maybe you can do the tusitala marsh postingn to wompo, Judy... best from Max Quoting Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]>: > Sounds terrific, Max. > Would you consider posting this to WOM-PO [Women's Poetry List]? It would > be welcomed, I'm sure; there may be many on that list who'd like to know > about the poet and her new poetry book. > Here's where you can subscribe to WOM-PO and then post the information about > Dr. Tusitala Marsh: [log in to unmask] > > Best, > > Judy > > 2009/4/9 Max Richards <[log in to unmask]> > > > University's first Pacific Island PhD in English publishes poetry book > > 27 February 2009 > > > > The University of Auckland’s first Pacific Islander to graduate with a > PhD > > in > > English will this month publish a poetry and CD collection hailed for its > > confidence and musicality. > > > > Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh’s Fast Talking PI (University of Auckland Press, > > 2009) > > reflects the poet’s own focus on issues affecting Pacific communities in > > New > > Zealand, and indigenous peoples around the world—including the challenges > > and > > triumphs of being afakasi (half-caste). > > > > Dr Tusitala Marsh is of Samoan, Tuvalu, English, and French descent; > > “Tusitala” > > means writer of tales in Samoan. The book, Dr Tusitala Marsh’s first > > published > > collection of poems, lives up to that name with stories of the poet’s > life, > > family, community, ancestry, and history. Her poetry is sensuous and > > strong, > > using lush imagery, clear rhythms and repetitions to power it forward. > > Although > > the list poem is a favourite style, she also writes with a Pacific lyricism > > entirely her own. > > > > Fast Talking PI is structured in three sections, “Tusitala” (personal), > > “Talkback” (political and historical) and “Fast Talking PIs” > (dialogue). In > > poems such as “Guys Like Gauguin” she writes as a “calabash > breaker”, > > smashing > > stereotypes and challenging historic injustices; but in other poems she > > explores > > the idea of the calabash as the honoured vessel for identity and story. > > Ultimately, though, Marsh exhorts herself to “be nobody’s darling”; > as a > > writer > > she is a self-proclaimed “darling in the margins”. > > > > “The title poem of this collection has become my signature trademark. > I’ve > > had > > fantastic responses to it from within and beyond the Pacific community. Its > > message, and that of the collection, is that if you can name your identity, > > you > > can claim your destiny and become exactly who and how you were meant to be, > > even > > in the face of outside limitations and proscriptions. After embracing a > > ‘calabash breaker’ genealogy, my work here at the Department of English > has > > become a strategic place to empower and inspire others through creative > > writing. > > For those contemplating study at University, there are a lot more > > calabashes to > > go around,” says Dr Tusitala Marsh. > > > > Acclaimed writer and Professor of English Witi Ihimaera praises Dr Tusitala > > Marsh as “the sassy hip-hop streetwise Samoan siren of South Pacific > poetry > > and > > poetics. No, correct that: her poetry and poetics are world class. Her > > aesthetics and indigenous politics are meld-marvellous and her ideas will > > blow > > you away”. > > > > Dr Tusitala Marsh will be reading from Fast Talking PI at Auckland’s > annual > > Pasifika celebrations from 11.30am-12 noon at The University of Auckland > > stage > > on Saturday 14 March (Western Springs Park). > > > > Dr Tusitala Marsh lectures on New Zealand and Pasifika literature in the > > University’s Department of English. She is developing a Pasifika Poetry > > website > > in conjunction with the NZ electronic poetry centre and working on a > > critical > > anthology of Pacific women poets writing in English. Her poetry has been > > anthologised already, including in the award-winning Whetu Moana: > > Contemporary > > Polynesian Poetry in English. > > > > Video and audio files of Selina Tusitala Marsh reading her poems and the > > text of > > some of her poems are available on www.nzepc.auckland.ac.nz. > > > > Fast Talking PI will be launched at 6pm on Wednesday 11 March at The > > University > > of Auckland Fale Pasifika (24 Wynyard St). > > > > - Hmmm - now to try www.nzepc.auckland.ac.nz > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > This email was sent from Netspace Webmail: http://www.netspace.net.au > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ This email was sent from Netspace Webmail: http://www.netspace.net.au