ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

G'day Marty,

Not everyone knows that Dennis wrote in many styles. The 'strine' style of 'Sentimental Bloke' is only one. I really love his childrens poems. In fact I have yet to come across anything he wrote, that I don't like. I am amassing quite a collection. Speaking of markets etc. My old man bought me a boxed set of Lawson today, one book of yarns and one poetry, hard cover. I am keen to get at them but too much to do at the moment.

Marty
It doesn't matter how much I READ Dennis I still couldn't appreciate his work ( Maybe a bit slow at picking up things) until I was fortunate enough to hear a performance by one of our Members from the Hunter Bush Poets .He knows who I mean. Now I love Denis' work especially "The Play"and also "The Kid'
Hope you are also helped by a brilliant performer
Val W

G'day Val,

I have heard some absolutely fantastic renditions of both of these pieces. 'The Kid' has me teary eyed from the first line. (I know just how he feels)
As for 'The Play', I think it is a work of genius (both the original and Dennis's version). Martin Pearson did an excellent rendition at a packed marquee at the National in 2007.
I have 'The Gluggs of Glosh'. It needs some digestion to try to understand it's meaning. But is deep.
I have yet to read 'Rose of Spadgers' but it sits on my bookshelf patiently waiting. Perhaps I'll take it to the National and read it before the festival starts. We always arrive early.

Marty you have one of the best second hand bookshops in the state close by in the old Police Station at Goulburn. Huge assortment of all sorts of books including poetry. I always make a point of stopping there whenever we are going south and usually find a treasure. It was where I saw Ross Magnay's beautiful book.
CJ Dennis was undoubtedly Australia's most prolific professional poet. He wrote thousands of poems during his lifetime and there are still many (at least hundreds) of his poems unpublished.
There are a number of great CJ Dennis sites on the web some with huge collections of his poetry and better known works.
One of the problems with his poetry is that he wrote for the papers and a great deal of what he wrote was in relation to topical issues so to read his writing without understanding the issue of that particular day means they sometimes fall flat.
Some years ago ABC Radio played a recording of Chips Rafferty reciting one of CJ's poems about the men returning from the first world war and I have tried in vain to find the recording. I rank it as one of the best recitations I have ever heard.

Vic Jefferies

Keep your eye out for Ron Haddrick's performance of "The Moods of Ginger Mick" (ABC Publications). Like Marty, the 'strine' didn't work for me either until I heard it like, "she's sposed to be spoke". In a word, BRILLIANT!
It should even be out on CD.