Do not speak of secret matters in a field full of little hills.

August 1, 2005 1:11 PM

"I am still / The black swan of trespass on alien waters." Ernest Lalor Malley (1918-1943). With the posthumous publication of such poems as "Dürer: Innsbruck, 1495" and "Petit Testament" in the journal Angry Penguins, Ern Malley was championed as the new voice of modern Australian poetry. The resulting scandal and obscenity trial would change poetry and literary theory forever. Plus, the ABC's documentary, The Ern Malley Story (listen).
posted by steef (6 comments total)

Peter Carey's "My Life As a Fake" was a fictionalized account of the Ern Malley affair. Worth reading.
posted by since1968 at 1:37 PM on August 1, 2005

Angry Penguins wins my vote as best magazine name EVAR.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:13 PM on August 1, 2005

It strikes me that MetaFilter doesn't do enough poetry FPPs. Not that I'd read them, but that it might attract a literary group of new users, which might in turn be damn interesting.

So, good post! More, please!
posted by five fresh fish at 7:22 PM on August 1, 2005

this is the real guy from My Life as a Fake?(what a book that is! i love Carey) thanks, steef!

...Detective Vogelesang, for the prosecution, insisted that Night Piece was obscene because:
"Apparently someone is shining a torch in the dark, visiting through the park gates. To my mind they were going there for some disapproved motive ... I have found that people who go into parks at night go there for immoral purposes".

He also found the word "incestuous" indecent in Perspective Lovesong, admitting "I don't know what 'incestuous' means." ... (from the Prosecution)
posted by amberglow at 8:26 PM on August 1, 2005

His poetry is too Vogonic for me.
posted by Citizen Premier at 11:24 PM on August 1, 2005

nice post. thanks for sharing it. :-)
posted by anastasiav at 9:19 PM on August 2, 2005