Poetry in Australia

In biology, isolation results in advantageous adaptations. Plants, animals, and--as I was recently reminded--even texts, evolve in unique ways as a result of geographic separation. While sensational works of Literature criss-cross the globe as fast as text messages between eager teens the underground, innovative phenomenon (the bacon and eggs of critics and professors) are often known only within their national or regional location, their "scene." These texts often develop differently depending on the nature of their particular scene.

This is a topic (among other interesting subjects) addressed in an interview with recent Bellingham Review contributor Kent MacCarter, an American expatriate living in Australia. I'll admit that before reading this interview, I had never considered that there was such a thing as an Australian poetic enclave, but poets in Australia are thriving, writing interesting, innovative work in their hemisphere.

MacCarter recently compiled a list of notable Australian poets and presses for SPUNC: The Small Press Network, an organization, founded in 2006, that represents "small and independent Australian publishers." The winter, spring, and summer features highlight Australian poems of interest recently published in SPUNC member presses.

These lists provide a small sample of Australian poetry. My favorites include "A Shanty" by Judith Beveridge, "Dying to Meet You" by Michelle Cahill, and "5:15" by Paul Hardacre, but every poem on the list is fascinating. I recommend you visit the features to find some of your own favorites from down under.

Marilyn