late night streetscapes melbourne last week

Marvellous Melbourne, my so-far favourite Australian city (I've never been to Darwin or Perth), is the source of a poem I've started to write. I was in Melbourne last week for the Poetry and the Trace conference (scroll down for photos of luminaries and larking) and will be heading back for another visit from this coming Friday. Looking for some bricolage.

         early morning melbourne from my window last week

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Just back from the Poetry and the Trace conference in Melbourne.
A brilliant few days. Here are some photos of poets and presenters at various events - scholarly, stimulating, social and superlative.

   Susan Stewart giving her paper 'Trace of Rhyme' - her gestures shadowing
   the wall behind.
   John Tranter, in the dark,confessing his years of poetic filching with a nicely
   fuzzy, off-register picture of John A. & Jimmy.
                     Peter Minter & Gig Ryan
     Elizabeth Wilson reporting incidents of Kiwi misreadings to Wystan Curnow
                     Michael Farrell
   Rachel Blau du Plessis drafting with Hazel Smith & Mike Farrell. Bob du Plessis
   making mirth up the back. Rose Lucas (in red), is still convening, or not,
   with Jill Jones (seated on the left) at 11pm.
                     Kate Fagan
                     Tuesday's end - Mike Farrell, Pete Minter and today's blogger

                    World Youth Gay

I’ll be in Melbourne so I won’t be able to annoy anyone during the WYDSYD08 shindig but I think the most attractive event by far will be at the seventh station of the X, when Jesus meets Simon
at Cockle Bay -

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     Cover image : one panel from the four panel painting, La Vie en Rose,
      by legendary US painter Joan Mitchell

I’ve recently read Maggie Nelson’s fantastic, revisionist book Women, The New York School, And Other Abstractions which has set me up and put me in a good frame of mind for a brief trip, next week, to the southern cold of Melbourne, Victoria for
Poetry and the Trace, an international poetry conference to be held at the Victorian State Library from 13th until 16th July.
There will be two public readings in the State Library Theatrette,
328 Swanston Street, Melbourne (entry to the Theatrette is via La Trobe Street) - everyone welcome.

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