Joanna Preston: Tasmanaut Poet
Times before number, condemned criminals had waited for their last dawn. Yet until the very end they could hope for a reprieve; human judges can show mercy. But against the laws of nature, there is no appeal. – Arthur C. Clarke, The Wind From the Sun: Stories of the Space Age (1972). Well it's been …
Continue reading "Dawn, reprieve, and mercy – the preliminary deliberations continue"
Four things belong to a judge: to hear courteously, to answer wisely, to consider soberly, and to decide impartially. – Socrates I have now read through all poems at least four times – twice or more yesterday, and twice or more today. It's both better and worse than I feared. Better in that there are …
Continue reading "Whittling soberly – the preliminary deliberations"
Judging is a lonely job in which a man is, as near as may be, an island entire. – Abe Fortas Today my sack of poems from the NZPS 2011 International Haiku Competition arrived. This is my first time judging for the NZPS, and I'm feeling a strange surge of pleasurable anticipation. I know from …
Continue reading "‘An island entire’ – judging the NZPS 2011 Haiku comp"
Muppet that I am, I forgot that the 2011 New Zealand Post Book Awards shortlists – including the winners of the Best First Books – were announced today. Thhis year's NZSA Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award for Poetry has gone to … Lynn Jenner’s Dear Sweet Harry (Auckland University Press). I have to admit …
Rightio, time to give away some more magazines. In honour of the start of winter (usually my most productive of the four seasons), I'm offering: Imago 13:3 (2001) – a now-defunct Australian mag The North 44 (2009) – a British mag Poetry CLXXVI:3 (June 2000) – an American mag (yes, that one) Takahe 58 (2006) …
Continue reading "Magazine De-clutter 2 – giveaway and contest"
A Dark Feathered Art 