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Notes
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Dedication: for Grannie Coolwell
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Cultural Rigour: First Nations Critical Culture
2023
single work
essay
— Appears in: Sydney Review of Books , February 2023;'In 1995 – just post Mabo, Noongar writer and scholar Aunty Rosemary Vandenberg delivered an excoriating address to the annual Association for the Studied of Australian Literature gathering (ASAL) gathering in Tandanya, Adelaide. The conference theme was ‘Rewriting the Mainstream’. Aunty Rosemary argued in an eloquent and passionate address that the mainstream/whitestream was in dire need of re-writing. Not before noting though, that there were no First Nations people of Tandanya invited to speak at the conference.' (Introduction)
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In Times Like These, What Would Oodgeroo Do? On the Influence Of Aboriginal Poet, Activist And Educator Oodgeroo Noonuccal
2020
single work
column
— Appears in: The Monthly , December no. 173 2020; (p. 22-28)
— Appears in: My People : A Kath Walker Collection 2022; (p. 11-30) 'Oodgeroo Noonuccal is widely acknowledged as a distinguished poet of determination and brilliance. She was also one of the heroes of the Aboriginal struggle for justice in the 1960s, known for her work as an activist, educator and public speaker. Her poetry educated Australians – and people throughout the world – on the plight of Aboriginal people. And she triumphantly let the world know through her poetry that the Australian style was not hers. In “Not My Style”, she yearned for a new time in this country: “I want to do / The things I have not done. / Not just taste the nectar of Gods / But drown in it too.”' (Introduction) -
“Creation’s Holiday” : On Silence and Monsters in Australian Poetry
2016
single work
essay
— Appears in: Poetry , May 2016; (p. 169-184) -
Talkin’ Blak : Humour in Indigenous Australian Theatre, 1970−2000
2015
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Philament , February no. 20 2015; (p. 129-164) 'This paper looks at the renaissance of Indigenous Australian theatrical performance, from the early 1970s to its prominence in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. It focuses on the specific ways that humour has been used by Indigenous Australian performing artists to highlight unpleasant social issues in their communities, such as poverty, alcohol abuse, and the removal/stealing of children from their families. In conjunction with witty repartee, visual comedy both in movement and mimicry is often used by Indigenous performers. Philosopher Henri Bergson, well-known for his contributions to humour studies, claims that the physical humour in inflexible, repetitive, or exaggerated movements is inherently funny. Bergson argues that rigidity of movements or “something mechanical encrusted on the living” makes comedians appear inhuman and, as a consequence, this makes people laugh. Contemporary philosopher and humour theorist Simon Critchley notes that the opposite is also true: We often find it funny when people give the impression of being all too human. For Critchley, the recognition of predictable behaviours is just as funny as any automated actions.' (129-130) -
BlackWords : Writers on Identity
2014
single work
criticism
— Appears in: JASAL , vol. 14 no. 3 2014; The BlackWords Essays 2015; (p. 2) The BlackWords Essays 2019;'In the 1960s Oodgeroo Noonuccal (then Kath Walker) hit the literary limelight as Australia’s first published ‘Aboriginal poet’ and since then Aboriginal writers have used their work as a form of self-definition and to defend our rights to our identity. Many authors are inspired by the need to redress historical government definitions of Aboriginality, to reclaim pride in First Nation status, to explain the diversity of Aboriginal experience, and to demonstrate the realities and complexities of ‘being Aboriginal’ in the 21st century.'
Source: Author's introduction.
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Australian Poets
1964
single work
review
— Appears in: The Times Literary Supplement , 10 September 1964; (p. 842)
— Review of Poems [Volume 1] 1963 selected work poetry ; Five Senses : Selected Poems 1963 selected work poetry ; We Are Going 1964 single work poetry ; In Light and Darkness 1963 selected work poetry -
Backgrounds to Aboriginal Literature
1988
single work
essay
— Appears in: Black Voices , vol. 4 no. 1 1988; (p. 42-55) -
Native Voices from Terra Nullius : A Heading of Kath Walker’s We are Going
2010
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Indian Review of World Literature in English , July vol. 6 no. 2 2010; This paper is an attempt to analyse Walker’s eponymous poem “We are Going”. -
Black Chicks Talking : Indigenous Women's Writing in JSNWL's Collection
2011
single work
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— Appears in: Jessie Street National Women's Library Newsletter , May vol. 22 no. 2 2011; (p. 6-7) 'The library has a small but growing collection of Aboriginal material in the form of books, posters, audio-visual items and the few journals. This article overviews these holdings and makes a plea for more donations in this area.' (p. 6)
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Grandfather Grandmother Sing Sweet Tune
2004
extract
criticism
— Appears in: Ngara : Living in This Place Now 2004; (p. 133-150) -
'Back to Nature' : Oodgeroo's Return to Stradbroke
2012
single work
column
— Appears in: Fryer Folios , July vol. 7 no. 1 2012; (p. 3-5)