ABOUT POETRY

Poetry is often composed in doubt; its making is not just about choices but about fear or anxiety, resistance, about what is not done as about what is done or made, how the turnings in one's research towards a poem could have been different. The doubleness of the poet, between forgetting and remembering, between possibilities and limits, is exemplified in the work of American poet George Oppen (1908-84). His poetry, especially his later poetry, is fragmentary, full of significant grammatical and syntactical leaps. It bears all the hallmarks, at the level of making, of radical cut and paste, a technique which apparently Oppen did literally employ, in the days before word processing software, in order to make poems. It is also a writing that continually re-approaches itself and the world, embodying both skepticism about representation and reality and a clarity in the face of otherness. It suggests ways of looking at writing not just at the level of technique or expertise, not just as representation, but as engagement within language, its puzzles and mysteries, as words articulated with the world, of time, history and things. It also suggests that writing poetry and writing a poetics are of a continuum, an ongoing practice, that learning to write is not course work but life work, in its choices and uncertainties, risks and margins, and, sometimes, silences.

Ever since Tom Wolfe wrote a thirteen-page essay entitled The Birth of the New Journalism, Eyewitness Report by Tom Wolfe in the Seventies, debate has raged over what this New Journalism or literary journalism or creative non-fiction is. Yet geographically, the debate has been confined to the United States and the UK. Australia has remained notably silent on the issue. This paper questions why the discourse seems to be anchored in the Northern Hemisphere. It further wonders whether, if Tom Wolfe had been born in Australia and published his essay in an Australian newspaper, would the signature diverse and ongoing discourse be Australian? One thing would be certain, no matter where the debate was born - the nomenclature would not be definitive. There is no consensus among media theorists about an appropriate name. This paper investigates the history of the evolution of the genre pre and post Tom Wolfe, adding an Australian perspective to the discussion. Creative non-fiction courses are in high demand within the Australian Academy. Coupled with the advent of instantaneous internet news, this paper suggests that perhaps Australian newspapers should recognise and then use this genre to reinvigorate its backgrounding news sections, investing journalists with more time and resources to write within the genre on running news stories of the day.

Positive Thoughts and Memories

One should always think positive no matter what. Positive thinking enriches our memory and our souls. Alas not everyone recognizes the difference between his or her pleasant thoughts which generate good memories and the pleasant experiences which also generate good memories.

I appreciate the people who recognize the values of the different cultures without denying their own origin and traditions. It is very clear that everyone has a common ground with someone from the same origin or the same culture but this should not exclude trying to find common ground with others .

One should not forget that in this world there are many strong people who do not feel they need the help of others but there are at least as many or even more people who do need the help of others. In my opinion everyone needs good thoughts and good memories as these are "oxygen" and life sustaining elements.

We are blessed with the words of wisdom

We all have gifts to share

Stories to tell

Let us all learn from each other

To exchange words of wisdom

To share the positive things that we learned from our past

Therefore, others will not fall into the traps laid on the paths below us

The ability to communicate is a wonderful gift

One does not have to communicate through their mouth

But through their actions

We are all touched in a positive way through the ability to communicate

Spiritually, verbally or through the actions of one’s ability to communicate