I couldn't agree more, Andrew, and that was part of the gist of my
as-yet unpublished blogpost. UNSW Press is a university press,
therefore ... as you said. Sure, the author/editor needs to be able do
their thing but a publisher/commissioning editor also has a
responsibility, esp in a so-called academic publishing house.
Otherwise, self-publish. It's not so hard to do these days. Indeed, it
has been suggested that one of the editors did sink a lot of his own
cash into it, therefore, it becomes a kind of self-funded enterprise.
If they'd called it Geoff and Bob's Big Book of Oz Poetry it may not
be an issue. But it's making big claims. Some of us may know the
politics, the ins n outs, but those not close to all that, or not
innerested may, possibly, assume this is the latest word on all that's
good in Aussie poetry because of its provenance, etc.
Some unkind people have dubbed it Gray and Lemon. Others have said you
could make a great anthology out of many left out of this one. Maybe
someone will. I dunno - one of the other probs is that it's so
blinkin' big and heavy, over a 100 pages but only about 170 poets
(since 1788?). Neither yr bang for buck nor something I could see
teachers realistically encouraging students to lug around in their
already overloaded backpacks, let alone all the contention abt who's
in or out. Well, I won't be setting it or referring to it as it's no
use. I'd rather them read single vols or, hey, my anthology, which is
lighter in all senses, indeed positively festive.
Cheers,
Jill
________________________ Jill Jones www.jilljones.com.au
----- Original Message -----
From: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics"
To:
Cc:
Sent:Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:21:27 +0800
Subject:Re: snap: two seniors
But, Jill, who edits these things that are so far out of whack from
the
publishing company's team? Surely if they're going to put their
moniker on
it, they'd check out its validity. I can understand biased creative
people
putting out volumes of their mates, but the publisher should have
some kind
of 'gatekeeper' to stop this happening in the extreme - or at least
label
it as such in its title. (That could be fun )
You get my drift?
Regards from a hot Perth -
Andrew
On 12 January 2012 12:49, Jill Jones wrote:
> Andrew,
>
> Sure is a terrible anth, to add to a few poor ones of recent times.
> But this one problematic on large scale, re what kind of work not
> included, ie not just the many of us individually not there but
what
> kind of many/s.
>
> Maybe you have caught up with Pete Minter's take on it, the
specific
> concern being Indigenous inclusion, here is his talk - worth a
> look/listen, it isn't boring:
> http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/17612651
>
> or Michael Farrell's comments at Jacket2:
> https://jacket2.org/commentary/material-criticism
>
> I also wrote a short piece on it but it has not been published yet
by
> the blogger who asked me for something. If it doesn't appear, I
will
> post it myself.
>
> I could speculate on the 'politics' - some of it is clearly
'personal'
> - but I'm not sure it's worth wasting time on.
>
> Cheers,
> J
>
>
> ________________________ Jill Jones www.jilljones.com.au
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics"
> To:
> Cc:
> Sent:Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:52:01 +0800
> Subject:Re: snap: two seniors
>
> Yes, that was a major omission - terrible anthology. Tom is such a
> major
> figure in Australian poetry that is simply shows their ignorance.
Who
> knows
> why - the politics is always behind closed doors, and from here in
> the West
> we don't get to hear all the gossip - luckily.
>
> Andrew
>
> On 12 January 2012 03:23, Max Richards wrote:
>
> > > I never met him, but Judith, yeah, & youve caught her....
> > >
> > > Doug
> >
> > When Andrew also asked after Tom Shapcott, who is even older than
> his wife
> > Judith, I realised I was under- informed. Such a stalwart of
> Australian
> > writing, and a few years ago deprived of his voice and more by I
> think a
> > stroke. Caring for Tom was only part of her responsibilities as
she
> (when
> > last met up with) also had a centenarian mother to see every day,
> and also
> > stay with as she was still in her old flat then.
> > Dimitris was sad for Tom who doesn't appear in the latest huge
> anthology
> > of Australian poetry despite his many books and old reputation.
> Ach,
> > anthologies!
> >
> > Max
> >
> > On 11/01/2012, at 7:23 PM, Patrick McManus wrote:
> >
> > > Thanks Max Wish I was a ball of energy -ah my old Vespa days P
> > >
> > >
> > > Good to see they're still kicking! Judith was always a ball of
> energy.
> > > How's Tom now?
> > >
> > > Andrew
> > >
> > > On 11 January 2012 06:37, Max Richards wrote:
> > >
> > >> Two Seniors
> > >>
> > >> (Judith Rodriguez, b1936, &
> > >> Dimitris Tsaloumas, b.1921)
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Vigorous poems she wrote -
> > >> ditto her body language.
> > >> She roused her students -
> > >>
> > >> all can be creative!
> > >> New then to her country,
> > >> I felt she stood for Australia..
> > >>
> > >> When our summer December
> > >> party lagged without
> > >> a bottle-opener
> > >>
> > >> she bit off the crown caps
> > >> passing round the beer
> > >> that might inspire us further.
> > >>
> > >> *
> > >>
> > >> At her house when I met
> > >> Australia's great Greek poet,
> > >> Dimitris Tsaloumas,
> > >>
> > >> of Leros and Elwood Vic,
> > >> though I towered over him,
> > >> his eyes burned into me
> > >>
> > >> as if asking was I serious enough?
> > >> I hadn't been but might.
> > >> His voice was intense, but kind.
> > >>
> > >> *
> > >>
> > >> Hospitalised once
> > >> for something dire,
> > >> when visited by me
> > >>
> > >> her bed was empty -
> > >> she'd absconded
> > >> with her drip-feed bottle
> > >>
> > >> to judge some urgent
> > >> poetry competition
> > >> for the promising young.
> > >>
> > >> *
> > >>
> > >> Celebrating his eightieth
> > >> at a large gathering
> > >> he'd excused himself from,
> > >>
> > >> she hobbled forward
> > >> on her stick to the lectern,
> > >> praised him with force
> > >>
> > >> and large gestures -
> > >> strode back to her seat
> > >> without her stick.
> > >>
> > >> Now he's ninety,
> > >> I'm about to make my visit
> > >> of homage to his Elwood
> > >>
> > >> address, its Greek-
> > >> picture-haunted rooms,
> > >> I'll ask: Dimitris,
> > >>
> > >> are you still not only
> > >> writing your worlds
> > >> but touring Leros on your Vespa?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Max Richards, b.1937
> > >> Doncaster Vic
> > >>
> > >> p.s. DT says he now has a four-stroke Vespa, easier for him.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Andrew
> > > http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
> > > http://www.mullamullapress.com/QWERTY
> > > BLUE ROSE enovel avail. at Amazon, Smashwords and
> > > http://etextpress.com/books.htm
> >
>
> --
> Andrew
> http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
> http://www.mullamullapress.com/QWERTY
> BLUE ROSE enovel avail. at Amazon, Smashwords and
> http://etextpress.com/books.htm
>
>
--
Andrew
http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
http://www.mullamullapress.com/QWERTY
BLUE ROSE enovel avail. at Amazon, Smashwords and
http://etextpress.com/books.htm
|