'There are many fine poets in our city, engaged with the raw fire and the vibrancy and the whirling circus of the word that is Melbourne. Loud ones, effusive ones, praisers, complainers,
the whisperers, the shy. Polished ones, and those just beginning; made for the page and/or the stage, it’s the great parade!
And then, in their own separate skies, there’s Anastasi and Coburn. I have known their poetry individually for some time, but in this collection I am rather astounded at the breadth, the clarity, the precision, and above all the surety of this work. Both poets possess an inherent quiet wisdom combined with a rarity of skill and poise in their writing that is quite unusual for any poet, let alone relatively young writers at this stage in their careers.
'Eaglemont Press is proud to have The Silences in its quiver, and Eaglemont’s king Shelton Lea will be delighted with this venture and is toasting Anastasi and Coburn from wherever he currently reigns. At any rate, they can tell it better than I so stop reading this. Read these two.. Shhh. Get silent. (Ian McBryde, Publication Summary)
