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Stephen Smithyman Stephen Smithyman i(A145670 works by)
Gender: Male
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Works By

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1 y separately published work icon Halfway and Back Stephen Smithyman , Port Adelaide : Ginninderra Press , 2020 20327203 2020 selected work poetry 'Halfway and Back follows Stephen Smithyman’s previous book, Snapshot in the Dark. It covers the years 2013 to 2017 and functions as a kind of informal, poetic diary of encounters and events from his life in those years. The perpetrator of the Gippsland massacres, Angus MacMillan, Uluru as a continuing centre of spiritual life in Australia, the death of Neil Armstrong, the discovery of fossilised dinosaur remains on the Victorian coast and the election of Donald Trump are all considered, among many other topics. The poems range in tone from comic, as in accounts of buying a piano or going to the tip, to tragic, as in the title poem, about the death of a relative. Throughout, the poet meditates on themes such as the implications of land ownership; the importance of family and love; the relationship between childhood and maturity; and learning to live with the ageing process. All this is leavened by Smithyman’s characteristic use of powerful, concise language, sharp wit and striking imagery. The poet remains resilient in the face of life’s struggles and inevitable loss, and the book ends with a triumphant affirmation of love and hope. Halfway and Back is a book to savour and reflect on, especially in our present, difficult times.' (Publication summary)
1 Night of the Supermoon i "The time is out of joint, as Prince Hamlet said,", Stephen Smithyman , 2020 single work poetry
— Appears in: I Protest! Poems of Dissent 2020; (p. 144)
1 Crossing the Alps i "All day we raced across the plains of northern Italy", Stephen Smithyman , 2019 single work poetry
— Appears in: Mountain Secrets 2019; (p. 156)
1 A Calendar Year i "Each month yields a new perspective -", Stephen Smithyman , 2019 single work poetry
— Appears in: Solace : Poems from the 2019 ACU Prize for Poetry 2019; (p. 87-88)
1 With My Father at Te Kopuru Stephen Smithyman , 2019 single work poetry
— Appears in: The Sky Falls Down : An Anthology of Loss 2019; (p. 38)
1 Gathering the Rocks i "When I think of you now,", Stephen Smithyman , 2018 single work poetry
— Appears in: Cordite Poetry Review , August no. 87 2018;
1 y separately published work icon Snapshot in the Dark Stephen Smithyman , Port Adelaide : Ginninderra Press , 2018 14232357 2018 selected work poetry

'This is a first collection from Stephen Smithyman, whose poetry has won a number of awards and been published in magazines such as Australian Poetry Journal and Cordite. It covers the years 1976 to 2012 and a wide range of subjects, including growing up in New Zealand, relationships, family, travel, country living and the ageing process. Its themes include the search for love, happiness and some sort of sustaining belief, transience and the preciousness of life, faced with the omnipresence of death. There is a strong political and environmental interest throughout. The poems are characteristically witty and concise, phrased in clear, accessible language with a deft use of original and , at times, amusing imagery. Snapshot in the Dark is an entertaining, touching and thought-provoking introduction to Smithyman's poetry. '  (Publication summary)
1 The Ferry Boats (P. M. Slight, ’57) i "That picture, hanging on the bathroom wall, which sat", Stephen Smithyman , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Irises : The University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor's International Poetry Prize 2017 2017; (p. 82)
1 Space Station Passing Over Our House in West Preston, 11/01/17 i "Tipped off by our space photographer nephew,", Stephen Smithyman , 2017 single work poetry
— Appears in: Ear to Earth : An Anthology of Australian Poetry 2017 2017; (p. 48)
1 A Woman in the Sun i "One day", Stephen Smithyman , 2016 single work poetry
— Appears in: Antithesis , no. 26 2016; (p. 95)
1 Night Piece Stephen Smithyman , 2016 single work prose
— Appears in: Grieve : Stories and Poems for Grief Awareness Month 2016 2016;
1 Entering the Crematorium Stephen Smithyman , 2016 single work prose
— Appears in: Grieve : Stories and Poems for Grief Awareness Month 2016 2016;
1 At Castle Howard i "That afternoon we arrived late - too late", Stephen Smithyman , 2015 single work poetry
— Appears in: Australian Poetry Journal , vol. 5 no. 1 2015; (p. 130)
1 Brooklyn Bridge i "So, Walt Whitman, you imagined me", Stephen Smithyman , 2014 single work poetry
— Appears in: Dazzled : The University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor's International Poetry Prize 2014; (p. 88-89)
1 Walking with My Dog by Merri Creek i "Always, in my mind, I am walking", Stephen Smithyman , 2012 single work poetry
— Appears in: Inscribe , Winter no. 6 2012; (p. 9)
1 1 That Valley, That Shadow i "We were driving outside Canberra,", Stephen Smithyman , 2012 single work poetry
— Appears in: ACTWrite , March vol. 18 no. 2 2012; (p. 12)
1 Hare i "We see you every time we arrive", Stephen Smithyman , 2011 single work poetry
— Appears in: Rabbit , Spring no. 2 2011; (p. 111-112)
1 Giant Swing i "Some things in life are inevitable.", Stephen Smithyman , 2011 single work poetry
— Appears in: The Paradise Anthology 2011; (p. 30-31)
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