AustLit

Author's synopsis: In 1977 Ron Edwards convincingly differentiated the Australian yarn from the more widely published tall tale in The Australian Yarn: An Analysis. But the distinction can remain mysterious to those whose exposure to the Australian yarn has been limited largely to the printed page. Is it the tall or the tale or both that makes the tall tale different from the Australian yarn? The topic is revisited here within the context of Edwards' 1977 essay, also using as supporting evidence the titles and subtitles of published collections by four well-known Australian collectors and authors.