Cirrus@Austlit

'The follow-up to the international bestselling The Monkey’s Mask, Dorothy Porter’s Crete is an astonishing collection that traverses Greek myth and Russian poets, the memory of cigarettes and the wild abandon of love.

'Crete is a heady mix of dark humour, archaeology, breathtaking eroticism, risk-taking and effortless economy. It is a book by a writer at the peak of her highly original powers.

'This collection includes 81 poems in six cycles'.

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Dorothy Porter was one of Australia’s truly original writers, renowned for her passionate, offbeat poetry and verse novels. The Best 100 Poems of Dorothy Porter draws from her life’s work to present the many facets of Porter the poet, from stretching the fabric of ancient mythology to delving into the beauty of the natural world, or inking an intimate message on your heart. This elegant hardback, a companion volume to The Best 100 Poems of Les Murray, is the perfect gift for Porter fans and newcomers alike. (Publisher's blurb)

'Sense, Shape, Symbol is an investigation of Australian poetry. It explores the ways in which poets succeed, or fail, in their attempts to bring their experience to life.

Their primary raw materials are the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch - the means by which we all experience our world.

Poets also like to experiment with the shape of their writing, starting with the qualities of vowels and consonants, of syllables, and of rhyme, metre and rhythm.

Working poets make particular use of the metaphor, of the connections that they suggest between normally unlike things, to express their response to their subject.

The collection explores the work of five poets who have played an important, influential part in the development of Australian poetry: Judith Wright, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, David Malouf, Les Murray and Mark O’Connor.

The final chapter looks at some of the common concerns that can create conflict in our lives, such as gender, race, age, and socio-economic status, and other issues that create fear and that encourage hope.

The collection is intended to allow readers to become familiar with the techniques that poets use, and to develop their own poetic writing in an informed way.' (Publisher's blurb)