Article by Christopher Bantick in 'The Age'

[Stephen Whiteside]

Very interesting piece by Christopher Bantick in 'The Age' today. Bantick argues that Australia should be doing more to celebrate its poets, and their legacy. So far so good.

However, he then goes on to dismiss Lawson and Paterson as writers of doggerel, which I feel is very rough. He also criticises them for being nationalistic, which I think is largely wrong. At the time of the peak their writing (late 1880s, early to mid 1990s), Australia had not even become a nation. Indeed, the point of much of their writing was to help the fledgling (or 'soon to be') nation find its identity.

He goes on to praise the 'usual suspects' - Kenneth Slessor, James McAuley, etc. Interestingly, he includes Mary Gilmore in this group. (I would have thought "No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest" was a highly nationalistic poem.)

Bantick suggests that St. Paul's cathedral would be the obvious place to have a "Poets' Corner", which also seems very odd. There must be many great poets who are not Christian, or even religious - to say nothing of the Catholics.

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

David, are you drafting a response?

[Zondrae]

G'day Stephen,

When I go, I have told my lot I want to be 'placed' somewhere I can hear music and see the sky. Silly request really as my mortal form may by still there (for a short while) but the very 'me' will be elsewhere anyway. But I think I prefer EAST Corrimal to the Big Smoke.

Now this reply may seem to indicate that I think I am worthy of a place in a National memorial... I don't...I was merely thinking of my own preference in a last resting place. I am a Church going Catholic anyway, they wouldn't want me.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Hi there, Zondrae. I probably should have made it clearer. I don't think Bantick was thinking in terms of burials, just memorative plaques, or something like that.

[David Campbell]

I'm in two minds about a response, Stephen. Bantick's dismissal of Lawson and Paterson is frustrating, particularly his use of words like 'inanity' and 'banality', but my suspicion is that he's only doing it to provoke controversy. You'll remember his recent piece about Gabriel Garcia Marquez, when he tried to get Love in the Time of Cholera banned from the school reading list (and failed). That prompted a huge response, so maybe this is just another attempt to stir the literary pot. I'd love to have a go at him for what is a pretty stereotyped (but unfortunately common) viewpoint, but it might just give him a bigger platform.

At least he's supporting recognition of poets...it's just a pity he's chosen to rubbish a couple of the greats in order to do it. (No mention of Dennis, though, which is interesting.)

David

[Stephen Whiteside]

Yes, I was in two minds about it, too, and I agree, the omission of Dennis is interesting.

[Vic Jefferies]

I also found the omission of CJ Dennis interesting and I was also intrigued that John Shaw Neilson and Les Murray are not mentioned in his list of preferred poets. Perhaps he doesn't know of them!
Could anyone envisage an Australian Poet's Corner, meant to commemorate our greatest poets, not including Paterson and Lawson? The outcry from the public would be deafening, because whether Mr Bantick and his literary friends like it or not they, Lawson and Paterson, are the writers who brought poetry to the people and they are still the Australian public's best loved and most appreciated poets!
When Bantick and people like him realise that the public are not interested and never will be interested in reading or trying to read the egocentric clap trap that is being offered as poetry today and that the current "poetic style" is what is killing poetry and driving young readers away, then we may have some sort of chance of developing a new poet laureate worthy of the title.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Good to see two letter writers in 'The Age' this morning flying the flag for increased recognition of Australian poets, and one of them also 'flying the flag' for Paterson, Lawson, Dennis, et al.

[Neville Briggs]

I'm too far north to get The Age, I haven't seen the article.

It is interesting that any discussion on poetry could drum up interest in a newspaper. Sounds promising.

Perhaps a Poet's Corner could be placed at the National Library in Canberra, maybe in the gardens of the National Gallery at Canberra.

[Glenny Palmer]

He's a narcissistic dickhead.......

[Bob Pacey]

Glenny Palmer wash your mouth out with soap and water !!!!!


I'm sure narcissistic must be a swear word ?


Call a spade a spade I like that.


Bob