It was announced this week that Max Fatchen had died. He was 92.
Max Fatchen was a gentle man, a journalist. He lived in Adelaide and used to write topical verse for The Adelaide Advertiser.
Those who are interested in children's verse or school workshops may know of him.
He wrote at least eight childrens books and a lot of verse for children.
Max relates that his inspiration to become a poet was from C.J.Dennis, Banjo Paterson and Longfellow. He tells a story how, in later years as a jounalist, he wrote a piece on Banjo Paterson and spelled the name with two "t's". The sub-editor gave him a savage dressing down saying " You have shamed the name of our greatest balladist, you are a disgrace to literature and to accuracy ". Max says he was so humiliated he would have rode off into the NeverNever on Mulga Bill's bicycle if he could "
( Word Magic, Walter McVitty,1986 )Was Max a bush poet ? well he wrote country poems, such as one called Country Lunch which has these lines.
The harvester is whirring, it cuts the heads of wheat,
The dusty whirlwinds spiralling in columns through the heat.
There could be summer snakes about, or so our mother said.
That's why we're walking warily
And watching where we tread.
( McVitty, 1986 )A sad loss to Australia's literary scene.
