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Editor's note: Refereed Proceedings of the Second Tropics of the Imagination Conference, James Cook University Cairns, 31st October - 1st November 2011
Contents indexed selectively.
Contents
* Contents derived from the 2011 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
'Climate change literary criticism calls for fundamental re-evalutions of our critical tools. In
representations of extreme weather events, Vance Palmer's Cyclone set in North Queensland
meets many of the new criterion with its story about the impact of the cyclone on individuals,
community and plot. The genesis and inspiration of the novel, its writing, its publication, review
and reception can be addressed. The cyclone is seen through the perceptions of different
characters. Vance and Nettie Palmer knew many of the people drowned in the 1934 cyclone.
Palmer drew on the historical record in his novel, which was published over a decade later. The
reception of Cyclone was very limited given it was published locally by Angus & Robertson and
had no serious critical response. The environmental imagination has been a powerful force in
Australia creative writing and is undervalued in contemporary debates.' (Author's abstract)
'Spiritual poetry has a strong pulse in the tropics. It is nestled within a current tidal surge of
new writing in Far North Queensland. North Queensland Writing is IN -and the soul
songs of our poets are coming to light. My main focus today is on the grass root poets and
spiritual poetry emerging right here and now. First a few introductory points, then a brief
overview to place today's work within a historical framework of spiritual poetry.' (Author's introduction)
'This article examines trees in three Australian films to assess if they are seen from a white
point of view or an Indigenous point of view.' (Author's abstract)
'If one should imagine a map of production locations for dive films or films set on tropical islands
since the 1960s, it would likely show a trend towards the southern hemisphere and more recently
towards Queensland. Creative industries development in Queensland has been stimulated partly by
state bodies, namely the Pacific Film and Television Commission, and Screen Queensland; and the
presence of Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast, and filmmakers have also been attracted
more recently by production offsets from Screen Australia. There is dim connection to the classical
geography of the Antipodes as the underside of the world and a place of monsters.' (Author's introduction)
