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New Writing from Western Australia Fiction Poetry Essays Reviews In Volume 61 Number 1, 2016 New Writing from In this Issue 61.1 Since 1956, Westerly has been publishing 61.1 Western Australia Kim Scott new writing from Western Australia. Fiction Tara June Winch Poetry Melissa Lucashenko Essays Bruce Pascoe & Reviews Wayne Barker Front cover image Bella Kelly, Untitled (Christmas Trees), c. mid 1960s. Watercolour and gouache on paper (33.5 x 44cm). Collection of Jean Burges. © Estate of the artist. ‘Both Hands Full’ Kim Scott I know an old man who likes to sit beside a little fire in his suburban backyard, little flames flickering brightly and tendrils of smoke almost invisible in the shade. It’s a small fire and strong winds flatten its tongues close to the earth, insisting they lie down. Of course they spring up again the instant the wind abates. With writing and ideas from Tara June Winch, Melissa Lucashenko, Bruce Pascoe, Wayne Barker, Pat Lowe, Brenda L. Croft, Cheryl Kickett-Tucker, MaryAnn Bin-Sallik, Edwin Lee Mulligan, Jacquie Wright, Dalisa Pigram, Clint Bracknell, Sandy Tousaint and Elfie Shiosaki ISBN 978-0-9873180-4-6 ISBN 978-0-9873180-4-6 61.1 9 780987 318091 AU$24.95, postage included (within Aus) www.westerlymag.com.au/shop9 780987 318091 ‘Remembering Artists’ Paul Collis ‘I sometimes imagine them old fullas with me when I see something clever or funny, nudging me in the side and whispering, “See that?” ’ Westerly acknowledges all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as First Australians, celebrating their culture, history, diversity and deep connection to the land. We celebrate the continuous living cultures of Indigenous people and their vital contributions within Australian society. Westerly’s office, at the University of Western Australia, is located on Whadjak Noongar land. We would like to recognize the Noongar people as the spiritual and cultural custodians of this land and dedicate this issue to their elders past and present as a gesture of our respect. Westerly Volume 61 Number 1, 2016 New Writing from 61.1 Western Australia Notice of Intention Publisher Fiction Westerly has converted the full backfile of Westerly Centre, The University of Western Australia, Australia Poetry Westerly (1956–) to electronic text, available General Editor to readers and researchers on the Westerly Essays Catherine Noske website, www.westerlymag.com.au. This Reviews work has been supported by a grant from Editorial Advisors the Cultural Fund of the Copyright Agency Amanda Curtin (prose) Limited. Cassandra Atherton (poetry) All creative works, articles and reviews Editorial Consultants converted to electronic format will be correctly Barbara Bynder attributed and will appear as published. Delys Bird (The University of Western Australia) Copyright will remain with the authors, and the Tanya Dalziell (The University of Western Australia) material cannot be further republished without Paul Genoni (Curtin University) authorial permission. Westerly will honour any Dennis Haskell (The University of Western Australia) requests to withdraw material from electronic Douglas Kerr (University of Hong Kong) Westerly publication. If any author does not wish their John Kinsella (Curtin University) work to appear in this format, please contact Susan Lever (Hon. Associate, The University of Sydney) Westerly immediately and your material will John Mateer be withdrawn. Tracy Ryan (The University of Western Australia) Andrew Taylor (Edith Cowan University) Contact: [email protected] Guest edited by Edwin Thumboo (National University of Singapore) David Whish-Wilson (Curtin University) Stephen Kinnane Terri-ann White (The University of Western Australia Publishing) Administrator Lucy Dougan Web Editor Paul Clifford Production Design: Chil3 Typesetting: Lasertype Print: UniPrint, The University of Western Australia Front cover: Bella Kelly, Untitled (Christmas Trees), c. mid 1960s. Watercolour and gouache on paper (33.5 ×44 cm). Collection of Jean Burges. © Estate of the artist. All academic work published in Westerly is fully refereed. Copyright of each piece belongs to the author; copyright of the collection belongs to the Westerly Centre. Republication is permitted on request to author and editor. Westerly is published biannually with assistance from the State Government of WA by an investment in this project through the Department of Culture and the Arts and from the Literature Board of the Australia Council. The opinions expressed in Westerly are those of individual contributors and not of the Editors or Editorial Advisors. Government of Western Australia Department of Culture and the Arts This project has also been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. From the Editors 6 Essays Rachael Swain and Eve Chaloupka Dalisa Pigram Empty Vessels 71 Calling a Warning 14 Sandy Toussaint Cheryl Narkle, A Mix of Emotion 73 Caroline Narkle and Brenda L Croft Annette Davis Retrac(k)ing country and (s)kin: Bella Kelly 45 walking the Wave Hill Walk Off Tara June Winch Fiction Lily Bennion Track (and other sites of cultural The Yield 27 Threaded Djon Djon figures contestation) 76 Melissa Lucashenko from Goulburn Island 60 Elfie Shiosaki My Dear Child 127 Moira De Angelis Writing from the Heart 83 Michalia Arathimos A Story About Two Feather Clint Bracknell The Conservation of Baskets 62 Singing Back to the Archive 92 the Stars 195 Natalie Hewlett Sandra Phillips and Edwin Lee Mulligan Katinka Smit Poetry Pwoja Jilamara 64 Alison Ravenscroft Weather Patterns, Jimadilung 10 Behind the Line 215 Margaret Nadebaum From the Earth Out: word, image, Alison Whittaker Warwick Newnham Dilly Bag and Bark Paintings sound, object, body, country 105 The Sapling Barricades ‘Jabbin Jabbin Kirroo Ka’ 235 from Arnhem Land 66 Of Trugernanner 12 Steve Kinnane in conversation Vanessa Wiggin with Melissa Lucashenko, Bruce Jannali Jones Bike and Rider 69 Pascoe and Wayne Barker Past Tense 126 Kevin Brophy Stories from the Front 178 Stuart Cooke Creative Introduction to Mulan 39 Jacqueline Wright Convergence 162 Non-Fiction Stevie Michael Hill-Kopp Junior Unburdening the World: Breaking Phillip Hall My Life in Mulan 40 the Cycle of the Perpetual Single Dawn Song 164 Story 203 Dermott Neach Brendan Ryan My First Game on Mulan Oval 42 Karen Atkinson Lajamanu 223 Threshold: Reconfiguring the Past Doris Eaton, Lekkie Hopkins and in That Deadman Dance 247 Marian De Saxe Ann Ingamells Yam Country: for Emily Kame Giveaway 118 Pat Lowe Kngwarreye 226 Two Sisters revisited 265 Dr Cheryl Kickett-Tucker In Gondwanaland 227 Wind Spirit: Nanna’s Legacy 129 Reviews Danielle Binks Amy Hilhorst Professor MaryAnn Bin-Sallik A Review of The Intervention: Rottnest, 1997 262 Truth and Consequence 142 An Anthology 269 Kevin Gillam Tom Stephens Phillip Hall Feeding Lake Naming Rights 151 A Review of Timothy Cook: Disappointment 264 Dancing With the Moon 273 Caitlin Prince Tomorrow, another Phillip Hall will come 158 A Review of Olive Knight, The Bauhinia Tree: Kim Scott The Life of Kankawa Nagarra Both Hands Full 166 Olive Knight 276 Graham Akhurst Clutching the Void 228 Paul Collis Walking in Old Shoes 242 Submissions 282 Remembering Artists 244 Subscriptions 283 From the Editors This issue is at heart a celebration. It set out with the theme of renewal, possibilities for Indigenous stories online, while interviews with Wayne looking to embrace growth and dynamic evolution of culture as a way of Barker, Melissa Lucashenko and Bruce Pascoe offer their voices in speaking to the myriad changes and challenges contemporary Indigenous contribution to the contemporary collection of testimonials. societies have faced. The contributions received surprised us, in a few Several groups have supported this issue, spreading the word and ways. They varied, as we had hoped, in approaching ideas of community connecting us with authors. Our thanks to black&write!, FNAWN, and identity, history and heritage, language and country, amongst other Karungkarni Art & Culture, Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Buka-Larrnggay topics. We also received submission across a whole range of art forms, Mulka Art Centre, Aboriginal Artists Agency, Kevin Brophy and Magabala and we have done our best to represent visual art and theatre in response. Books. Indirectly, as well: two of the authors within have been past fellows But overwhelmingly, the work submitted and collected here sought to of the wonderful black&write! Essays from Cheryl Kickett-Tucker and witness—some the past, some the present, many their hopes for the MaryAnn Bin Sallik have come to us via Magabala Books—both will be future. This act of telling as testimonial is not something fragile. It is a published in the forthcoming collection Us Women, Our Ways (2017). For robust and vibrant energy, charging each unique voice, and demanding a this support, and for the general enthusiasm this issue has been met with, space in which it can be felt. we are very grateful. And finally, the Australia Council for the Arts have The decision to include both Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors provided funding in support of this publication, and to allow for our next in this issue was made in this spirit. We wanted this issue of Westerly initiative: the Westerly Editor for Indigenous Writing. to speak from the growing front of innovative collaborative creative Our new Editor will come on board as a point of contact for Indigenous practice underway in this country. Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors, soliciting and supporting writing, and be responsible for writers,
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