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Notes
-
Dedication: To my wife.
Contents
* Contents derived from the
St Lucia,
Indooroopilly - St Lucia area,
Brisbane - North West,
Brisbane,
Queensland,:University of Queensland Press
, 1992 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
- Black Lifei"The howl of a dingo", single work poetry (p. 1)
- Fireflyi"She floats through the night", single work poetry (p. 2)
- Earth Peoplei"Blacks in South Africa are clumsy", single work poetry (p. 3)
- Openi"Beat out the brass", single work poetry (p. 4)
- The Boyi"He walks barefoot through the paddock", single work poetry (p. 5)
- My Mother the Landi"Mother why don't you enfold me", single work poetry (p. 6)
- Needi"I need a bouquet of words today", single work poetry (p. 7)
- Eternityi"I sat and watched the sea come in", single work poetry (p. 8)
- Tapestryi"This world of white", single work poetry (p. 9)
- Shei"She never said goodbye", single work poetry (p. 10)
- No Namei"She drifted through", single work poetry (p. 11)
- Shop Wifei"She stands sombre faced", single work poetry (p. 12)
- The Old Man and the Floweri"He looked at it", single work poetry (p. 13)
- Rainbowi"Clouds frowned at me", single work poetry (p. 14)
- Magnoliai"Petals satin white", single work poetry (p. 15)
- Anniversaryi"Slim fingers entwined", single work poetry (p. 16)
- The Elderi"Cry softly my people", single work poetry (p. 17)
- A Night in the Bushi"The undergrowth is rustling with", single work poetry (p. 18)
- Storm in the Morningi"The growing light, a new day dawning", single work poetry (p. 19)
- Diali"Pick up the phone", single work poetry (p. 20)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Also braille, sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
The Province of Every Person
2016
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Poetic Eye : Occasional Writings 1982-2012 2016; (p. 305-307) 'For people who've followed his career as Aboriginal activist, playwright, and poet for the last twenty-five years, Jack Davis won't need an introduction. His first book, The First-Born and Other Poems, contained protest poems and laments for the loss of his Aboriginal past. His second collection Jagardoo, was published in 1978 and focused on Aboriginal life in urban settings. His plays have depicted incidents in Western Australian Aboriginal history since white settlement.' (Introduction) -
Overhearing : Poetics of Place with Brief Reference to Jack Davis's Poetry
2013
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Island , Winter no. 133 2013; (p. 107-110) -
Writing Their Own History : 'Aboriginal Australia' in the Poetry of Jack Davis and Kevin Gilbert
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: IJAS , no. 5 2012; (p. 84-97) This paper : focuses on the history emerging out of the poems of these two writers Davis and Gilbert in the context of New Historical perspective.' (85) -
'Why, White Man, Why?' : White Australia as the Addressee of Apostrophe in Contemporary Aboriginal Writing
2002
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Zeitschrift fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik , vol. 50 no. 2 2002; (p. 166-178)
— Appears in: Imaginary Antipodes : Essays on Contemporary Australian Literature and Culture 2011; (p. 23-36) 'Contemporary Australian indigenous literature is characterised by a remarkably prevalent use of apostrophic address directed at the white reader. This mode of direct address in black literary texts draws attention to the political dynamics moulding reader-writer relations in contemporary Australia. The article examines numerous examples of this direct mode of address in prose, poetry and drama, and argues that this direct mode of address is a central element in the message of black writers. The use of apostrophe implies the active 'positioning' of the white reader on the part of the indigenous speaker; only by virtue of this positioning is the reading process made possible. The direct mode of address in these texts thus demands that the reader take up a stance characterised by a readiness to listen attentively to black literary voices.' (Author's abstract) -
An Elder's Perspective
1997
single work
review
— Appears in: Mattoid , no. 51 1997; (p. 237-239)
— Review of Black Life : Poems 1992 selected work poetry
-
Additions and Rare Editions
1992
single work
review
— Appears in: The CRNLE Reviews Journal , no. 2 1992; (p. 53-59)
— Review of Black Life : Poems 1992 selected work poetry ; Collits' Inn : An Australian Historical Musical Romance in Three Acts 1932 single work musical theatre -
[Review] The Friendly Street Poetry Reader no. 16 [et al]
1992
single work
review
— Appears in: OzMuze , April vol. 2 no. 4 1992; (p. 9-10)
— Review of Friendly Street Poetry Reader : Sixteen 1992 anthology poetry ; Black Life : Poems 1992 selected work poetry ; Akhenaten 1992 single work novel -
Some Australians
1992
single work
review
— Appears in: Social Alternatives , October vol. 11 no. 3 1992; (p. 58-59)
— Review of Eagle and Emu : German-Australian Writing 1930-1990 1992 multi chapter work criticism ; Holding the Golden Apple : Love Poems 1985 selected work poetry ; Australian Literary Studies vol. 15 no. 2 1991 periodical issue anthology ; Black Life : Poems 1992 selected work poetry ; Dancing Table: Poems and Drawings 1986-1991 1992 selected work poetry ; Akhenaten 1992 single work novel -
Aboriginal Novel and Poetry Collection Raise Awareness - an Questions
1993
single work
review
— Appears in: Antipodes , June vol. 7 no. 1 1993; (p. 74)
— Review of Unbranded 1992 single work novel ; Black Life : Poems 1992 selected work poetry -
Bitter-Sweet Black Visions
1992
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 2-3 May 1992; (p. rev 6)
— Review of Black Life : Poems 1992 selected work poetry -
'Why, White Man, Why?' : White Australia as the Addressee of Apostrophe in Contemporary Aboriginal Writing
2002
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Zeitschrift fur Anglistik und Amerikanistik , vol. 50 no. 2 2002; (p. 166-178)
— Appears in: Imaginary Antipodes : Essays on Contemporary Australian Literature and Culture 2011; (p. 23-36) 'Contemporary Australian indigenous literature is characterised by a remarkably prevalent use of apostrophic address directed at the white reader. This mode of direct address in black literary texts draws attention to the political dynamics moulding reader-writer relations in contemporary Australia. The article examines numerous examples of this direct mode of address in prose, poetry and drama, and argues that this direct mode of address is a central element in the message of black writers. The use of apostrophe implies the active 'positioning' of the white reader on the part of the indigenous speaker; only by virtue of this positioning is the reading process made possible. The direct mode of address in these texts thus demands that the reader take up a stance characterised by a readiness to listen attentively to black literary voices.' (Author's abstract) -
'Spanning the Sky with Outstretched Hands': The Making of a Poet
1994
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Jack Davis : The Maker of History 1994; (p. 79-97) -
Overhearing : Poetics of Place with Brief Reference to Jack Davis's Poetry
2013
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Island , Winter no. 133 2013; (p. 107-110) -
Writing Their Own History : 'Aboriginal Australia' in the Poetry of Jack Davis and Kevin Gilbert
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: IJAS , no. 5 2012; (p. 84-97) This paper : focuses on the history emerging out of the poems of these two writers Davis and Gilbert in the context of New Historical perspective.' (85) -
The Province of Every Person
2016
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Poetic Eye : Occasional Writings 1982-2012 2016; (p. 305-307) 'For people who've followed his career as Aboriginal activist, playwright, and poet for the last twenty-five years, Jack Davis won't need an introduction. His first book, The First-Born and Other Poems, contained protest poems and laments for the loss of his Aboriginal past. His second collection Jagardoo, was published in 1978 and focused on Aboriginal life in urban settings. His plays have depicted incidents in Western Australian Aboriginal history since white settlement.' (Introduction)
Last amended 23 Sep 2009 12:59:53
Common subjects:
- Landscape & identity
- Aboriginal relationship with the land
- Aboriginal Australians
- Aboriginal-White conflict
- Aboriginal dispossession
- Aboriginal massacres, murders, poisonings
- Beauty
- Aboriginal land rights & native title
- Dying
- Death of a loved one
- Aboriginal self determination
- Grief
- Australian animals
- Robins
- Aboriginal deaths in custody
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