reeling and writhing

goodbye noughties, then

It can't possibly be almost the end of the year, can it? Christmas shopping is in progress.In that spirit there's a list of top reads from the past year after the jump, in no particular order other than abecedarian, arranged by type.

If you're still hungry for selections and suggestions after trawling through mine, there are other lists, by other people, covering all five (six?) Readings stores and beyond. And there's a very comprehensive US/international roundup at The Millions, of course. I might not be back for a little while, as there's plenty of good book news around - follow the blogs here (scroll down for the feeds) and you won't be bored.

What I want for Christmas: Peter Carey's Parrot and Olivier, Lorrie Moore's A Gate at the Stairs, botanical prints I've had framed, which will be ready to pick up next Friday, a bottle of brandy and a month's supply of Zero lemonade.

AND...safe holidays for everyone.

reading this week at Collected Works Bookshop: Susan M. Schultz

Kris Hemensley welcomes all to a reading by Susan M. Schultz, the editor of Tinfish poetry journal, at  Collected Works Bookshop on Wednesday evening this week. (Issue 17 of the journal is available free here from Tinfish Press , and 'centerfold' artworks from the last eight issues may also be viewed online.)

As is usual with the events at the most specialised literary bookshop in this city of books, a gang of other poets will accompany this distinguished visitor, including Michael Farrell. Here are the necessary details. Susan Schultz has a blog on her editing, academic writing and poetry, here.

other reading, other writing

At the Varuna blog, Cate Kennedy talks about the need for feedback during the writing process from other writers and editors, and her appreciation for readers' remarks on her work.

It’s one thing for a critic to praise your deftness with imagery or whatever, but when someone feels moved to write that they’re planning on staying alive to read what you might come up with next…well,  that’ll get you back to the desk – elated and close to mysterious tears, not sure whether to laugh or cry.

There's a review of Judith Beveridge's latest collection, Storm and Honey, by Libby Hart up at Cordite.

Here's another beautiful bit of writing from Ampersand Duck, this time on some of her own work. What a fine photo-essay this is, on the story and making of pillow books. Get her into Black Inc tout de suite.

Looking for something silly? John Williams' personal collection of personals from the LRB is a hoot.

And here is something rather gorgeous I will get in my letterbox at some point, as a subscriber. John Williams comments that "It looks stunning. Not sure how it’s supposed to make the newspaper business feel any better, though. Not exactly a feasible model . . ."

Finally here's a great post by Alec Patric about the latest issue of Page Seventeen, and the life of small mags in general.

poetry in the corner, in the spotlight or underground

I was quite moved by this post by George Szirtes on his recent involvement in the Best Poems from the London Underground anthology launch:

In bookshops there is usually the poetry corner about which Kingsley Amis once wrote a funny poem, 'A Bookshop Idyll', before turning his attention to fiction. There is, for all kinds of reasons, something coyly cornerish about Poets' Corner. Sensitives retire there in varying states of tremulousness: the robustly healthy avoid it as if it were a source of potential weakening or embarrassment. The common-sense disciples of straight-speaking and simple man-ness avoid it because it is for clever intellectual types who'll only make them feel inferior and dumb. Fancy talk for the fancy minded.

People, on the whole, only go there if it is what they already want: the corner offers a specialism, like turnip growing or vintage trains...
What is marvellous about Poems on the Underground is that it takes poetry out of the corner (I know, I live in the corner, am of it, and love it because how can you not love being with what you love?) and floats it into the very air. It is there among crowds, among advertisements, among newspapers, public notices, maps, graffiti, above the issues of London Lite and the Evening Standard. It is not in a corner. People glance up and there it is. Just a few lines of it. And those lines are doing something that nothing around them does. They hold the air. They engage an unprepared part of them (of me, of us, of you) just as the poem itself must enter the world a little unprepared, always a little surprised at itself. They engage the place we know exists within us, that rises out of all we are to meet them.

I have reluctantly excised a paragraph of this which I enjoyed very much, because it would be stealing to quote it all - but please read it all, he has something lovely to say about poetry printed on napkins in the very next para. Not only that but he has a book of poetry on the shortlist for the T.S. Eliot prize - thanks to Andrew Burke for the news of that announcement.

just hanging

The most amazing flower and plate. This lady is a china photography queen. And this post is a poem with pictures. Via the Strange Fruit blogroll.

Earlier this month, Sonya Chung wrote enthusiastically about Everyman's Guide for Scientific Living at The Second Pass, calling it 'the best book nobody's heard of'.

What book reviewing on blogs can be, (and here also.) The list of best posts on Sterne makes for happy Internet readings for us all. When is the mobile archive coming out, Tim?

One for the money, two for the show - some Pen Macquarie videos. Come on, you know you want to watch them!

This very fine interview with Tom Cho at Eric Forbes's blog was first published in the Ubud Writers'
Festival edition of Quill magazine. Cho discusses the process by which Look Who's Morphing came together, and how his creative writing studies influenced its development.

The opening line of this is gorgeous, though it sounds more like Confession than AA. There's a story waiting to be written about my family, Wilson's Prom and the golden ticket. Or maybe we'll just keep it to ourselves, 'for a larf'.

Finally, Jonathan Mayhew mentioned Arcade on his blog the other day, saying he writes here. Looks like a fine site: a lot of the conversation seems to start here. (And there's plenty of it, too.)

review: The Ghost Poetry Project by Nathan Curnow

Curnow, Nathan. The Ghost Poetry Project (Puncher and Wattmann).
 
Nathan Curnow took himself across Australia to spend a total of ten nights in the most haunted places he could find, an innovative approach to post-colonial interrogation of historical space if there ever was one. Places visited included Fremantle Arts Centre, once a lunatic asylum, Monte Cristo, the most haunted house in Australia, a parsonage at Port Arthur and an old store on Norfolk Island (one of the book’s most beautiful poems, 'Whaling Song', comes from this part of the book).

This poetry collection has not one, but two narrative frames, the most obvious being the travelogue through these spaces to collect raw material, crossbarred throughout by Curnow’s own history with childhood insomnia, night panics and hauntings, and his young daughter’s fear of bunyips.  As Kevin Brophy writes, “this book must have the strangest ever provenance of any collection of poetry in Australia. Only a vampire or a Nathan Curnow could have done this…these poems come drenched with the bloody and violent deaths central to the history of European occupation in this country. But they are not ghoulish or sensational. They are the real thing, ‘both transparent and completely solid.”

(Update: Kevin Brophy's launch speech can be read here at Famous Reporter.)

Highlights of this collection for me included the section on Picton, containing a ghastly incident with a ghost train in a tunnel, the Monte Cristo group and several poems from the lunatic asylum, including one about a love letter thrown over the wall.

The poems about the Richmond Bridge are evocative, the first a picture postcard, complete with ducks, lunches and cameras released from buses. This idyllic entry point, reminiscent of more famous poems about bridges, dissolves quickly to night inspections of the oldest bridge in Australia which may contain a body in its arches, with a passing, ghastly nod to Billy Joe McAllister. The haunted hearse from Sydney, Elvira the Cadillac, has only been slept in once before, by a ghost investigator: the poems in this section are cheekily underlined by Curnow’s claim that he fell asleep.

do ghosts wear jeans and sneakers, Kevin Brophy?

 As noted by Angela, the launch of Nathan Curnow's Ghost Poetry Project,
a work over three years in the making, was held at the Old Melbourne Gaol last last Friday night, and I was suitably spooked by the setting for starters. The sepulchral mood was also enhanced by the presentation of one poem, in as much darkness as the custodians of Ned's bits and pieces would allow, as a call and answer piece, with assistance from Geoff Lemon; and by Nathan's observation that his four little daughters and their mum, Kerryn, were sitting under the gallows where Ned swung. (I can haz Ned and Four Little Girls LOLCAT? Cannot Haz, so the book cover will just have to do.)

 Good red wine served by Sean M. Whelan himself doesn't quite cut the chill of a space like the gaol in the half-light - I once visited the chapel which is now used by RMIT students and staff, elsewhere in the building, and that was upsetting enough. (Not so for Simonne Michelle-Wells, who assured me she loves prisons.)

In performing the launch rites, Kevin Brophy told us that Nathan's father was a minister in a remote Mallee town, Pinaroo, and prior to that had been a Tivoli vaudeville artist, from which he drew the engaging conclusion that ministers were performance artists. He had many other good things to say and I was rather distracted by the possibility of taking a photograph, so missed some of them, but take issue with his description of Nathan's work as somehow tidy, careful, his poems wearing 'clean jeans and sneakers.'

This is not the impression I carry of the work in The Ghost Poetry Project, but perhaps I'm old-fashioned. At a quick look, high points are certainly the Monte Cristo section, and the poems 'Ultrasound' and 'Whale Song'. There will be more on this anon as I have lent my copy to a librarian. You can read a poem, 'Denial', from the Richmond Bridge suite online, as well as 'Bed and Breakfast' (in the Old Adelaide Gaol, if you don't mind.)

Nathan was interviewed on the Book Show by Radio National last August (you will need to download the whole program, and start it about halfway through.) He is currently working on a play with its roots in convict stories and escape myths. You can also catch him at The Toff In Town during MWF for a very special event in homage to one of the larger spirits of the last century.

books, spelling, e-readers, ghosts galore

Just In. A simply smashing post on early writing from Penni Russon.

My other top selection for the week is this stupendous post about Venice and Tintoretto, from Fiona's exceptional Strange Fruit blog on painting, photography and writing.

It is time to thank poet and writer George Dunford, of Hackpacker, for his great article on litblogs in last week's Big Issue, which I fortunately got into town to buy late in the week while attending to some panel discussion and the launch of Nathan Curnow's  Ghost Poetry Project, which was a very moving occasion (photos from Sean M. Whelan there). More of that anon. (Update: the article is now available to read on George's blog.)

Feel bad that others can't see what you are reading when you carry your Kindle/iPhone/iLiad/whatsit around? (Not really an Australian problem yet, is it?) Etsy may have the solution. Via Three Percent.

In Readings in Hawthorn this morning, saw a very attractive display of Faber Firsts - enjoy those retro covers for the modern era if you haven't seen them already. (Let's face it, I saw mine in the shop, so I'm last to the party.) They are rather fine, and for some reason I think I like them better than what I've seen so far of the poetry. A little overdone? I just don't know.

a web of writing that reads itself

Poets have embraced online communities, and Andrew Burke of Hi Spirits has pointed out this one, newly relaunched in a social network format.

I like the look of their virtual book tour, with its implications for the future of the reviewing of poetry.

there will be links

A new online mag - via Stephen Romei, the ALR editor at the Ragged Claws blog, there's news of a shiny new publication with a contributors' page living in Facebook Land called The Group.
It will be curated by Larry Buttrose, Mark Mordue, James Bradley, John Birmingham and Billy Marshall-Stoneking, and its main interface is here.

And if I were in Britain, this would be fun.

Speaking of the UK (and also Ireland) the Australian Poetry Centre's international circuit places have been awarded to Robert Gray and Alison Croggon (reported here by the Currajah weblog at Walleah Press.)

I've been coming across Ivy Alvarez' work here and there - and found this Hong Kong journal, Cha, via the Canongate writers' network, Meet at the Gate, with two of her poems in the current issue.

Would you just look at this lovely thing (and the great snaps).
And these 'nice publications'.

Hardly a bustle in the hedgerow - more of an alphabet.

And finally blogpost title of THE WEEK.

something ingenious and lovely...

...to enjoy.
And remixing will be provided (see the Made tab for details).

Bless good ship Cordite and all who sail in her. This will be my main online reading for the next week or so.

build the Centre for BW&I, and poets will come

Please note that the deadline speedily approaches for this sterling opportunity offered by the Australian Poetry Centre:

The APC is wishing to present a matinee workshop series of poetic monologues in the their new home, the Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas, from October–December 2009.

The APC wishes to hear from poets who have a “ready to workshop/perform” poetic monologue. The monologues will be not fully rehearsed but presented in workshop format (somewhere between a reading and performance).

Significant support is provided, including air fares! for the right people. If you are a poet who wants to help bless the new ship of books and ideas and all who sail in her (damn, there's my post title, gone), and have a manuscript available to get into the mail before May 31st, you should definitely investigate this further.
And I look forward to coming to watch some of those who are successful applicants, too. Roll on, October.

keeping up (just)

This is a set of profiles to watch, for all you magazine submitters out there. Go on, submit, you know you want to...

John Crowley at The Believer on genre - read it and let me know what you think, I've had a hell of a week and it's still in the To:read pile. Link via Maud.

Allison Glock blames blogs, and thinks poetry is the answer (but what is the question, Allison?) and Tao Lin puts a different spin on it (probably to be expected given that his blog is highly popular.) Both at Poetry Foundation.org

This is worth checking out just for the covers display, but the idea is nice too.

Finally - Tom Cho's story collection, Look Who's Morphing, has its Melbourne launch tomorrow night at Hares and Hyenas bookshop, Johnston St, Fitzroy (Collingwood? On the border!) - 5 pm for a 5.30 start. Read an extract here, and catch up on more news at his blog and website.
Apart from being a bright new star on the short fiction scene, Tom is also generous with his advice to other writers about grant applications, having spoken at VWC about same; and in that spirit he's put two sample applications online. I hope to be reviewing his book soon, if life settles down enough - in the meantime, his reviews page will have to keep you informed.

tweet renga

This has been driving huge amounts of commenting traffic to Cordite, so go have a look. The slowly maturing result is magnificent, too.

Remember book trailers? and how awful they were? Apparently they are improving. (It looks like Sloane Crosley, of eating cake fame, put a lot of work into hers too.) Via Boldtype.

People are never satisfied, are they?

Here is a fine swag of Queensland writers, via the Empty Pages blog at the Queensland Writers' Centre.

Posted this mainly because I just like the name of the feature (and our shed is in need of a Howards Storage World makeover). I like the Cloffice, too, mainly because I have half a room...and it's a real mess right now.

This book has a foxy cover, as Kath might say - but even more impressive is its author's completely silly rider.

This is such an impressive use of technology. Flick on the slide show and enjoy your own West Wing.

Here's another amazing local cover, coming in October to a shop near you.

And finally, why did I not know about this till I got an OzBallet newsletter? It's already been going for a month: check out David McAllister's post on the So You Think You Can Dance final (and note he was not given a seat in the house on the night, tssskk.)

we are the slow bloggers

There be a Meanjin blog, with name Spike, where high-quality content is just pouring in, including editor Sophie Cunningham's top-notch travelogue pieces. Google Reader has discovered its feed - just look at that! how pretty! so I can kill the Twitter feed now.(Well, I might...and I might not.)

Recently George Dunford has posted there on blogged novels (I hear also that Max Barry is publishing his latest online in serial format; the indefatigable Angela Meyer of the fabulous LiteraryMinded site at Crikey has interviewed him here. Links via Matilda.)

At the Overland blog it is business as usual, with a spirited post from Jeff Sparrow about writers being ...well, generally boring folk.

In other Australian blog news, Perry is going to work through Jamie Grant's 100 Australian Poems on a weekly basis, which will make for some excellent reading. Go, you good thing. And Sarsaparilla Lite is well and truly in place pending the resurrection of that original flavour of cultural commentary.

And at Ragged Claws, comme d'habitude, there's plenty to talk about. Not always strickly Orstralian, but lots of commenters and a great new talking space. I am grateful to James Bradley who first alerted me to its presence at his excellent blog, City Of Tongues (word is on the street that it's having a makeover, so watch that space for a possible name change.)

With all of this sparkling, nay, champagne blogging going on (including everything on The Rachel Papers), it makes me wonder, in a Bex-and-a- lie-down context of course, what could I possibly be missing about Australian books and writing on Twitter?

It does feel funny to be old media in a twinkling like that.

(ReadWriteWeb says Twitter has grown faster in Oz than - well, anywhere, recently. Just look at that graph. I assure you, my brain is way too small and wizened, and I am no part of it.)