AustLit

'Shelton Lea's path crossed with mine in Sydney in 1965. We both sojourned at Kings Cross in Sydney. Shelton ('Shelly") was already an identity as a poet. among other roles. He read and recited poems at the El Rocco jazz club in Brougham Street at the top of William Street. to the accompaniment of jazz musicians. He also performed poetry impromptu in pubs and coffee lounges like the Royal George, Windsor Castle, and the Piccolo. Eric Beach recently [1988] observed to me, 'Shelton's a rumour, even people who don't know his second name know Shelton all over Australia: Shelton Lea's poetry charts his picaresque life, but to see him only as Bohemian nonconformist is to overlook the seriousness of his dedication to the craft of poetry. The poetry and the life bear each other up: eight volumes in paint, besides countless magazine. journal, anthology, and chapbook appearances. recordings, and readings in every State for over twenty years.' (Introduction)