Cirrus@Austlit

'After sending a copy of Blue Dog to Arts Minister, Peter Garrett last year and receiving a letter back from him enthused about the quality of the journal we were keen to hear his thoughts on Australian poetry. On a further meeting with him at the Taronga Poetry Prize announcements in February he agreed to be interviewed.' [Authors' abstract]

'The deaf poet Peter Cook remarked that there are two signs for poetry in American Sign Language: one for Hearing Poetry and one for Deaf poetry. The sign for Hearing poetry, poetry associated with rhythms and music, is almost identical with the sign for music; the sign for Deaf poetry resembles that for 'Expression'. Deaf poetry is a physically expressive art of rhythm and balance, employing gestures and movements that recall mime, dance, and musical performance; through parallel or repetitive signs, it can suggest lines and even rhymes. Examples of such work by Clayton Valli and other ASL/Deaf poets are easy to find on YouTube and videos. (A 1990 video series called "Poetry in Motion" includes the work of Valli, Debbie Rennie, and Patrick Graybill). As with spoken poetry, sign languages - English, American, French, Swedish and others - differ and are not mutually intelligible.' (Introduction)