AustLit

'Anonymity surrounds and shades J. S. Harry and her poetry Even today, after she has published nine collections and won numerous awards, when I mention the poet J. S Harry, the common response is, "Who?" The reasons for this can, in part, be attributed to the poet herself. Harry was a retiring soul who preferred to devote her time to nurturing animals rather than spending it on the act of self-promotion. This reticence has rendered her almost invisible and publicly her voice only whispers among her more prominent peers. Harry's enigmatic and ungendered pen name is also a contributing factor. But, paradoxically, the most outstanding feature responsible for the sense of anonymity found in her poetry is the absence of a distinctive voice and personality. Instead, Harry's poetry is populated by a diverse range of poetic voices engendered by multifarious poetic forms and styles. Why does Harry choose to be obscure? And what underpins her motive to remain distant? There is an esoteric quality to Harry's poetry in which, I assert, she is actively exploring a variety of complex and interlaced spiritual discourses. Rooted in these discourses is the idea of egolessness, the non-attachment to the ego-self.' It is my contention that the sense of anonymity in Harry's poetry is an attempt to depict egolessness, and that it is a motif in her poetry that exemplifies her personal ontology and this essay will be a starting point in its exploration.'  (Introduction)