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y separately published work icon The Keeper of Fish selected work   poetry  
Issue Details: First known date: 2011... 2011 The Keeper of Fish
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Alan Fish was writing poetry before his life went dark. He let it collect like a tank of rain-water. His subject matter? Love and death. His poetry is deeply haunted and lyrical in its privacy but also ironically observant and public. After all, he is not only a lover, but a flaneur. He can snap his fingers. He can play Go. There has always been a largely hidden group of closet poets, people who read and write in private. Poetry knows this and addresses them tacitly as its own, but sometimes such a poet says enough, grabs the poems and speaks back. Alan Fish left his basement in the Print Room, left his Keepers behind him and struck out on his own. His work is seriously beautiful, or beautifully serious, in its imagery and shadows; he is in some ways lost, but he is no push-over. He is to one side of the optimists. He is addicted to free verse couplets. As the cliche says: a compelling new voice. Listen.

Notes

  • Editor's Foreword: 'Alan Fish came to me while I was writing my most recent collection of poems called Keepers ... I agreed to edit his poems and make suggestions regarding the lyric element he is very keen on and I am less concerned with ... I am pleased to announce the first collection of poems by a poet who has no interest whatsoever in appearing anywhere in person ...'

Contents

* Contents derived from the Glebe, Glebe - Leichhardt - Balmain area, Sydney Inner West, Sydney, New South Wales,:Puncher and Wattmann , 2011 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
When I Wasi"It was early. It was before love shifted back", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 11)
A Printmaker's Blueprinti"Each night I scrub my hands back from their black", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 12)
Outdoors Indoorsi"I left the outside light on overnight", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 13)
A Chronicle of Usi"Dreaming kept her sane", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 14-19)
The Heart Is Wherei"They found a heart on the floor", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 20)
My Deep Displacement Go at Goi"Yusunari Kawabata's thin little Penguin The Master of Go", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 21)
Portrait as a Go Player Fish - As Go Playeri"All day the heat is turning humid inside clouds", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 22)
Heat Dreamingi"Drought. The shipwreck of sheep and cattle", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 23)
Relativity, Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 24)
Go Raini"Rain on the roof: the constant falling", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 25)
Aquarium : To Look at Iti"water is a kind of democracy: all conditions equal", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 26)
Where Do the Keepers Livei"Under the page like a bottom drawer", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 27)
Fish : After His Lover, and His Daughteri"It began with her kicking him out, saying he was too dark, a shadow", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 28)
Fish Fallingi"And fish falling from", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 29)
As Carson and Sir Thomas Dying Youngi"The boyfriend's name was Ian, and something", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 30)
Dream for a Daughteri"One of her wings has broken off", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 31)
One of Those Days. If You...i"One of those days the colours", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 32-33)
Dream for Selfi"I am", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 34)
To My Daughter as a Small Onei"Pretend the sound of the rain is you mother reading to you", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 35)
Not Expected to Be a Poet in Any Languagei"Being so singular, who expects my English words", Alan Fish , single work poetry (p. 36)
VIEW ENTIRE CONTENTS ( works)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Works about this Work

Australian Poetry 2011-2012 Judith Beveridge , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Westerly , July vol. 57 no. 1 2012; (p. 30-46)
— Review of Amphora Joanne Burns , 2011 selected work poetry ; Edge Music Stuart Cooke , 2011 selected work poetry ; Linen Tough as History Julie Chevalier , 2012 selected work poetry ; Error Elizabeth Campbell , 2011 selected work poetry ; Night Birds Michelle Cahill , 2010 single work poetry ; Vishvarūpa Michelle Cahill , 2011 selected work poetry ; The Brokenness Sonnets I-III and Other Poems Mal McKimmie , 2011 selected work poetry ; Outside David McCooey , 2011 selected work poetry ; The Welfare of My Enemy Anthony Lawrence , 2011 single work poetry ; This Woman Adrienne Eberhard , 2011 selected work poetry ; Electricity For Beginners Michelle Dicinoski , 2011 selected work poetry ; Interferon Psalms : 33 Psalms on the 99 Names of God Luke Davies , 2011 selected work poetry ; Keeping Carter M. A. Carter , 2012 selected work poetry ; The Keeper of Fish Alan Fish , 2011 selected work poetry ; A Sudden Sentence in the Air : Jazz Poems Geoff Page , 2011 selected work poetry ; Concrete Tuesday David Musgrave , 2011 selected work poetry ; The Bearded Chameleon Chris Mooney-Singh , 2011 selected work poetry ; Southern Barbarians John Mateer , 2009 selected work poetry ; The Yellow Gum's Conversion Simon West , 2011 selected work poetry ; Four Refrains John Watson , 2011 selected work poetry ; Surface to Air Jaya Savige , 2011 selected work poetry ; Knuckled Fiona Wright , 2011 selected work poetry
Philip Salom as Fisher King Cassandra Atherton , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , May no. 341 2012; (p. 65)
— Review of The Keeper of Fish Alan Fish , 2011 selected work poetry ; Keeping Carter M. A. Carter , 2012 selected work poetry
A Lyrical Walk on the Wild Side Geoff Page , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 28-29 April 2012; (p. 24-25)
— Review of Keeping Carter M. A. Carter , 2012 selected work poetry ; The Keeper of Fish Alan Fish , 2011 selected work poetry
Poetry : Heteronymic Collections Alison Croggon , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Overland [Online] , May 2012;
— Review of Keeping Carter M. A. Carter , 2012 selected work poetry ; The Keeper of Fish Alan Fish , 2011 selected work poetry
A Lyrical Walk on the Wild Side Geoff Page , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 28-29 April 2012; (p. 24-25)
— Review of Keeping Carter M. A. Carter , 2012 selected work poetry ; The Keeper of Fish Alan Fish , 2011 selected work poetry
Philip Salom as Fisher King Cassandra Atherton , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , May no. 341 2012; (p. 65)
— Review of The Keeper of Fish Alan Fish , 2011 selected work poetry ; Keeping Carter M. A. Carter , 2012 selected work poetry
Australian Poetry 2011-2012 Judith Beveridge , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Westerly , July vol. 57 no. 1 2012; (p. 30-46)
— Review of Amphora Joanne Burns , 2011 selected work poetry ; Edge Music Stuart Cooke , 2011 selected work poetry ; Linen Tough as History Julie Chevalier , 2012 selected work poetry ; Error Elizabeth Campbell , 2011 selected work poetry ; Night Birds Michelle Cahill , 2010 single work poetry ; Vishvarūpa Michelle Cahill , 2011 selected work poetry ; The Brokenness Sonnets I-III and Other Poems Mal McKimmie , 2011 selected work poetry ; Outside David McCooey , 2011 selected work poetry ; The Welfare of My Enemy Anthony Lawrence , 2011 single work poetry ; This Woman Adrienne Eberhard , 2011 selected work poetry ; Electricity For Beginners Michelle Dicinoski , 2011 selected work poetry ; Interferon Psalms : 33 Psalms on the 99 Names of God Luke Davies , 2011 selected work poetry ; Keeping Carter M. A. Carter , 2012 selected work poetry ; The Keeper of Fish Alan Fish , 2011 selected work poetry ; A Sudden Sentence in the Air : Jazz Poems Geoff Page , 2011 selected work poetry ; Concrete Tuesday David Musgrave , 2011 selected work poetry ; The Bearded Chameleon Chris Mooney-Singh , 2011 selected work poetry ; Southern Barbarians John Mateer , 2009 selected work poetry ; The Yellow Gum's Conversion Simon West , 2011 selected work poetry ; Four Refrains John Watson , 2011 selected work poetry ; Surface to Air Jaya Savige , 2011 selected work poetry ; Knuckled Fiona Wright , 2011 selected work poetry
Poetry : Heteronymic Collections Alison Croggon , 2012 single work review
— Appears in: Overland [Online] , May 2012;
— Review of Keeping Carter M. A. Carter , 2012 selected work poetry ; The Keeper of Fish Alan Fish , 2011 selected work poetry
VIEW ALL WORKS ABOUT (4)
Last amended 13 Oct 2020 14:59:03
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