A Journal of Australian & International Cultural Reviews, News and Criticism.
Thanks to the much-appreciated revival of 5 Islands Press, led by poets Mark Tredinnick and Steve Meyrick, we now have Steep Curve. Robyn is meticulous not only about the writing itself, but she is scrupulous about the publication of her poetry. She takes the work of publication seriously and insists on it being perfectly presented on the page. So her books are also beautiful objects.
Her assuredness shines through in the extraordinary craft of the poetry—the handling of line, image, enjambment, phrasing, not to mention her voice. But it’s also there in the book’s subject matter, which might be regarded as somewhat remarkable in today’s landscape for its indifference towards the faddish. What I mean to say is that Robyn’s poetry delves, in its assured way, into universal phenomena like aging, family, love, grief, which are explored, of course, from her own deeply personal perspective.
Rose van Son is a West Australian poet and writer. She has been published in various journals and anthologies including Cordite, Rabbit, Westerly, ACU, Oystercatcher One, Grieve, and Glasgow Review of Books. Her collections include Cloak of Letters, Nature’s Warehouse (Birds in focus) and from the open doorway (haiku).
There is much to read and enjoy in Some Dualities, the poems are often witty, nearly always insightful and often honestly personal.
Jeremiah is a complex and not always appealing figure, but that may be the point, as he is Copella’s vehicle for an examination of the contradictions and complexities of being human. In fact, one of the strengths of this book is its fearless honesty about human urges.
The Flowering Dark is a materially gorgeous book with a wonderfully evocative cover, and I congratulate the publishers, Mark and Steve for the revamped (and warmly re-welcomed) 5 Island Press for producing such a beautiful holding-space for Sue’s poems, and for choosing Sue’s book to relaunch the press.
Ma Yongbo was born in 1964, Ph.D,representative of Chinese avant-garde poetry,and a leading scholar in Anglo-American poetry. He has published over eighty original works and translations since 1986 included 7 poetry collections. He focused on translating and teaching Anglo-American poetry and prose including the work of Dickinson, Whitman, Stevens, Pound, Williams and Ashbery.
David Adès latest collection, The Heart’s Lush Gardens (Flying Island Books, 2024) was recently launched in Sydney. Before the launch Richard James Allen interviewed David.
Natural Light is a striking book, full of original images, capturing the human condition and the natural world. These are broad themes and longstanding interests of the poet.