Beyond Competitions or, Is that all there is?

[manfredvijars]

Just a bunch of random thoughts .....


The literary world considers our rhyming craft as "quaint" - AND irrelevant.
Does this notion reflect on how we see ourselves?

I can't help but ask if we're somewhat insecure in our craft if we become apologists for the 'Bush' in our title of "Bush Poets"? It seems like we have to explain ourselves a lot to the people 'out there'.

I'm wondering if our search for relevance in the wider world hasn't made us turn inwards into a recursive downward spiral.

Is accomplishment for 'Bush Poets' measured by the amount of "shelf-bling" gathering dust that will eventually be thrown out when we enter our selected 'fossil-farm' prior to death?

So, are competitions the epitome of achievement for our craft?

Is there life for Bush Poets works beyond competitions (and anthologies)?

[Neville Briggs]

My thoughts on your thoughts.

I think it would pay us to find out why we are considered quaint or irrelevant, putting aside any knee jerk unthinking response about latte drinking pretentiousness.
Is there some truth in the jibes.

I admit I have wondered about the word bush as a description of what I try to do. I am not a real bushie but I like to be part of the sort of folksy home spun versifiers.
There are some who have worked very hard and succeeded in showing that bush poetry can be fun and entertaining, unfortunately I get the impression that a lot of listeners have taken that to mean that if our verse is not jokey and entertaining it is not bush poetry.
And that's not a criticism of the bush poetry entertainers, I think the effort for relevance has bitten us back in an unintended way.
What's the answer. I am still not sure that I could suggest anything.

The art world from centuries past is filled with 'self bling" that has sunk into oblivion, I think it will always be that way. Many are called but few are chosen.

I think competitions have some value. They stimulate interest and effort and perhaps a sense of community for our diverse collective.
Competitions are deep in our cultural soul, they will always be. It's just my opinion but I think they prove very little.
They might prove something in the day that someone has the courage to invite a "literati" non ABPA person to be the judge of the writing, or the courage to submit the judging of performance to the audience's assessment.

I saw in the magazine, that article about you, Manfred, at the school. I think that article answers your question about life for bush poetry beyond comps and anthologies.

[Vic Jefferies]

I am beginning to think there is far tooooooooooooo much navel gazing going on here!
Competitions and awards are one side of the game, but for me the true test is: does anyone want to hear/read your poetry and does anyone else think your work worthy of presenting?
The ultimate accolade is to hear someone else recite your work or to ask for a copy. Nothing else matters really apart from being happy with your own writing.
Competitions and awards mean very little really if the winning poem is forgotten which seems to me to be often the case. Can't think of too many competition winning poems that are regularly recited at poets breakfasts. In fact can't think of too many competition winning poems.
So, Manfred when the Awards and the bling tarnish and are thrown out what should remain is your poetry to be remembered, hopefully like The Banjo's and Henry's.
As for the literati and learned critics, to my mind they are irrelevant. We are not setting out to confuse, bamboozle or prove how amazingly egocentric we are and to my poor understanding I don't think they know too much about poetry.
As I have said on numerous occasions I think bush poetry is very much the same as folk music, the people's poetry,
written by the people to express their feelings.
The thing we should remember is that we don't have to write only bush poetry. We can write any form of poetry we desire, but this is a bush poetry site dedicated to the preservation of our wonderful heritage and as such must be preserved.

[Zondrae]

G'day all,

To underline what Vic has just said...
I was sitting next to Greg North on Friday at an event when a lady came up to us and said, "You're that lady who does that funny poem about the reflection, aren't you." I nodded. "I thought I recognised your face" she said.

I blushed. Sitting next to a great performer like Greg and being recognised was almost unbelievable. I also had someone come up tome in the supermarket and said she had seen me at the Illawarra Festival Poets Breakfast and loved my poems.

Now I don't consider myself as a very good performer. I simply recite my own scribble - but these two ladies seemed to like what I did. I have introduced a 'poem day' at the Gym. While the others are cooling down, every Thursday. I recite a poem for them. They love it and sit attentively. They are at the stage of making requests for repeats or saying they liked this one better than that one.

I have had a dry spell as far as writing but I feel I am coming good. I write and recite firstly for my own satisfaction and I guess to try to create something, besides my decedents, that will show I have been here, after I am gone. I hope when I am gone that someone will (to borrow a line from Charlee Marshall) "Join me in my thanks that I have been."

If that is what being a Bush Poet is than I guess I am proud to say I am one, though most of my poems are not about the bush.

PS:
If this makes me sound big headed, I hope those who know me will say I am not. I simply wish to support whatVic has said,

[manfredvijars]

Wondering about our relevance in the broader scheme of things, a quick Google search for, "top poetry competitions Australia" revealed the following ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Au ... rds#Poetry

Poetry

ACT Writing and Publishing Awards: ?
Anne Elder Award: $1,000
Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize: $2,500
The Blake Poetry Prize: $5,000
Christopher Brennan: Lifetime Achievement Award Plaque
Victorian Premier's Prize for Poetry: $25,000 +
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry: ?
Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize: $2,000
Harri Jones Memorial Prize for Poetry
Judith Wright Calanthe Award: $15,000
Judith Wright Prize $10,000
Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: $30,000
Mary Gilmore Prize: $1,000
Newcastle Poetry Prize: $12,000
Peter Porter Poetry Prize: $6,500
Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal
The Roland Robinson Literary Award: $500
Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize
The Val Vallis Award: $1,000
The Vincent Buckley Poetry Prize: Trip to Ireland
W B Yeats Poetry Prize for Australia $500
---

[Zondrae]

Perhaps ..

we need those with computer savvy to go and inform wikipedia that we exist. It's above my capabilities.
But then again, are our small prize pools too low to rate?

[Vic Jefferies]

Interesting list Manfred. Many of the poets mentioned wrote at least some of their work with rhyme and metre.

Poetry

ACT Writing and Publishing Awards: ?
Anne Elder Award: $1,000
*Bruce Dawe National Poetry Prize: $2,500
The Blake Poetry Prize: $5,000
* Christopher Brennan: Lifetime Achievement Award Plaque
Victorian Premier's Prize for Poetry: $25,000 +
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry: ?
*Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize: $2,000
Harri Jones Memorial Prize for Poetry
*Judith Wright Calanthe Award: $15,000
*Judith Wright Prize $10,000
*Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: $30,000
*Mary Gilmore Prize: $1,000
Newcastle Poetry Prize: $12,000
Peter Porter Poetry Prize: $6,500
Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal
*The Roland Robinson Literary Award: $500
Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize
The Val Vallis Award: $1,000
*The Vincent Buckley Poetry Prize: Trip to Ireland
*W B Yeats Poetry Prize for Australia $500

[manfredvijars]

Thanks for that Vic. What you see is the result of a Google search, I was hoping for an APBA recognisable comp, but sadly no.

I'm wondering how many of those underlined would view our offerings favorably?

Knowing our 'place' in the wider world of poetry, should give us the platform from which to rise.

[Neville Briggs]

Our place in the poetry world is viewed by many of those as;

Bush Poets being the quaint Amish of the poetry world, in old fashioned bonnets and suits, getting along the bush tracks in horse drawn buggies while the rest of the poetry world zooms along the freeway in modern cars. ( One of the literati said so )

[Vic Jefferies]

Manfred have you ever read Judith Wright's classic South of My Days? Marvelous poem!