A Journal of Australian & International Cultural Reviews, News and Criticism.
This very beautiful book is a credit to the design flair of Gerhard Bachfischer and the editorial work and fine production values of Mark Tredinnick and Steven Meyrick at 5 Islands Press. It is itself a beautiful object and a triumph for Alison Gorman as her debut collection.
It seems to me that themes in this collection include medicine, reflecting Aideen’s work as a doctor; relationships, often bringing the sting of betrayal in their endings;
What stands out for me in The Literate Detective is its sustained celebration of what it is to inhabit language, to become larger through breathing in this added dimension language gives us.
Lizz Murphy’s latest collection, Bitumen Psalms is a collection of short song-poems in a tiny book exploring ‘tiny’ moments of life.
The poetry is carefully crafted and elegant. The subject matter is wide ranging… richly brought to life within the forms Roberts has chosen. Reading through this collection has been a privilege and a delight.
It is a real honour to be asked to launch the collection as I’ve been a great friend and admirer of Ron’s poetry since we first met over 10 years ago and I’ve really enjoyed watching the dramatic development of his work since then. Ron’s first collection in 2015 was the now iconic Distance
It was Brian Purcell who suggested we might celebrate our 100th book with an anthology of 100 authors. To reward Brian for his great idea, he got the massive and thankless task of editor. The resulting anthology is a treasure and a testament to both Brian’s tenacity in herding the many Flying Island cats—some, whose works stretch right back to the early days of 2010 and some slotted for future publication, gathering, collating, nagging, proofreading, and finally presenting the fine collection here.
When I compare Ken Bolton’s back catalogue to his latest work Metropole, I’m struck by the remarkable consistency of his style. In the inner southern suburb of Adelaide where he now lives, Ken Bolton is still writing almost the same poem he was over forty years ago, and that is not a criticism but a compliment.
I really enjoyed the way in which the chronological order of the collection reflects the evolution of Angela’s thinking and her response to the moral issues she’s been confronted with when she was a practising lawyer.
Rochford Street Review 