David Malouf with Rochford Street Review editors Linda Adair and Mark Roberts (Photo Claire Albrecht).

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Rochford Street Review was saddened to learn of the recent death of David Malouf. Much has already been written of the important place David had in the literary life of Australia, and of his great legacy. It is perhaps fitting then, that I share a few personal memories of my handful of encounters with him.

In the late 1970s when I arrived at Sydney University fresh from Meadowbank Boys High to study English Literature, I was told by a number of people that I had just missed out on the possibility of having David Malouf as a lecturer/tutor as he had just resigned to go off and live and write in Italy. At his stage I was not really aware of Malouf’s work, but that soon changed when I encountered his second collection of poetry, Neighbours in a Thicket, on the Australian Literature reading list. This was soon followed by a deep dive into Johnno, his remarkable first novel. While Johno attracted the most attention it was Malouf’s poetry that made it’s initial mark with me. The ending of ‘Decades End’ from Neighbours in a Thicket stood out for me at the time and it is perhaps appropriate to remember it now:

We die, but so slowly
burning our fats
that we barely feel it – candles
trembling and swaying,

consumed by the body’s light
we glow, we fade, not all
of us even in seven 
years can be renewed.

But the flame at least is something
to read by. Till we learn
to do without it – growing
accustomed to the dark.

I talked to David number of times while I was at Sydney Uni when he returned to give lunchtime readings or seminars and this pattern continued after I left. While these discussions were mostly brief and public discussions at readings or launches, my final meeting with him was special. David came to a Couplet poetry reading organised by Claire Albrecht that Linda Adair and I were attending in Newcastle. After the reading a group of us, including David, made our way to the Hamilton Hotel where we stayed for a number of hours talking and drinking. The conversation that night was lively and wide ranging, covering the writing and publishing of poetry through to criticism and the reviewing of poetry in Australia. It was an enjoyable night and one to treasure.

 – Mark Roberts

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