[composed 2002—2006]
Salt Publishing, Cambridge UK, 2006
ISBN: 184471246X
Cover photograph: ‘blue grass’ by Peter Minter 2001
(near Seal Rocks, NSW Australia)
“Minter during the past decade has established himself as one of the poets whose work has risen to the fore …..” Tom Shapcott, The Australian
“Peter Minter is writing these days with tremendous energy and depth. He is absolutely dedicated to a poetry of process; that is, a poetry in process, which seeks to involve the reader directly in the scenario of the poem, banishing the distances of observation or description … and this is itself a type of wisdom held in the act of recognising the earth anew, the concurrent seeing and knowing, or simultaneous arrival and departure.” Peter Riley, Jacket Magazine
“Minter’s work is among the most subtly textured lyric poetry presently being written in Australia, animated by flashes of visionary excess and precise, intelligent feeling … [it] creates a layering of referencing and quotation that works in much the same way as composting, rotting down to create new matter. It is by this process of organic transformation and exchange that Minter’s work indigenises itself.” Alison Croggon, poetryetc.
“Don’t read this book expecting the kind of well-turned introspection or social observation that too often passes for poetry these days. Peter Minter can certainly turn a phrase, even on its head if need be, and his take on the world around him is as acutely perceptive as it is wittily expressed, but he is a much braver poet than that implies. Take a deep breath and get a ticket for the ride; it’s a bit like one of the really scary ones at the Show, and you’ll probably throw up your half-digested preconceptions, but you’ll end up feeling exhilarated.” Tim Thorne Famous Reporter
“Minter’s poetic brilliance and visionary possibilities are genuinely seductive. This book contains poetry written with incredible depth, weight and energy … a must-read.” Catherine Wright, UTS Newsroom