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on 6/2/01 9:46 AM, Candice Ward at [log in to unmask] wrote: > the intercity rivalry among the poets I met, > first in Hobart (where Sydney was grudgingly acknowledged as on the map, > while Melbourne was trashed), then in Melbourne (where Sydney was spoken of > as everything that was wrong with OZ poetry, while Hobart was dismissed as > an inbreeding ground--"Did you notice how everyone there even looks alike?" > a Melbourne poet asked me, to my astonishment!) The Sydney/Melbourne thing is old and hoary and relates to more than just poetry - mention political discussion, jazz (yes, we have it in Australia but I'm sure Ken Burns will have missed that) or even or perhaps especially restaurants and dining out and you'll get the same responses. It's usually Melbourne having a go at Sydney but it does work both ways. Certainly Sydney is regarded as the root of all evil, in poetry as in everything else - because it's the biggest and oldest city and sucks up all the cash and gets in all the publicity shots with Opera Houses and Harbour Bridges and we're just a bunch of shallow larrikins and ex-convicts (though the grudging Taswegian thing possibly relates to the fact that there is an historical connection between the two places - not sure, just a thought). Read Les Murray for his portraits of Sydney as Mammon. I find all this curious but maybe this little black duck is an oddity. I enjoy the differences and have always looked forward to visiting the other cities to get a feel for the scene. And I always feel uneasy around conversations when people are indulging in these massive generalisations. Who were you talking to and how many schooners/pots/pints had they downed at the time? I'm being half-serious - alcohol is an interesting 'truth' serum. Did you get to Sinny and experience the same kind of reaction? Surely this kind of thing happens elsewhere. I've noted aspersions being cast upon London by British poets and wonder if places like New York (San Francisco, whatever, I don't know?) or Auckland or Toronto (or wherever) get the same treatment. However, Australia is a big land with a comparatively small population so possibly this magnifies regional differences when it costs so much to get things done and takes so long for folks to visit each other. But seriously, I love Melbourne, I really do. Cheers, Jill _________________________________ Jill Jones 50 Ruby Street Marrickville NSW 2204 AUSTRALIA [log in to unmask] http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~jpjones