AustLit
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Political Pasts, Political Futures, Political Poems
'Bob Hawke sculling a beer, Paul Keating touching the Queen, the man floating in an inflatable pool ring in an episode of The Simpsons. George Bush and Bill Clinton and the first time I understood the word fellatio. Skits on The Comedy Company and Fast Forward and grotesque caricatures in newspapers. When I was growing up in rural Australia, ‘politics’—as it was relayed to me—seemed like the house for big jokes and absurdities. Secrecy, too, seemed like a key attribute—at primary school, I was told that it was impolite to ask an adult whom they were voting for in the next election. And we were made to remember the list of Australian Prime Ministers but not to engage with what they stood for, nor to understand current policies and debates that would have an impact on our futures. I wish I had asked more questions.' (Jessica L. Wilkinson, Editorial introduction)
Notes
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Only literary material by Australian authors individually indexed. Other material in this issue includes:
Fin de Siecle by Craig Kurtz
My Fair Lady by J.D. Ho
The Silent Majority Speaks by Oz Hardwick
Nothing to Trade by Erin Murphy
Melting Pot (Pepper Spray) by Matthew Foreman
Onceability by Dan Hogan
Contents
- Insufficient Fundsi"frangipani flowers at the water's bottle-", single work poetry (p. 10-11)
- Country Labori"I didn't know anything about the history", single work poetry (p. 12-13)
- Enumerablesi"An employee's job, is to sell software.", single work poetry (p. 14-17)
- The Death of Spencer Perceval (1812)i"For an inquest, the Cat", single work poetry (p. 18-20)
- Numbi"twenty five bank account numbers", single work poetry (p. 22-23)
- My Beautiful Rivali"He'd had some work done.", single work poetry (p. 24-25)
- (Looks Like)i"looks like", single work poetry (p. 26-28)
- Ben Sando Odei"Then", single work poetry (p. 30-35)
- Porgyi"Your critical whiteness", single work poetry (p. 36-38)
- Total Fabricationi"I am deeply hurt and outraged This is almost unheard of in the television world", single work poetry (p. 40-42)
- If I Overheard the Distant Capital Correctlyi"It's another split shift and I buy time", single work poetry (p. 46-49)
- All Cut Upi"I drop the blak", single work poetry (p. 58-64)
- 'Saint Max'i"The judge is lost when he becomes conceivable and", single work poetry (p. 66-67)
- Curse and Plea Invectivei"Placing a cold hand on my stony heart", single work poetry (p. 72-73)
- Blue Hills 103i"wit wit wit", single work poetry (p. 74-75)
- Scratchyi"scratch-map of the world:", single work poetry (p. 76-77)
- Operating System 2019i"the new display appears in you dreams so smart it doesn't mind", single work poetry (p. 78-79)
- Surveillancei"Several decades later, another country, the story", single work poetry (p. 80-83)
- Untitled (or Another One of Those Sinking Moments, or Even, a Black Rage)i"in the desert sunset today, what faces you, so far from home,", single work poetry (p. 84-85)
- Turn Backi"You have come in the least", single work poetry (p. 86-88)
