Product Description
The first contemporary book of its kind: poems by gay and lesbian poets writing now in the freedoms and dangers of the 21st century. Out of the Box features new poems by David Malouf and Dorothy Porter and introduces new poets Maria Zajkowski and Scott-Patrick Mitchell – not to mention the free ranging poets in between. Poems of love, violence, sex and experiment, with just enough everyday life to keep you grounded.
“Out of the Box is poised at the junction of the poetic moment and the queer moment in contemporary Australia – a doubly-rich rubric for reading the wonderful poems here. The collection poses complex interconnections between poetics, politics and identity: just one measure of its great achievement.” — ELIZABETH MACMAHON
“These writers are amongst the best of Australian poets. Their poetry rearranges any assumed connection between the sexualities of writers and readers and the content of the writing, yet asks that each be considered.” — MICHAEL HURLEY
Michael Farrell has edited poetry features for both Australian and U.S. magazines. His books are ode ode, BREAK ME OUCH (cartoon poems), and A Raiders Guide.
Jill Jones has published several books of poetry, including Broken/Open and Screens Jets Heaven: New and Selected Poems. She has been an editor of anthologies and magazines over a number of years.
REVIEWS
“Out of the Box makes a compelling case for considering the relationship between sexuality and poetic creativity. Certainly, there is the anxiety, dealt with by both editors in their introductions, that a focus on sexuality will be limiting, a reduction of a poet’s work. But, as the anthology brilliantly shows, any thematisation (including the more familiar ones, such as “women”, “Australian”, “poetry”, “19th-century”, and so on) can create meaning, showing things in creative and new ways.”- DAVID MCCOOEY, The Sydney Morning Herald
“Whatever the reasoning behind the title, Michael Farrell and Jill Jones have made choices which should provoke debate (among other things) about gay and lesbian identity and community, and about the relationship between poet and reader.”- GREGORY KRATZMANN, The Australian Book Review
