'From the outset—indeed, from the cover of the book, in the form of a louche, evocative Tasmanian wolf howling along to a bowed lyre—Kevin Densley's latest collection strikes a careful balance: meditations on the complexities (and failings) of popular culture; prickings of high art's bubble of self-satisfaction, with occasional swipes at academic indulgence of the same; and explorations of the folkways of Australian life, with particular emphasis on its seedier historical aspects, from horse racing to bare-knuckle brawling and protracted bushranger shenanigans. As with every polished collection, the poems are arranged with careful attention to transition and the patterning of mood, and they do not fall into readily identifiable blocks but work to maintain this thematic balance. We are welcomed to the worlds of "low" and "high" culture, as well as the vibrant folk history of the continent, and invited to appreciate how this shifting mixture works to create what we know as Australia.' (Introduction)
