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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
Mateer's third collection of poems moves through issues as diverse as sexuality, supermarkets and Aboriginal presence to a powerful revisiting of his place of birth, South Africa. Written in 1995, following the first free election, the South African poems are meditations on memory and political change. The collection concludes with consideration of the relationship between the human and the Australian natural world.
Notes
-
The poems in this selection are grouped into Forms of Silence (pp. 9-22), Echo (pp. 23-51) and Silence of Forms (pp. 53-70). There are Notes (pp.71-72) on a number of the poems.
-
Epigraph:
Yet know: all dreams, and all visions are suspect
Not yours, not theirs, do they contain the truth
Not even these words.
- Mazisi Kunene.Silence is the rock where I shall stand.
- Judith Wright.
Contents
* Contents derived from the
Fremantle,
Fremantle area,
South West Perth,
Perth,
Western Australia,:Fremantle Press
, 2000 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
- Across the Continenti"my beloved's alphawaves", single work poetry (p. 10)
- An Ex-Friendi"Over east my Australian ex-friend", single work poetry (p. 11)
- Orient, sequence poetry (p. 11-12)
- Mate!i"Australia, Mate!", single work poetry (p. 12)
- Freedom of Speechi"Kim Sakkat in the Diamond Mountains", single work poetry (p. 12)
- Poiesisi"'The Saint' I call him", single work poetry (p. 12)
- Saturday Morning at the Shopping Complexi"Outside the parking area's a construction site, a maze", single work poetry (p. 13)
- The Normi"But when I saw her", single work poetry (p. 14)
- Reveillei"Darkness all around us", single work poetry (p. 15)
- The Voice The Speaking Voicei"They murdered my father. Like they murdered", single work poetry (p. 16-17)
- Transitionalationsi"I will learn what the world is,", single work poetry (p. 18-20)
- Two Women, sequence poetry (p. 21)
- The Bandi"Friends had left to meet 'the girl with the Indian", single work poetry (p. 21)
- An Acquaintancei"The 'feral' back from India", single work poetry (p. 21)
- It Isi"Like a boat nearing land.", single work poetry (p. 22)
- Songi"How can I tell you -", single work poetry (p. 24)
- Red Mercuryi"To die of undiagnosed cancer", single work poetry (p. 25)
- A Childhood Memoryi"Through a Karoo night,", single work poetry (p. 26)
- Darknessi"Eroded like a donga,", single work poetry (p. 27)
- For the Mothersi"Like a mother she must have held me", single work poetry (p. 28)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
- y Literary Migrations : White, English-Speaking Migrant Writers in Australia Wollongong : 2011 Z1860612 2011 single work thesis 'In this thesis, I am arguing that [a] false core/periphery binary has made a particular group of migrants ,-those who are white and have migrated from English-speaking countries - invisible - invisible as migrants, that is. For the writers within this group, this leads to a critical blindness in relation to their work and place within Australian national literature. As a critic, however, I look at the work of Ruth Park, Alex Miller and John Mateer and see it is profoundly influenced by their migrant experience. More often than not they write about themes that are typical of migrant writing: alienation, identity, belonging, home, being in-between cultures, history. For a more appropriate, complete appreciation of their work, this thesis argues that it is imperative to go back to the beginning and return the 'default setting' of migrant to its literal meaning.' [From the author's abstract]
-
Three Poets : Exile, Emigrant, and Settler
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: Current Writing: Text and Reception in Southern Africa , vol. 16 no. 1 2004; (p. 127)
— Review of Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry -
Different Routes to the 21st Century Lyric
2001
single work
review
— Appears in: Antipodes , June vol. 15 no. 1 2001; (p. 55)
— Review of Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry ; Seances 1998 selected work poetry -
Untitled
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Imago : New Writing , vol. 12 no. 3 2000; (p. 146)
— Review of One of Many : Poems from Prison 2000 selected work poetry ; Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry -
Chinese Concision
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , July no. 222 2000; (p. 53-54)
— Review of Parochial 2000 selected work poetry ; Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry
-
Skylab and a Sestina
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 26 August 2000; (p. 9)
— Review of Visitants 1999 selected work poetry ; Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry ; Rogue Equations 2000 selected work poetry -
Chinese Concision
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , July no. 222 2000; (p. 53-54)
— Review of Parochial 2000 selected work poetry ; Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry -
Untitled
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Imago : New Writing , vol. 12 no. 3 2000; (p. 146)
— Review of One of Many : Poems from Prison 2000 selected work poetry ; Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry -
Different Routes to the 21st Century Lyric
2001
single work
review
— Appears in: Antipodes , June vol. 15 no. 1 2001; (p. 55)
— Review of Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry ; Seances 1998 selected work poetry -
Three Poets : Exile, Emigrant, and Settler
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: Current Writing: Text and Reception in Southern Africa , vol. 16 no. 1 2004; (p. 127)
— Review of Barefoot Speech 2000 selected work poetry - y Literary Migrations : White, English-Speaking Migrant Writers in Australia Wollongong : 2011 Z1860612 2011 single work thesis 'In this thesis, I am arguing that [a] false core/periphery binary has made a particular group of migrants ,-those who are white and have migrated from English-speaking countries - invisible - invisible as migrants, that is. For the writers within this group, this leads to a critical blindness in relation to their work and place within Australian national literature. As a critic, however, I look at the work of Ruth Park, Alex Miller and John Mateer and see it is profoundly influenced by their migrant experience. More often than not they write about themes that are typical of migrant writing: alienation, identity, belonging, home, being in-between cultures, history. For a more appropriate, complete appreciation of their work, this thesis argues that it is imperative to go back to the beginning and return the 'default setting' of migrant to its literal meaning.' [From the author's abstract]
Awards
Last amended 20 Feb 2006 13:53:02
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