2014 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Poetry

[Stephen Whiteside]

I wish I still could do the wham, bam, kapow!

[Stephen Whiteside]

I read an article in The Age on the weekend about the PM's Literary Awards. Apparently in the category of best novel, the PM intervened personally to appoint a second novel - Richard Flanagan's "The Long Narrow Road to the Deep North" - as co-winner, when the judges had already voted 3-2 against it. What is more, the judges did not learn of this until the evening of the awards ceremony.

That is what I find offensive.

[Glenny Palmer]

What would you expect from a political chook raffle Stephen?.........ppffft!

[Stephen Whiteside]

No, Glenny. You are completely missing the point. Sorry.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Here is a good article on the subject:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/op ... 7154471317

I know many ABPA members have a great deal of respect for Les Murray. Les is not happy.

He said he felt he had been treated "like a fool".

"It was nasty the way it was done on the night…they went behind the scenes and worked a swiftie".

[Glenny Palmer]

...what point would that be, Stephen?
Seriously, I am not just trying to be difficult...I would really like to know.

I worked with Les Murray & we had our (significent) differences, but we sorted it out & parted respectful friends. I think it was abysmal the way he was treated...with the same autocratic arrogant disregard that most Aussies who I know are also feeling these days. (No political wars now, please. )

[warooa]

I agree with Matt . . . . Sir Les'd need more than that to blush

[David Campbell]

To bring a little perspective to this, below are a couple of actual complete poems from Melinda's book...a villanelle and a sonnet. Here we have a poet who writes some rhyming verse and wins the Prime Minister's Award for poetry...funny, I would have thought there were some positives in that.

Roadside memorials

Another kind of road sign, small but clear,
these plywood crosses twined with plastic flowers
– and every Monday more of them appear.

Stop and listen closely: you can hear
the screeching to a halt of days and hours.
Another kind of road sign, small but clear.

Tied to a wheel that can no longer steer,
a tattered photo weathers sun and showers
– and every Monday more of them appear.

The best mate sometimes visits with a beer
and sits and chats, observed by puzzled cows.
Another kind of road sign, small but clear.

The younger cousins bring a teddy bear;
pull up the weeds and add some lego towers.
And every Monday more of them appear.

‘It’s easier to feel him with us here,
the last place that he saw while he was ours’.
Another kind of road sign, small but clear.
And every Monday more of them appear.


Hot continent

‘The weather comes from Adelaide’, they say.
I thank them for the forty-one degrees
they kindly sent to stifle us today.
The grey lawns thank them also. And the trees.
So many nicer things they could have sent -
an Oval, or a Festival; some Hills.
I’m sure the oven-blast was kindly meant
but eggs were frying on our window sills.
The Bureau tells us to expect a change
and, tongues lolled out like dogs, we pant and wait
and fixate on the temperature range
for points far west of where we dehydrate:
if Adelaide today had twenty-three
please God (please, God!), tomorrow so will we.

[Neville Briggs]

Good on you David.

[Gary Harding]

Neville , if you actually read the Book Review there are more than "a few lines" quoted in it ...and they are all gushed over by the reviewer.
I have just selected two verses for the sake of brevity. I could have been scathing on the other verses as well... one other "poem" being suggestive and at about the level of schoolyard smut.

You are right, my lines rarely scan and my poetry is poor I readily admit ... but that does not mean I am obliged to remain silent as a result.

I speak mainly as a taxpayer... a sponsor. I object to my money being used to massively reward and endorse poems entitled :

"A woman at 40 weeks gestation contemplates her undergarments". Panties I am presuming?

That is the pits. Beyond the pale. Disgusting.

A poet who feels the need to push the boundary of decency is at best a poet who needs to go back to primary school English classes and start over, and take lessons in decorum. Not gain $80,000 as a tribute. The same applies to judges who endorse it.

I and every other taxpayer, are sponsors for this Award. It is not the Judges Poetry Award. They are guides, not gods. As the PM lends his own name to it and represents the sponsors (us) he can veto whatever he wants as a result. However as I am paying the bill, I will express my displeasure at Australian poetry being dragged in the mire by junk.

In this case it is the Australian people's poetry. Need I say what reaction I got when I showed it to people I know for an opinion? Disgust is to put it mildly. It is the taxpayers that the PM and judges should represent. Not a few trendies.

What I read is disgraceful. How anyone would attach their name to it as a poet is beyond me.

If anyone claims "A woman at 40 weeks gestation contemplates her undergarments" is inoffensive... then let us say our perceptions are different.

Is that really all Australia can produce in poetry? where are the ABPA poets here who write such great work in the Members Poetry Section of the Forum? Including wonderful childrens verse.

Why not read this "Panty Poem" out to little children if it is inoffensive and a shining example of The Prime Minister of Australia's Poetry Literary Award. After all, the public is paying for it and that includes kids surely?

Be warned though...I believe that a classroom teacher would rightly show anyone the door the moment they announced the title of the poem, let alone read it out. But of course, I could be wrong... and untrendy.

Isn't it wiser to concede that boundaries of decency and propriety do exist in poetry (which includes bush poetry) rather than attempt to be an apologist for the inexcusable?

Dirty trash is just that... it is not poetry... and should go out in the green bin never to be seen again. Not in the yellow one!