>I didn't say it should be destabilised. And a myth is NOT a falsity that
>should be
>exposed. Nor is nationalism. There is a lot of good in it (and a lot of
>evil) if it
>does become a dominant discourse. The thing is, it hasn't yet. And that's
>why I find
>it a fairly 'wishfull' and questionable idea to assume that it has such a
>dominant
>place in the context of Australian poetry.
I was attempting to trace in an impressionistic fashion a nationalistic
discourse which has been present in various ways in the construction of
an Australian poetry and society during the past century - I wasn't part
of the Whitlam thing either, being a child at the time, and have a few
problems with the myths of the 60s and 70s as well. (I was using the
word "myth" very loosely, in the sense of a legitimising self-image,
created more or less consciously in the service of certain privilege.)
I've encountered nationalism as a xenophobic incurious force in both
literature and theatre, and also dominant in the rhetoric, but I won't go
into the millions of reasons why I say that - it would take all day and
I'm not in such a state of febrile exhaustion as I was yesterday -
>In the context
>of poetry, well, the most vibrant thing in our poetry has been its almost
>post-
>modern ability to allow the underprivilaged (non-English-speaking,
>non-male, non-
>white, non-heterosexual, non-upper class, etc) to function and produce
>work. And
>make no mistakes about it, that's NOT a minor or passable achievment by
>anyone's
>stadards.
Yes, I agree completely: but that, as I, and I think John, were saying
has to be made visible against many countervailing rhetorics which would
have it entirely otherwise - one of which is Oz nationalism. There is no
contradiction between this nationalism, which is the result of a certain
insecurity, and Australia being an imperialist stooge - The fact that
women were granted suffrage here first, that the eight hour day happened
here first, isn't as well known as the fact ANZAC soldiers were blown to
bits in Gallipoli.
Best
Alison
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