Spring 2014, Volume 5, Issue 3
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. Poetry Notes Spring 2014 Volume 5, Issue 3 ISSN 1179-7681 Quarterly Newsletter of PANZA Zealand. She was included in a Inside this Issue Welcome bibliography of legends/myths for her collection Māori Love Legends Hello and welcome to issue 19 of published after the First World War in Welcome Poetry Notes, the newsletter of PANZA, 1920. 1 the newly formed Poetry Archive of As with some other poets profiled Mark Pirie on Marieda New Zealand Aotearoa. recently in Poetry Notes, Batten does Batten (1875-1933) Poetry Notes will be published quarterly not appear in any New Zealand and will include information about anthology that I’m aware of, but she is Classic New Zealand goings on at the Archive, articles on listed with other New Zealand poets of poetry by Noeline historical New Zealand poets of interest, this period in New Zealand Literature 6 Gannaway occasional poems by invited poets and a Authors’ Week 1936: Annals of New record of recently received donations to Zealand Literature: being a List of New Comment on Travis the Archive. Zealand Authors and their works with Wilson (1924-1983) 7 Articles and poems are copyright in the introductory essays and verses, page 40: names of the individual authors. National Poetry Day poem: “Batten, Ida Marieda (Mrs Cook [sic]). The newsletter will be available for free 1915, Star dust and sea foam (v); 9 Jean Batten download from the Poetry Archive’s c1918, Love-life (v); 1920, Maori love website: legends (v); 1925, Silver nights (v).” Tribute to Warren Dibble Marieda Batten appears with the New 10 http://poetryarchivenz.wordpress.com Zealand poets Jessie Mackay, Alan E. Comment on Essential Mulgan and Dora Wilcox in the UK New Zealand Poems anthology, From Overseas: An Mark Pirie on Marieda Anthology of Contemporary Dominion Launch report: World Cup and Colonial Verse (London: Merton 11 football poetry Batten Press, [1924]). This book includes poets from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Burma, India, Zimbabwe Polynesian Legends Wellington poet, publisher and literary (Rhodesia), Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Canada 12 success scholar Mark Pirie discusses the work and the West Indies. Batten’s poems in of Marieda Batten, aunt of famous New the book are ‘A Reflection’ and the two Donate to PANZA through Zealand aviator Jean Batten. sonnets: “Where have I strayed? To PayPal some mysterious land” and “My child? Marieda Batten is a significant woman By living flame my heart is burned”. Recently received poet of the period 1915-1930 which I The name ‘Marieda Batten’ (or her donations have spent considerable time married name of ‘Mrs A L Cooke’) researching over the past few years. About the Poetry Archive doesn’t appear in New Zealand Marieda’s name didn’t come to my Biographies at the National Library of attention until fairly recently when I New Zealand – so no obituary for her. PANZA was researching A. Stanley Sherratt’s Her name turns up in the National 1 Woburn Road Polynesian Legends sequence and the Library’s sheet music archive for Northland history of Māori myths and legends several songs: Hinemoa’s love song, Wellington 6012 published in English in Aotearoa/New Puta’s dancing song, When the yellow . Spring 2014 kowhai blooms, Unfold thy snowy 3. Māori love legends; 120p.; 23cm. State Library of New South Wales; pinions, Māori lullaby and Where the Wellington [N.Z.]: Harry H. Tombs, National Library of Australia; brooklet ripples (Māori love songs) [1920]. University of Melbourne Library; State (London, 1925). The music scores were 4. Silver nights; 51p.; 19cm. Auckland Library of South Australia; and by William G. James. Yet, there is no [N.Z.]: Business Printing Works, Bankstown Campus Library, New South biography for her in the NZ Music [1925]. Wales, Australia. Biogaphies. 5. The teardop: A poem; 194 p.; 8º. Silver nights is in 17 libraries on A Tapuhi search returns no results, and London: Fowler Wright, [1929.]. WorldCat: New York Public Library; Batten does not appear in official The date given by the catalogue of 1947 HathiTrust Digital Library; Harvard literary histories of the 1990s. for Love-life is the date received by the University Library; University of PapersPast and Trove (Australia) Turnbull Library and J C Andersen Wisconsin – Madison Library; searches, however, bring up numerous gives the publication date as c1918, a University of California Los Angeles results for her name, showing she had date verified by book reviews in Library; University of Alberta Canada some standing and renown as a woman Australian and New Zealand Library; University of Edinburgh (UK) writer in her day and published in both newspapers in 1919 (cf Trove/Papers Library; Turnbull Library; National countries. Her connection with the Past). The date of 1925 for Silver nights Library of New Zealand; Victoria aviator Jean Batten, (her niece), was appears to be right yet the general University of Wellington Library; noted in an Australian newspaper article lending collection copy at the National University of Canterbury Library; (The Examiner, Launceston, Tasmania, Library gives a date of 1920, however, Dunedin Public Libraries; Hocken Wednesday 30 May 1934): newspaper reviews confirm the date of Library, University of Otago; University 1925. of Queensland Library; State Library of MISS JEAN BATTEN AUNT Library holdings (WorldCat) are as New South Wales Library; National A POETESS follows: Library of Australia; and State Library Miss Jean Batten, the New Zealand Star dust and sea foam is in 8 libraries of Victoria. girl pilot, is not the first woman on WorldCat: Turnbull Library; The Teardop is in 6 libraries on member to distinguish the family National Library of New Zealand; WorldCat: Harvard University Library; name. Her father’s sister Miss Harvard University Library; University Trinity College Library Dublin; Marieda Batten, who in private life of Canterbury Library; Hocken Library, National Library of Scotland; is Mrs. Cook [sic], wife of a New University of Otago; and State Library University of Oxford; The British Zealand artist, is a poetess, and has of New South Wales; State Library of Library; and University of Cambridge. published several books. The flier’s Victoria; and National Library of Silver nights is available online as brother is on the screen, and is the Australia. digital reproductions of the original text. hero of the picture, “Under the Love-life: is in 7 libraries on WorldCat: The Teardop is the only book by Batten Greenwood Tree,” and has Turnbull Library; Hocken Library, not available in her homeland of New appeared in numerous English University of Otago; University of Zealand. Copyright copies were films. Canterbury Library; State Library of deposited with British libraries listed New South Wales; State Library of above. Dr Michael O’Leary’s PhD thesis on Victoria; University of Melbourne New Zealand women’s writing 1945-70, Library; and State Library of South gives a further reference to Jean Australia. Biography Batten’s sister-in-law being a writer. In Māori love legends: is in 25 libraries on fact her brother’s then wife of the ’30s WorldCat: Emory University Library, Some information can be found on was writer, Madeleine Murat. Atlanta, USA; University of Chicago Marieda’s early life. She was born in Library; Harvard University Library; England in the March quarter 1875 in University of Wisconsin – Madison Wokingham, Berkshire, and came to Batten’s Publications Library; Stanford University Libraries; New Zealand with her family from University of Alberta Canada Library; London aboard the vessel Loch Cree in Batten’s poetry publications are as University of Edinburgh (UK) Library; 1879 (Evening Post, English Shipping, follows (according to the National The British Library; Auckland 26 June 1879) with her sisters Helen G Library of New Zealand and the British Libraries; Massey University Library; and Isabella (sic) and had some Library catalogue [for The Teardrop]): University of Auckland Library; schooling in Wellington. 1. Star dust and sea foam: A book of University of Waikato Library; Waikato Her father was James William Batten verse [by I.M. Batten]; 75p.; 14cm. District Libraries; Turnbull Library; (1824?-14 July 1917) and her mother [Wellington, N.Z.]: Whitcombe & Museum of New Zealand Library; was Jane Gardner Batten (1850-12 July Tombs, [1915]. Porirua Public Library; University of 1917), daughter of a wealthy ship- 2. Love-life: A sonnet sequence; 38 p.; Canterbury Library; Dunedin Public owner. They had two sons born in New 17 cm. Melbourne: Australasian Libraries; Hocken Library, University Zealand: Frederick Harold Batten Authors’ Agency, [1947?]. of Otago; Invercargill City Libraries; (1879-1967) and Edgar Rigden Leopold 2 . Poetry Archive Batten (1884–1950). Edgar was born at Liardet-street, New Plymouth. MRS BATTEN Cambridge Terrace, Wellington. (Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVI, L.N.C.M. (London), J W Batten was listed as a ‘surveyor’ on Issue 10823, 21 January 1897) Formerly Pupil of W. H. Longhurst, the passenger list but appears not to Mus., Doc, Etc., Organist of have worked in that capacity on arrival A ‘Miss Batten’ appears in local Canterbury Cathedral, England, in New Zealand. No one knows what concerts (Orpheus Music Club, New HAS permanently settled in exactly he did but a New Zealand birth Plymouth Liedertafel and Amateur Gisborne, and. will be in attendance certificate for his son Edgar lists him as Opera Club) and socials as a pianist at Whinray’s Hall every Tuesday, a ‘gentleman’. Marieda’s mother, a regularly, and alongside her future Thursday, and Saturday afternoon, music tutor on arrival, appears to have husband Mr Cooke in 1897 at a Central from 1 to 5 o’clock, to receive supported the family: School concert (Taranaki Herald, 15 Parents or Guardians of Intending May 1897). ‘Mrs Batten’ also appears Pupils for PIANOFORTE, Mrs. J. W. Batten announces with her daughter at concerts.