Hello from North Queensland

[Brendan_Pierotti]

Hello ABPA members,

I'm Brendan Pierotti. I live on a cane farm in a country town outside of Townsville. I'm fifteen and I love writing, and most of what I write is poetry, and most poetry I write is bush poetry, so I'm glad to be here. I just wanted to meet the poets behind the poems of the ABPA magazine, and the sort of people who share poetical interests with me. I'm keen for discussions about bush poetry, it's future and its people. It seems that poetry, especially bush poetry, isn't as prominent as it has been in our history. The only bush poets on the shelves of our bookstores are those of the long dead, and I'm wondering why our nation, which once celebrated its bush bards and balladeers, is now ignoring the further generations of poets. I'm hoping to learn about this.

Brendan

I'd like to posts a couple of poems; how do I attach a file? I have 'browsed', selected and submitted but I can't see them.

Thanks

[Maureen K Clifford]

Welcome Brendan - great to have you come on board. You will I am sure find much on this site that will be helpful to you and I know you will enjoy the poetry you find here. Don't hesitate to ask if you need a bit of help at any time with your writing, we've all been there and you have years of experience here to draw on. I urge you to go the section headed 'Techniques' and have a read of what you find there. In relation to writing poetry it may well be the best 30 minutes you'll ever spend.

Cheers,

Maureen

[Brendan_Pierotti]

Thanks very much

[Bob Pacey]

Gidday Brendan And welcome.


Just copy your poems if it is in windows and paste it to the site.



Cheers Bob

[Shelley Hansen]

Hello Brendan

Welcome! May I say how refreshing and delightful it is to find an enthusiastic teenager who loves bush poetry ... and even better, writes it!

Although we all value the heritage of those who have gone before us, we are also very committed to keeping our vibrant craft alive and relevant, and off the "dead poets" shelf. Many of us have books and CDs, but in my personal experience, convincing bookstores to stock them is a difficult task. We no longer even have a bookstore in my hometown of Maryborough, Qld.

Yet people will still listen with pleasure to bush poetry. Tonight my husband and I performed a campfire bush poetry concert at a caravan park in our region, to an enthusiastic response. There were two appreciative city-based teenagers in the audience, both of whom came to us and said it was "awesome", and wished they could have this sort of poetry at school in preference to the stuff they currently have. They both said there is very little Aussie poetry in the curriculum. That is different from when many of us went to school, and it is a great pity.

I'm looking forward to reading your work. Through the ABPA website Event and Results page you will also find details of upcoming written poetry competitions, many of which have junior sections. I do encourage you to consider submitting entries, as feedback from experienced judges is a great way to learn and to develop and refine your natural talent. I know it has helped me to become a better writer.

Best Regards
Shelley

[Hal Pritchard]

Well Hello Brendan and how happy we all are to have you join us with your enthusiasm and very insightful comments.

I am the host editor for Young Xpressions where I can publish poems from children and youth up to 16 as part of a literary magazine called Free XpresSion. I also prepare a youth poetry page for the ABPA Magazine. I would love to see some of your poems and if you would like to email them through to me at <halenda@live.com.au> I will treat them with the respect I am sure they deserve.

Look forward to an email with lots of word doc attachments.

Brenda Joy

Note -- that doesn't mean you can't put them onto this site also as Bob explained. It is just an additional publication outlet for you.

[mummsie]

Well hello Brendon and welcome to the ABPA forum. Like the others, I, too, look forward to your company here and how exciting to have one so young on board. Feel free to join in the topics discussed in various sections of the forum and dont be shy about posting your work-sharing the magic of words is what we're about.

Cheers
Sue

[Brendan_Pierotti]

Hey everyone,

Just before I joined the forum I sent a poem to Neil, the editor. For the ABPA magazine, should I send the poems to him or Brenda?

Thanks

[mummsie]

Neil is your man Brendon.

[thestoryteller]

G'day Brendan. Always pleasant to see our youth engaging in this particular art form.

You live in an interesting part of the island mate and enjoyed my years in the north.

Look forward to sharing some of your verses.

Merv Webster.