There seem to be a few new poetry anthologies around lately - some with editorial decisions which defy rationality - but Margaret Bradstock's Antipodes anthology, which deals with responses, both black and white, to the 'settlement' of Australia, has been put together with intelligent good sense, a wide poetic net and a deal of academic rigor. It has a forward by Elizabeth Webby and an introduction by Margaret Bradstock.Poets include Henry Parkes and Mary Gilmore, Kenneth Slessor and Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Lionel Fogarty and Judith Beveridge - all up, about 80 poets* you know and love and/or hate. There are omissions. There are always omissions but you can at least have an argument with it. It's labelled 'a first collection of poetic responses' which suggests that there might be further collections, expanded editions, I don't know. This one is worth getting.
There is a launch on Sunday 20 March at 2.30pm for 3pm at the Randwick City Library (upstairs at the Royal Randwick Shopping Centre), 73 Belmore Road, Randwick. If you're coming let Margaret Bradstock know on: margbrad@tpg.com.au
If you can't make it but want to order a book ($26.95 plus p+p) email the publishers, Phoenix Education, at service@phoenixeduc.com
*One of whom is me, but I would have had to admit all of the above, probably grudgingly, even if I weren't in it.
