W. Les Russell W. Les Russell i(A14712 works by) (a.k.a. Boolidtha Russell; William Russell; Boolidt-Boolidtha; W. Les Boolidt Boolidtha Russell)
Born: Established: 1949 Melbourne, Victoria, ;
Gender: Male
Heritage: Aboriginal
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 y separately published work icon Roselyn X and Other Poetry W. Les Russell , Australia : Limelight Publishing , 2020 20569989 2020 selected work poetry

'Roselyn X, a young Black prostitute, has terminal cancer and a very small child. She is angry at fate, racism, sexism, and her loss of home and culture. Roselyn Y, masquerading as Roselyn X relays her feelings and pleas in a series of 22 cantos in a collection of poetry. Roselyn’s story is not all dark, it offers light and hope. Her story should never have happened; nothing has changed for Aboriginal Australians; little has changed for women and issues of sexism — or racism; and Black Deaths in Custody still generations on; let alone drug issues over that 50 year landscape of all of the poetry in this book. Black lives around the world rate a lesser value than the deaths of White people, why? Thought provoking, humorous, enlightening, and a pleasure to read.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 A Story from My Life W. Les Russell , 2018 single work life story
— Appears in: Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia 2018; (p. 203-210)

'I'm an old fella and have gotten used to being called 'Aboriginal'. I accept Indigenous too; I don't argue, since the two - Aboriginal and Indigenous - are very close synonyms. Any fine distinction between the words is lost on most whitefellas anyway. I have seen myself in different ways at various points in my life, given the different situations I found myself in -  but always, somehow, still Aboriginal.'  (Introduction)

1 The Epicurean i "He shovels food into his mouth", W. Les Russell , 2016 single work poetry
— Appears in: Mascara Literary Review , September no. 19 2016;
1 Sante Fe i "The moon wears a shadow-shawl", W. Les Russell , 2016 single work poetry
— Appears in: Mascara Literary Review , September no. 19 2016;
1 Broken Legs i "In the earliest hours of winter", W. Les Russell , 2016 single work poetry
— Appears in: Mascara Literary Review , September no. 19 2016;
1 Bellbirds i "This fella here…", W. Les Russell , 2016 single work poetry
— Appears in: Mascara Literary Review , September no. 19 2016;
1 Currawongs (to Robert Gray) i "Robert Gray's currawongs are urban:", W. Les Russell , 1998 single work poetry
— Appears in: Antipodes , June vol. 12 no. 1 1998; (p. 20)
1 Australian Poetry in America i "It is dark", W. Les Russell , 1998 single work poetry
— Appears in: Antipodes , June vol. 12 no. 1 1998; (p. 20)
1 Answering i "One long night as I lay sleeping", W. Les Russell , 1994 single work poetry
— Appears in: Meanjin , Spring vol. 53 no. 3 1994; (p. 443)
1 A Ballad in Tears i "Quietly crying in a damp darkened room,", W. Les Russell , 1993 single work poetry
— Appears in: Spirit Song : A Collection of Aboriginal Poetry 1993; (p. 42)
1 Blackberrying i "Among time's souvenirs lay the days;", W. Les Russell , 1993 single work poetry
— Appears in: Spirit Song : A Collection of Aboriginal Poetry 1993; (p. 18-19)
1 The Nuclear Winter (Dedicated to Djilby, My Brother: A Victim of Nuclear Testing) i "Lying in a cold hell,", W. Les Russell , 1988 single work poetry
— Appears in: Inside Black Australia : An Anthology of Aboriginal Poetry 1988; (p. 6-7)
1 God Gave Us Trees to Cut Down i "My Goodness;", W. Les Russell , 1988 single work poetry satire
— Appears in: Inside Black Australia : An Anthology of Aboriginal Poetry 1988; (p. 4-6) The Sting in the Wattle : Australian Satirical Verse 1993; (p. 227-228) 50 Years of Queensland Poetry : 1940s - 1990s 1998; (p. 125-126)
1 Ngarnbarndtar i "Ngarnbarndtar", W. Les Russell , 1988 single work poetry
— Appears in: Inside Black Australia : An Anthology of Aboriginal Poetry 1988; (p. 3)
1 Red i "Red is the colour", W. Les Russell , 1988 single work poetry
— Appears in: Inside Black Australia : An Anthology of Aboriginal Poetry 1988; (p. 2)
1 y separately published work icon Greed for Green W. Les Russell , Fairfield : Impact Media Productions , 1986 Z822320 1986 selected work poetry
1 The 'Developers' i "Like a spear thrust deep within my heart", W. Les Russell , 1985 single work poetry
— Appears in: Poetry Day Australia 1985; (p. 35) Inside Black Australia : An Anthology of Aboriginal Poetry 1988; (p. 3-4)
1 Untitled i "All the things that I can say,", W. Les Russell , 1985 single work poetry
— Appears in: Poetry Day Australia 1985; (p. 34)
1 Untitled i "Wokardjee winek tjar ngayk,", W. Les Russell , 1985 single work poetry
— Appears in: Poetry Day Australia 1985; (p. 33)
1 Untitled i "Taught;`thou shalt not steal;", W. Les Russell , 1985 single work poetry
— Appears in: Poetry Day Australia 1985; (p. 33)
X