Cirrus@Austlit

Poet R.D. Fitzgerald describes himself as a 'professional surveyor and an amateur poet'. He recalls his experiences working for the Native Lands Commission in the remote interior regions of Fiji, which inspired his poem 'Between Two Tides'; remembers his friendships with fellow writers Kenneth Slessor, Douglas Stewart, and Dame Mary Gilmore; and discusses his involvement in the anti-Vietnam War movement, giving reasons for why he became involved.

Dorothy Hewett talks frankly about the relationship between her life and her writing, illustrating her work with excerpts from productions of three of her plays and reading her own poems.

As a founder of the Angry Penguins, Max Harris was at the forefront of the modernist movement in Australian poetry. He provides a unique overview of the period of Australian cultural history of which he was part, recalling the ferment in the artistic community as writers, painters, and musicians struggled to find an authentic Australian voice; the uproar surrounding the Ern Malley controversy; and his friendship with Sidney Nolan.