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In 1940 the poet Flexmore Hudson was a school teacher at Hammond in the far north of South Australia. With a growing reputation from his first two volumes of poetry, he embarked on another publishing project, founding in 1941 the magazine, Poetry: A Quarterly of Australian and New Zealand Verse.
Run with the assistance of his wife Myrle Desmond, Poetry was the only long-lasting 1940s periodical devoted entirely to poetry. Hudson had established a significant network of contacts through his involvement with the Jindyworobak movement and his regular correspondence with other writers. This enabled him to attract contributions from many of Australia's significant poets and build a healthy subscription base. Despite war-time paper shortages, Hudson and Desmond managed to maintain the quarterly appearance of Poetry, but strikes during 1945 and 1946 caused some delays. Isolated in the rural township, the couple often worked late into the night preparing each issue for publication and distribution.
Early issues of Poetry included contributions from Gina Ballantyne, John Blight, Clem Christesen, Donovan Clarke, Mary Fullerton, Harry Hooton, Rex Ingamells and Douglas Stewart. Steadily increasing circulation through word-of-mouth and the distribution of free copies to High Schools and other institutions, Poetry was able to pay contributors, a rare ability at the time. Later contributors to Poetry included Nancy Cato, Rosemary Dobson, R. D. FitzGerald, A. D. Hope, Jack Lindsay, James McAuley, Roland Robinson and Judith Wright.
By 1945, writers such as Hudson, Hope and Ingamells were contributing reviews and the magazine was set to take on a more international scope. Subtitling the magazine "The Australian International Quarterly of Verse", Hudson attracted contributions from a number of British and American writers, including Langston Hughes, William Carlos Williams, John Pudney, Sydney Goodsin and Roy McFadden. But the time and energy required to produce the magazine began to affect Hudson's health and the financial situation of the magazine weakened. Despite assistance from Clive Turnbull, Nancy Cato and Roland Robinson, a contribution from the Commonwealth Literary Fund, and a possible bulk order from a London wholesaler, Poetry was unable to continue, ceasing production with the December issue of 1947. Although proud of the magazine's ability to pay its contributors, Hudson received little financial recompense for the magazine and was left with a debt that took some four years to repay.Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Cosmopolitan Jindyworobak : Flexmore Hudson, Nationalism and World-Mindedness
2015
single work
criticism
— Appears in: JASAL , vol. 15 no. 3 2015; 'Poet, editor, and school teacher Flexmore Hudson is best remembered as a long time, if sometimes reluctant, supporter of Rex Ingamells’ Jindyworobak Movement. However, unlike many of his nationalist counterparts, Hudson was interested in internationalism and the encouragement of ‘self-conscious world citizens.’ In 1947 Hudson was writing the educational comic Discovery, which he would later describe as ‘hack work’, in a failed attempt to keep his highbrow magazine Poetry financially afloat. Though Hudson was doubtful of the literary merit of Discovery, both texts show signs of his concerted effort to promote respect and communication between people ‘regardless of their colour, race or religion.’ This paper will use a range of Hudson’s little studied literary output to demonstrate his simultaneous support for ‘world-mindedness’ and the Jindyworobaks. Though this double allegiance yielded tension, Hudson took advantage of the ideological intersection that saw the environment become crucial to both nationalism and new world-minded thinking. Hudson’s overtly ‘placed’ poetry, written while a resident of rural South Australia, resonated with the Jindyworobak call for literary attention to ‘environmental values’ and gave him a curious advantage as an adherent of world-mindedness.' (Publication abstract) -
The Little Magazine in the Twentieth Century
1988
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criticism
— Appears in: The Book in Australia : Essays Towards a Cultural and Social History 1988; (p. 88-95) -
Flexmore Hudson - A Memoir of an Extraordinary Australian Poet
1980
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— Appears in: Artlook , March vol. 6 no. 3 1980; (p. 33-34) -
A Tribute to Flexmore Hudson
1970
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criticism
biography
— Appears in: Issue: South Australian Journal of Social Political and Cultural Comment , November vol. 6 no. 1 1970; (p. 17-19) Tales from Corytella : The Collected Stories of Flexmore Hudson 1985; (p. appendix A) -
Recent Books : Digest of the Month's Reading
1948
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australasian Book News and Literary Journal , February vol. 2 no. 8 1948; (p. 418-421)
— Review of The Round Dozen 1947 selected work poetry ; Meanjin vol. 6 no. 4 Summer 1947 periodical issue ; Poetry 1941 periodical (21 issues); The Australian Book of Trains 1947 single work non-fiction
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Three Quarterlies
1946
single work
review
— Appears in: Angry Penguins Broadsheet , no. 4 1946; (p. 15)
— Review of Poetry 1941 periodical (21 issues) This review covers in addition to an issue of Poetry the American magazines Briarcliff Quarterly and Circle Magazine. -
Recent Books : Digest of the Month's Reading
1947
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australasian Book News and Library Journal , January vol. 1 no. 7 1947; (p. 313)
— Review of Meanjin Papers vol. 5 no. 3 [Spring] 1946 periodical issue ; Poetry 1941 periodical (21 issues); Southerly vol. 7 no. 1 1946 periodical issue ; Quod Ronald McCuaig 1946 selected work poetry -
Recent Books : Digest of the Month's Reading
1947
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australasian Book News and Literary Journal , December vol. 2 no. 6 1947; (p. 310-312)
— Review of History of Magazine Publishing in Australia 1947 single work criticism ; Poetry 1941 periodical (21 issues); Meanjin vol. 6 no. 3 Spring 1947 periodical issue ; The Cripple in Black 1930 single work novel ; Melbourne University Magazine 1947 periodical issue ; Suzanne and I 1947 single work autobiography -
Recent Books : Digest of the Month's Reading
1948
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australasian Book News and Literary Journal , February vol. 2 no. 8 1948; (p. 418-421)
— Review of The Round Dozen 1947 selected work poetry ; Meanjin vol. 6 no. 4 Summer 1947 periodical issue ; Poetry 1941 periodical (21 issues); The Australian Book of Trains 1947 single work non-fiction -
Untitled
1943
single work
review
— Appears in: Barjai , August no. 4 1943; (p. n.p.)
— Review of Poetry 1941 periodical (21 issues) -
Flexmore Hudson - A Memoir of an Extraordinary Australian Poet
1980
single work
column
— Appears in: Artlook , March vol. 6 no. 3 1980; (p. 33-34) -
In Passing
1945
single work
column
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , 1 June vol. 80 no. 951 1945; (p. 404) -
In Passing
1945
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— Appears in: The Australian Journal , 1 October vol. 80 no. 995 1945; (p. 724) -
In Passing
1946
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— Appears in: The Australian Journal , 1 May vol. 81 no. 962 1946; (p. 432) -
In Passing
1946
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— Appears in: The Australian Journal , 1 October vol. 81 no. 967 1946; (p. 912)