been together for 5 years and Madison guides Lily by the leash and touches him to make sure he doesn't stumble over anything. The picture reveals how dependant and loving they are to each other. ♥ THERE'S ALWAYS A LESSON OF LOVE TO LEARN FROM ALL ANIMALS ♥

Phil Hall joins me in the cabin of TRUCK

2011-11-11T22:33:00.001+08:00

As I may have bragged before, I'm guest editor of TRUCK magazine for the month of November. At present, I am following a line on collaboration, so I thought I'd prompt you to visit http://halvard-johnson/blogspot.com/ and read on from this beginning - Shikibu Shuffle Andrew Burke / Phil Hall Murasaki Shikibu (973—1014) Ornette Coleman (double quartet experiments, 1960) Editor:

You'll never see these ads again. How fast the world changes!

2011-11-10T21:22:00.001+08:00

2011-11-09T11:16:00.000+08:00

‎"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." ~ Albert Einstein

SMH: 'Elevated chair for a man of poetry'

2011-11-09T11:15:00.000+08:00

Barry Spurr. Photo: James Brickwood IT SEEMS fitting that the first person in Australia to hold a professorial chair in poetry and poetics draws on Wordsworth for his job description: ''The only way to read a poet is to love him.'' Professor Barry Spurr, who was appointed to the position at the University of Sydney this week, is a traditionalist. He has a voice like drought - dry and

11 word writing competition for 11/11/11

2011-11-07T22:32:00.001+08:00

Go to it! Scene, characters, plot - good luck! http://www.writingbar.com/2011/11/competitions/11-word-story-competition-enter-now/

The Best Australian Poems 2011

2011-11-07T14:41:00.001+08:00

Edited by JOHN TRANTER ‘What a rich, strange and diverse lot these poems turned out to be … I suspect that these baroque and potent imaginings can only have come into existence as fragments of dreams or nightmares.’ — John Tranter In The Best Australian Poems 2011, celebrated poet John Tranter selects the most vigorous, varied and interesting poems of the last year. This

Spike Milligan's Love

2011-11-07T09:20:00.000+08:00

Ostensibly, Spike Milligan – The Serious Poet (Radio 4, Sunday) was about his poetry, especially the darker verse he wrote while in the grip of manic depression. But what leapt out, and in a very cheerful way, were the ties and love linking Milligan and his daughters. Their voices as they read his poems filled the programme in a truly spirited way. "He was an enchanting father," we heard.

Perpetual Limited : Acclaimed poet Robert Adamson wins the 2011 Patrick White Award

2011-11-05T13:26:00.002+08:00

Perpetual has today announced Robert Adamson, acclaimed for his poetry inspired by Sydney's Hawkesbury River, as the winner of the 2011 Patrick White Award. The annual award, currently worth $18,000, was established by Patrick White with the proceeds of his 1973 Nobel Prize for Literature to acknowledge writers who have made a significant contribution to Australian literature. Writers

From FAWWA: Sue Woolfe at Mattie Furphy House

2011-11-05T12:08:00.000+08:00

Acclaimed Sydney novelist, Sue Woolfe has arrived in Perth for a month as writer in residence with the Fellowship of Australian Writers (WA). She is staying in the newly restored, stunningly beautiful Federation building, Mattie Furphy House in the Allen Park Heritage Precinct, Swanbourne. Sue is the author of three novels, Painted Woman, Leaning Towards Infinity and The Secret Cure, and the

"... assume crash position ..."

2011-11-02T23:12:00.000+08:00

A guy said on Gruen Transfer tonight (TV show with advertising execs and creatives talking about ads, events and mock campaigns) that he thought the effects of this strike and lock-out would be hard felt in the short term but beneficial to Qantas in the long-term. Maybe I can only see the short-term. and I see management causing a wider gap between themselves and their staff, some of who(m)

Czeslaw Milosz poem - Beautiful!

2011-10-31T22:31:00.000+08:00

Woe! It is true, our tribe is similar to the bees, It gathers honey of wisdom, carries it, stores it in honeycombs. I am able to roam for hours Through the labyrinth of the main library, floor to floor. But yesterday, looking for the words of masters and prophets, I wandered into high regions That are visited by practically no one. I would open a book and could decipher nothing.

Alan's made a meal of QANTAS

2011-10-31T11:20:00.001+08:00

Thanks, Melinda Scott on facebook.

CALL FOR PAPERS: PATRICK WHITE’S CENTENARY

2011-10-29T08:55:00.000+08:00

photo William Yang The year 2012 marks the centenary of the birth of Australia’s Nobel-prize winning author Patrick White who died just over twenty years ago. Since his death, White’s critical reputation has suffered somewhat, although there are signs now of renewed interest in his work. The Journal of Postcolonial Cultures and Societies (See blog link:http://jfv-australiana.blogspot.com/

Charlie and I at the Hong Kong Sixes

2011-10-28T23:37:00.002+08:00

How come my son is so much taller than me? Ah. it's the Weet-Bix he eats for breakfast!

For all my writerly friends ...

2011-10-28T23:34:00.000+08:00

Sylvia Plath's Drawings

2011-10-27T22:52:00.002+08:00

Visual Arts Sylvia Plath's Never-Before-Exhibited Drawings Todaywould have been Sylvia Plath's 79th birthday, had she not committed suicideat age 30. Although the literary legend is best known for hersemi-autobiographical novel*The Bell Jar* and the posthumously publishedcollection of poetry *Ariel*, as her daughter Freida Hughes

Good thought.

2011-10-27T20:53:00.002+08:00

Poets go a-blogging ...

2011-10-26T21:24:00.003+08:00

Here's a very good blog, new to me, at http://solongbulletin.tumblr.com/ That's right - it's name is So Long Bulletin, and combines the talents of ELIZABETH CAMPBELL, LK HOLT & PETRA WHITE. They in turn have brought our attention to PHILIP SALOM's new blog at http://www.philipsalom.com/blog From 1st November I will be Guest Blogger at http://

My dining partner at Lunch today

2011-10-26T15:05:00.000+08:00

This handsome bird joined me for lunch today at McDonalds on the yacht club pen lines at Gold Coast apartments, an hour out of central Hong Kong (if there is such a thing). Why was I eating Maccas in HK when there is so much good Asian food around? Because I was searching for a good coffee, and heard that was the best I can do around here. Not bad, but not brilliant. McCafe here is truly a

Quarterly Literary Review Singapore celebrates a decade of fine writing online

2011-10-25T21:57:00.002+08:00

QLRS is worth a gold medal for surviving through the thick and thin of literary fads and politics! Here's one quote from an article and announcement of their 10th anniversary celebrations: "You always need a platform for new poets to push out their poems or existing poets to share new poems. We can never have enough short stories, too," said Yong,44, a Singapore Literature Prize recipient.QLRS

American Life in Poetry: Column 344 - OVERTIME by Jorge Evans

2011-10-24T23:12:00.000+08:00

by TED KOOSER, U.S. Poet Laureate, 2004-2006 I love listening to shop talk, to overhear people talking about their work. Their speech is not only rich with the colorful names of tools and processes, but it’s also full of resignation. A job is, after all, a job. Here’s a poem by Jorge Evans of Minnesota, who’s done some hard work. Overtime Fair season and we’re tent pitching on holy grounds

Interview with Tom Waits

2011-10-23T22:58:00.003+08:00

Read an interesting recent interview with Tom Waits http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/23/tom-waits-interview-bad-as-me?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038 You can almost hear him talking.

'Deadly Beautiful' Liana Joy Christensen (Pub date 1st November)

2011-10-21T20:06:00.001+08:00

from Pan Macmillan's website http://www.panmacmillan.com.au/display_title.asp?ISBN=9781921497223&Author=Christensen%2C+Liana+Joy This entertaining book deals with an endlessly fascinating subject in a new, unique way. Humans have always had an ambivalent relationship with deadly animals. For most people they arouse fears and even phobias, yet perhaps the real risks are not quite as large as

Charles Simic on Writing Poetry

2011-10-20T22:21:00.001+08:00

A few things to keep in mind while sitting down to write a poem: 1. Don't tell the readers what they already know about life. 2. Don't assume you're the only one in the world who suffers.

T.S.Eliot Prize short list

2011-10-20T18:39:00.005+08:00

John Burnside, Black Cat Bone (Jonathan Cape)Carol Ann Duffy, The Bees (Picador)Leontia Flynn, Profit and Loss (Jonathan Cape)David Harsent, Night (Faber)John Kinsella, Armour (Picador)Esther Morgan, Grace (Bloodaxe)Daljit Nagra, Tippoo Sultan's Incredible White-Man-Eating Tiger Toy-Machine!!! (Faber)Sean O’Brien, November (Picador)Bernard O’Donoghue, Farmer’s Cross (Faber)Alice Oswald, Memorial

FAWWA Workshop: Have fun finding news to be inspired to write! with Liana Joy Christensen

2011-10-20T15:56:00.000+08:00

B*E*A*T photo courtesy of Coral Carter Loosen up everyone! Come prepared to play! Have fun finding new ways of being inspired to write. Try dancing an artwork, clapping a sentence or humming a poem. Be prepared to play and be prepared to write. Be prepared to tap into your sense of humour! Most writers know instinctively that words contain rhythm and energetic power well beyond the

Issa Haiku

2011-10-18T16:56:00.004+08:00

rainstorm--two or three cups, nowdrink up! drink up!-Issa, 1818http://cat.xula.edu/issa/

Submissions: dotdotdash Issue 9: Recursive

2011-10-17T20:57:00.003+08:00

Event Description Get meta. Get self-referential. Repeat yourself (repeat yourself). Write it out by hand and then rewrite, and rewrite, and rewrite. Reclaim your childhood cursive. Be self-conscious about everything. (But we accept