Sunday February 19th 2912
As the sole Arts reporter for HeartsongCreative, I was happy to soak up the Sunday afternoon atmosphere today (and a nice glass of red) and to testify that there is indeed far more to Geelong’s reputation than winning football premierships.
All paths led to Paton Books in Geelong (a favourite haunt for Geelong’s literati) for the launch of Outside, a new collection of poetry by David McCooey.
David, Associate Professor in Literary Studies and Professional & Creative Writing at Deakin University, is well-known locally, nationally and even internationally. He reviews regularly for Australian Book Review and The Age. As well as numerous publications, in 2006 his poetry collection Blister Pack won the Mary Gilmore Award and he was the Deputy General Editor of the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature, which won the ‘Special Award’ in the 2010 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.
David’s collection was launched by Anthony Lynch, himself a well-lauded writer and publisher. It should be emphasised that both David and Anthony (as well as four poets from the Geelong region) had poems chosen for Best Australian Poems 2011. I must start drinking some of that Geelong water.These six poets will celebrate World Poetry Day on March 21st at the Geelong library. (http://www.geelonglibraries.vic.gov.au/event/world-poetry-day)
John Kinsella says of David’s poetry. ‘David McCooey is one of the most controlled and attentive poets writing in Australia. Renowned as a critic as well as a poet, McCooey’s careful study of poetry is shown in his poems, but they never rely only on this learning and consideration of craft. This remarkable book almost liberates an aesthetic, and is in itself a work of great beauty mixed with moments of biting satire. It’s the wit, the aphorisic turn just when it’s needed, both within the poems and within the timing of the book as a whole. McCooey has become entirely his own poet – genuinely good and essential. Read him.’
Anthony Lynch in launching Outside today remarked on the ‘marvellous simplicity’ of David’s poetry and called it ‘witty, insightful, provocative, literary and hilarious.’
Outside, published by Salt Publishing, is available at Paton Books in Geelong (http://www.patonbooks.com.au/): $20.00
by John Bartlett
