Birds flocking - by Lawrence Upton

Those birds are making pictures in the sky;
forming a fist; and then a manacle;
condemning a face to burst into a skull,

bits of it, and bone fragments, curving back
to reinforce the main round changing structure
of representation and illusion,

all of it loose of ground and on the move,
itself, fantasising itself, flying,
a whole of thinking particles; so much

better at coordination than are we


- Lawrence Upton

2015 T S Eliot Prize shortlist

The Poetry Book Society is delighted to announce a distinguished international shortlist for the 2015 T S Eliot Prize, with one poet from the US, one from Jamaica, one from Australia, two Scots, four previous winners and two first collections.

Judges Pascale Petit (Chair), Kei Miller and Ahren Warner have unanimously chosen the shortlist from a record 142 books submitted by publishers:

Mark Doty - Deep Lane (Cape Poetry)
Tracey Herd - Not in this World (Bloodaxe)
Selima Hill - Jutland (Bloodaxe)
Sarah Howe - Loop of Jade (Chatto & Windus)
Tim Liardet - The World Before Snow (Carcanet)
Les Murray - Waiting for the Past (Carcanet)
Sean O'Brien - The Beautiful Librarians (Picador)
Don Paterson - 40 Sonnets (Faber)
Rebecca Perry - Beauty/Beauty (Bloodaxe)
Claudia Rankine - Citizen: An American Lyric (Penguin)

Margaret Dooley Young Writers Award

The Margaret Dooley Young Writers Fellowship is offered to support the development of young Australian writers aged 15–25.

The Fellowship will provide a unique opportunity for a young writer with an interest in current events, ethics and social justice to work with Eureka Street's editors on a series of columns, and to be paid upon publication at our professional rate of $200 per article.

During the three-month Fellowship, to run during the 2016 calendar year (exact timing to be negotiated between the writer and the editors), the writer will have the opportunity to submit six to ten articles, and to workshop them with the editors, with a view to timely publication.

Some amount of face-to-face contact time at the Eureka Street offices in Richmond, Vic., will be strongly encouraged, however where this is not practical engagement will be via Skype, phone or email. At the end of the three months, there will be opportunities to contribute to Eureka Street on an ongoing basis.

How to apply
Please submit a brief CV (maximum one page) including your date of birth and contact details, along with two previously unpublished articles that reflect the style and format of a Eureka Street article — i.e. each article should be:

• 700 to 800 words long
• topical
• authoritative but 'non-specialist'
• with an emphasis on ethics and social justice
• and, most importantly, well written.

We highly recommend familiarising yourself with Eureka Street's content before submitting, in order to get a feel for the kinds of topics and angles we like.

Please email your CV and articles as three separate attachments to eureka@eurekastreet.com.au. Include the subject line APPLICATION - MARGARET DOOLEY FELLOWSHIP. If you don't use this subject line your application will be missed.

Applications are open to all Australian writers aged 15 to 25 as of 31 July 2016, and close at midnight, 31 October 2015. The successful applicant will be contacted during November to discuss start dates for the Fellowship. Good luck and happy writing!

Image: Shutterstock

Happy 100th, John Berryman - from The Guardian

 

The great American poet John Berryman would have been 100 today, had he lived. One of the things most people know about him is that he did not. He killed himself at 57 – after a lifetime of chaos, alcoholism, mental illness and extremely hard work.

 

Continue reading at http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/24/happy-100th-birthday-john-berryman-poetry?CMP=share_btn_fb

 

 

Frank Zappa's Last Interview

2016 Peter Porter Poetry Prize

Australian Book Review welcomes entries in the twelfth Peter Porter Poetry Prize, which is now worth a total of AU$7,500. All poets writing in English are eligible, regardless of where they live.

The Porter Prize is one of Australia’s most lucrative and respected awards for poetry. It honours the life and work of the great Australian poet Peter Porter (1929–2010), an honoured contributor to ABR for many years.

Arthur Boyd, The unicorn and the angel from the series The lady and the unicorn, 1975 (Arthur Boyd’s work reproduced with the permission of Bundanon Trust)

 

Poems must not exceed 75 lines and must be written in English.
Deadline for entries is 1 December 2015
First Prize: $5,000 and Arthur Boyd’s etching and aquatint The unicorn and the angel, 1975 from the series The lady and the unicorn, 1975.
Shortlisted Poets: $500

The unicorn and the angel was produced by Arthur Boyd to illustrate the book of poems by Peter Porter, entitled the Lady and the Unicorn (Secker & Warburg, London, 1975). The print is generously donated by Ivan Durrant in honour of Georges Mora.

Online entry is recommended, but posted entries will be accepted. Before entering the Porter Prize, all poets must read the Terms and Conditions.

Click here to enter online.

Click here to download a PDF entry form and enter by post.

The Porter Prize is one of Australia’s most lucrative and respected awards for poetry. It honours the life and work of the great Australian poet Peter Porter (1929–2010), an honoured contributor to ABR for many years.

Please read our Frequently Asked Questions page before contacting us with queries about the Porter Prize.

 Click here for more information about past winners and to read their poems.

We gratefully acknowledge the long-standing support of Ms Morag Fraser AM. The print is donated by Mr Ivan Durrant in honour of Georges Mora.
 

Michelle Leber at the Dan this Saturday

It's been happening every Saturday afternoon since the beginning of time...   well, 1994 anyway. Hello Poetry Lovers Come, Eat, Drink and Listen to Poetry, put your feet up, re-boot yourself with poetry Read your poetry on the Open Mic.  View this email in your browser October Features@The Dan Oct 3rd Benito Di Fonzo Oct 10th Tom Joyce Oct 17th Chalise Van Wyngaardt Oct 24th Michelle Leber Oct 31st Lana Woolf

Michelle Leber OCTOBER 24th AT THE DAN Michelle Leber was born in Melbourne and raised by Slovenian emigrants. She first started performing her work 10 years ago, but has been around the Melbourne poetry scene for nearly 30 years.  She developed her poetry ear, listening to poets, before she had the nerve to recite any of her own work. With parenting and her professional life offering less demands these days, she is now able to focus more on her writing. Over the last 5 years, she has had two poetry collections published – the latest, The Yellow Emperor – an imagined biography of China’s first emperor. Michelle is currently working on a new series of work based on women born in the 19th century who contributed to natural history, the arts and sciences in Australia. She is more interested in writing non-fiction poetry – poetry based on other individuals other than herself – although there are some exceptions. (Photo by Nicholas Walton-Healey)

Dan Poets, every Saturday, 2-5pm. Free Entry Includes open mic. Rotating MCs Anne, Libby, Norman and Steve. Dan O'Connell Hotel, 225 Canning St Carlton. Licensed premises. Kids welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.

ERNEST HEMMINGWAY ~ IMMORTALITY

From things that have happened and from things as they exist and from all things that you know and all those you cannot know, you make something through your invention that is not a representation but a whole new thing truer than anything true and alive, and you make it alive, and if you make it well enough, you give it immortality.   Ernest Hemmingway     from https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/15076424f946fe49 Reply Forward

Pam Brown reading at Rhizomic

Aussie humour and Echuca sites

Diabolik Books hosts Peter Garrett

2015 Booker Prize Winner

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

On 3 December 1976, just weeks before the general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica Concert to ease political tensions, seven gunmen… Read More

Best Australian Poems 2015 - out in November

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The Best Australian Poems 2015

Jane Downing • Fiona Wright • Victoria McGrath • Petra White • Jill Jones • Jennifer Compton • Jennifer Maiden • Steve Evans • Nigel Roberts • Kevin Hart • Alan Gould • Ron Heard • Jennifer Mackenzie • Eileen Chong • Alex Skovron • Russell Erwin • Billy Marshall-Stoneking • Rozanna Lilley • Roland Leach • Maria Takolander • Paul Hetherington • Mran-Maree Laing • John Tranter • Gary Allen • Robert Adamson • Anthony Lawrence • John Foulcher • Tony Page • Peter Rose • Michael Crane • Lucy Dougan • Dennis Haskell • Andy Jackson • Samuel Wagan Watson • Phillip Hall • Ali Cobby Eckermann • Brenda Saunders • Lisa Brockwell • Chris Wallace-Crabbe • Robyn Rowland • Suzanne Edgar • B N Oakman • Paolo Totaro • Andrew McDonald • Joe Dolce • Lin Van Hek • John Upton • Rod Usher • Brendan Ryan • Thom Sullivan • Olga Pavlinova Olenich • Geoff Goodfellow • Anne Elvey • Alyson Miller • Luke Beesley • Gig Ryan • Sarah Holland-Batt • Murray Jennings • Chloe Wilson • Jakob Ziguras • Peter Bakowski • Luke Fischer • Jodie Hollander • Jane Williams • Paul Cliff • Susan Hampton • Cassandra Atherton • Rachael Mead • Brook Emery • Sarah Rice • Andy Kissane • David McCooey • Joan Kerr • Peter Nach-Lewinsky • Judy Johnson • Anthony Lynch • Judith Beveridge • Lisa Gorton • Michael Sariban • Sarah Day • David Brooks • Michelle Cahill • Jude Aquilina • Jordie Albiston • Kevin Brophy • Les Wicks • K. A. Nelson • Fay Zwicky • Jamie Grant • Les Murray • Caitlin Maling • Andrew Burke • Stephen Edgar • Tony Lintermans • Angela Smith • Vivian Smith • Bruce Dawe • Clive James

BAM CREATIVE wins National Awards

 

BAM CREATIVE wins 7 Top Awards.

See https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Bam-Creative-recognised-at-web-awards

100th ANNIVERSARY OF DADA - SUBMIT 11th October

11 October - 31 December 2015 11 October at 12:00 to 31 December 2015 at 23:59 in EDT

http://threeroomspress.com/?p=4425

Be a part of Three Rooms Press’ internationally-renowned journal Maintenant: A Journal of Contemporary Dada Writing & Art. Our journal is inspired by DaDa instigator and Three Rooms Press spiritual advisor Arthur Cravan — who created the very first ‘zine in the world with his early 20th century publication Maintenant and we’re proud to carry on the tradition. In past issues, we have published bold work from Neo-Dadaists worldwide. We are honored to be included in the Museum of Modern Art archives, as well museums and galleries worldwide

100th ANNIVERSARY OF DADA!
MAINTENANT 10 THEME: WARM/HUNGER

DETAILS: In honor of the 100th anniversary of DADA, the theme of MAINTENANT 10 will be "WARM/HUNGER": encompassing... artists' and writers' reaction to climate change, global poverty and hunger, ongoing world war and the nationalism, rationalism and greed that has made all of this seem endless and infinite. Please submit art or writing that interprets the idea of WARM/HUNGER. And of course expose the WARMONGER with Weapons of Mass Disarmament.

And once again –MAINTENANT 10 will be published in full color!!!

SUBMISSION DEADLINE
All submissions must be received by 23h59 (11:59 pm) DECEMBER 31, 2015!

We LOVE Dada-inspired poetic word art, collage and photography. All art must be submitted in jpeg, gif or png format, high resolution (300 dpi, 4×5 in). This year we will be printing in full COLOR. Please consider submitting either color or black-and-white images on the theme of WARM/HUNGER. If you are submitting a written piece--poetry or prose--it should be no longer than 25 lines on the theme of WARM/HUNGER.

Please fill in the form attached to this link:

http://threeroomspress.com/?p=4425

then select the button "Choose File" and select your file from your computer. All submissions must be submitted via the form. We accept files up to 4 MB in size, in .jpeg, .png, .gif, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt formats ONLY. Please submit one piece per file, and one piece at a time. You may submit a maximum of 4 pieces total. If you submit more than 4 pieces, your work will not be considered for publication. If you have any questions, please email editor@threeroomspress.com.

Maintenant 10 will be published in June 2016, with themed launch event(s) in New York City, Los Angeles, and Europe, culminating (hopefully!) with a massive event at Caberet Voltaire, where 100 years ago, it all started. Stay tuned for details.

And please reflect upon the cover art by revolutionary Polish artist Pawel Kuczynski entitled ARMISTICE.

Looking forward to seeing your submissions.

'WIDOWER' by David Ray

American Life in Poetry: Column 550

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE Here is a poem by David Ray, of Arizona, that gets to the subject of how a person moves ahead following the death of a loved one. For a time, the simplest activity can feel both strange and new. His most recent book of poetry is When, from Howling Dog Press, 2007. Widower She took such good care of him that he seldom lifted a finger. So only now does he stand by the sink and peel his first potato, with the paring knife she left as legacy. The potato, he notes, fits the human hand, was made to do so, one of the miracles. She knew all along. We do not accept unsolicited submissions. American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2006 by David Ray, “Widower,” from Music of Time: Selected and New Poems, (The Backwaters Press, 2006). Poem reprinted by permission of David Ray and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2015 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

HOWL in Launceston

FUNNY NEOLOGISMS - from Washington Post

2015 Castlemaine Poetry Prize NOW OPEN

The Castlemaine Mail is calling for entries in the 2015 Castlemaine Poetry Prize. Two awards will be presented this year for the Best Poem and the Judge’s Encouragement Award.

The poem must not have been published or have won another prize, a strict maximum of 40 lines applies and all entries should be double spaced. Poets can choose any theme. Contact details, including a phone number, must be enclosed but not on the same page as the poem. There is no entry fee but there is ...a limit of three entries per poet.

Award-winning Castlemaine poet Ann de Hugard and Tegan Gigante have agreed to judge this year's competition.

Elliott Midland Newspapers is sponsoring the 2015 Castlemaine Poetry Prize, which carries a first prize of $100 (senior section) and an award. Soldier and Scholar Bookshop in Castlemaine is sponsoring the Judge’s Encouragement Award in the senior section.

The winner of this award will also receive a $50 book voucher.

Selected entries, including the winning poems, will be published in the Castlemaine Mail.

Entries can be submitted via email to:
editcm@elliottmidnews.com.au
or mailed to 2014 Castlemaine Poetry Prize, 29 Templeton St, Castlemaine, 3450, Victoria.

The Entries for the senior section close on Friday, October 17, at 5pm

Issa Haiku

 

the wagtail beats time
with his butt...
croaking frogs

- Issa 1819

.鶺鴒の尻ではやすや鳴蛙

sekirei no shiri de hayasu ya naku kawazu

The wagtail (sekirei) is a bird with long, wagging tail feathers.

http://haikuguy.com/issa/

POEM - Murray Jennings

SLUSH PILE

Carlene and I made bets

on which one of us’s novel gets

off the slushpile first

Each of us has a huge thirst

for recognition, some success

(publication) but it’s anyone’s guess

if we’ve got what it takes

to survive rejection, if resolve breaks

during the months of silence from the faceless

editors or readers, or the graceless

one-line note: Your manuscript returned

herein. My fingers already burned

from an attempt at self-publication

would itch to perform strangulation

if my novel suffered such an ignominious fate

when just the synopsis should indicate

it’s special, different, standing out

from the rest of the pile, because it’s about

love and sex and deaths and it’s very well written

Carlene said so. Her fingernails are bitten

down to the quick. So I reciprocated

Your story’s beautiful, while the coffee percolated

and we stared out the window at the rain

waiting, waiting, waiting, we hope not in vain.

 

--  Murray Jennings   1^st October, 2015

 

 

 

   

Celebrate Australia's Oldest Poetry Press this Saturday

HURRAY UP! POETRY MASTERCLASS