AustLit

'Creative writing doctoral students and the faculty members responsible for thesis supervision (whether we call them supervisors, mentors or supervisory panels) develop a complex relationship over the course of candidature that revolves around multiple types of text. The form that these texts take and the stage at which they are produced determine the nature of supervisory feedback, illuminating the intertwined processes leading to a finished product—the creative thesis. Some critics have postulated that creative writing postgraduate courses have taken over much of the manuscript editing that used to be done by publishing houses. Useful parallels can be drawn between the materials presented by candidates and the plethora of texts that form the basis of genetic criticism, which focuses on the stages of a manuscript’s life. Genetic criticism also engages with the principles of program and process writing as they pertain to the way in which manuscripts are constructed; they shed light on creative thesis production. Demarcating the postgraduate journey by identifying textual stages will assist supervisors and candidates in conceptualising their long-term projects as academic and artistic work, both of which can be generated through a range of processes. The ultimate goals are graduation and publication or performance.' (Publication abstract)

'When authors publish under their own names they make a social contract with readers, declaring that the work is original. That work possesses economic and cultural value in the marketplace (Foucault 1977; Bourdieu 1996; Sawyer 2006; Sennett 2008). Various ways exist for authors to claim ownership, but this does not preclude others from violating their moral or legal rights. As creators and consumers, they cannot but be aware of a continuum inhering in the literary process that begins with unattainable originality and ends with intentional theft. Along this continuum exist varying degrees of unconscious and conscious borrowing of another’s words or ideas. The terms original, plagiarised and self-plagiarised can be descriptive and emotive. Impacting upon them are terms such as moral rights and copyright. Definitions of plagiarism, in particular, reflect who chooses to define it and why. This article defines key terms for authors – moral rights, copyright, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and double-dipping – in order to clarify the dangers of intellectual and creative theft. It also offers a variety of examples. The manner in which writers integrate literary and critical influences has become more challenging in the twenty-first century where so much of the past and the present exist online. Creative writing teachers and students must learn to negotiate this mercurial educational and cultural environment. '  (Publication abstract)

'The three contributors to this article believe that a symbiotic relationship between creative and critical aspects of a project function most effectively. Research for the exegesis – whether conventional or experimental – can enhance the creative work’s possibilities, raising more pertinent research questions or refining those already identified. In addition, the thesis as a coherent entity has the potential of making an original contribution to knowledge through the connection of the exegesis and creative work. The case study dissertations demonstrate this point of view, occupying two positions on Krauth’s ‘radical trajectory continuum’ (2011). The first graduate, a filmmaker and academic, chose a conventional exegesis-novel split, as the subject itself, reverse adaptation of a film script to literary young adult novel, is an emerging research discipline. The second candidate chose a braided essay format (Krauth’s ‘plaited’ structure) that reflects the research she undertook into theory of the Uncanny and the consequent destabilisation and fragmentation it encourages. The supervisor as fellow traveller of these doctoral journeys drew on her experience in order to help them to select the most effective thesis structure and to realise the potential of symbiosis. They discovered that in each case the resultant symbiosis did not silence their individual voices but enhanced their individuality.' (Publication abstract)

'Throughout the twentieth century, the world of higher education appeared to be stable and familiar. Universities delivered education and research under well-established discipline headings, and art schools delivered craft and field knowledge. Toward the end of that century, the relationship between the academy and the creative arts sector changed, and the role of teachers of creative practice and the expectations of tertiary creative arts courses changed with it. The past decades have been characterized by an ongoing debate about the respective value of teaching, creative practice, and research-particularly about the capacity of the arts to deliver research. This volume, from a distinguished list of academic writers and creators, offers contributions to these dialogues, as well as analyses of the international environment for the creative arts in the academy and the key government policies currently shaping the field.' (Publication summary)

'Vanishing Point is a crossover verse novel that poses the question of how individuals can learn to be comfortable in their own bodies. Nineteen-year-old Diana Warren suffers from anorexia and bulimia. She faces a challenging situation at home with dysfunctional parents and a Down-syndrome brother, which causes her to seek refuge in female role models in the mythic past. An Irish racehorse trainer who reignites her childhood love of horses causes her to question everything. Will she choose life or death? And what happens when that choice is taken out of her hands?' (Publication summary)

'Vanishing Point explores the interior and exterior life of Diana, a nineteen year old girl living in South Australia. She struggles with the question tormenting many young people today: How do you learn to be comfortable in your own body? Diana suffers from anorexia and bulimia. Living with a demanding father, a mother who dabbles in charismatic religion, and a brother with Down syndrome, Diana feels pressured to be the family savior, to be “perfect.” In her need to control something in her life, she retreats into the self-destructive world of anorexia and bulimia. The play takes us on Diana’s journey into a place of healing and hope. Theatre is a medium of metaphor – nothing and no one are exactly what they seem to be: brick walls are really painted flats; actors assume new identities as aristocrats, peasants – even animals or plants. So, poetry – another medium grounded in metaphor – seems perfectly suited to the stage. Jeri Kroll’s rich, evocative language enables us to examine sometimes painful situations without looking away.' (Production summary)

'This witty, moving and accessible collection gathers poems from six previous books, beginning with Death as Mr Right, which won second prize in the 1982 Anne Elder Award for best first poetry book in Australia. With irony and frankness, Jeri Kroll workshops the complex relationships that individuals establish over the course of a lifetime with friends and family, as well as with the physical and social environments that shape them. In particular, she tackles the significance of parenthood, gender and ageing.' (Publisher's blurb)