new releases DEEP-SEA DIVER THE WALLS OF poetry by JERICHO Shane McCauley short fiction by Julie Lewis This new collection celchrates human endeavour, An accomplished and individual collection which is recalls ancient philosophies, takes a wry look at full of surprises. Julie Lewis explores the charged current prohlcms, considers art and reality, and horderland offact and fantasy, 'reality' and the attempts some sort of definition of self and society. transforming power of fiction. Shane McC 'al/ler presellIs a/dicit\' of ph rase .' . an As a short story writa, she is in the top rank. - Oliver imaginatil'e I "!'rl 'e - A I/stralian Boo/..: Rel'iew Deacon, TheSl/nday Tillles rrp: $12.00 rrp: $12.00 THE CHASE SUMMER WILL an autobiography COME AGAIN Ida Mann The Story of Australian POWs' Fight for Survival in Japan John Lane An exuherant self-portrait of a remarkahlc woman, The story of life as a prisoner in Japan. informed hy who pursued a professional career through a most acute ohservation, and an extraordinary sense of difficult period for women of independent spirit. Ida history which enahled the author to somehow ohtain Mann was a character of enormous energy, intellect a camera and produce a unique visual record ofthose and charm. turhulent weeks following the Japanese surrender. Mann :~feding.l(" description emerges in a refreshingly There have heen many stories from Changi and the I/npretentiol/s way - Stephanie Dowrick, '{he National Burma railway, hut this is one of the first accounts Tilll('.\' on SI/nday of the fight for survival on Japanese soil. rrp: $15.95 (ph) $29.95 (hh) rrp: $16.50 Fremantle Arts Centre Press 1 Finnerty Street (PO Box 891) Fremantle Telephone (09) 3358244 WESTERLY Vol. 32, No. I, March 1987 CONTENTS STORIES Us and Them 62 Adriana Ellis Scape Goat 13 Penny Lee American Doubles 5 Julie Lewis The Evening Star 43 Peter Loftus The Sea-Serpent of Sandy Cape 45 Rosaleen Love A Birthday Present for Briony 57 Dave Metzenthen The Boy From the Dark Street 79 Sandra Moore Julian Dances, Mama II Doreen Sullivan POEMS Diane Beckingham 15 Fiona Place 19 Lauris Edmond 54 Andrew Sant 10 Philip Hodgins 66 L.K. Wakeling 84 Anthony Lawrence 17 M.E. Patti Walker 52 Shane McCauley 56 ARTICLES Coming Late Into the 21 Graeme Kinross Light: George Johnston Smith Working with Arthur Boyd 69 Peter Porter REVIEWS Hendrik Kolenberg, Lloyd Rees 91 Barbara Chapman Caroline Caddy, Letters From the North 88 James Legasse John Scott, Landscapes of 89 Colette Warbrick Western Australia Notes on Contributors 95 Cover: "Narcissus" by Arthur Boyd. Reproduced by courtesy of Arthur Boyd, Peter Porter and Tom Rosenthal. OBITUARY Jim Legasse, who came to Perth from the United States of America in 1974, died on 24 December 1986, after a long illness. Jim established a reputation as a fine teacher of American and English literature in the Deparment of English at the University of Western Australia. He considered creative writing to be an integral part of the study of literature, and recognised his own writing as a site for the examination of aesthetic questions, values and ideologies. In Thin Borders (1985), a collection of his own poems, and The Same Old Story (1982), a collection of short stories, he tested the boundaries between autobiography and fiction. Numerous of his articles, reviews, poems and stories have appeared in Westerly, Patterns, Decade, Power and Desire and other journals. He is sadly missed by his students, his colleagues, his fellow writers and his readers. WESTERLY a quarterly review ISSN 0043-342x EDITORS: Bruce Bennett. Peter Cowan. Dennis Haskell EDITORIAL ADVISORS: Margot Luke. Hilary Fraser SECRET ARIAL: Caroline Horohin TYPING: Janet King Wester(v is published quarterly at the Centre for Studies in Australian Literature in the English Department. University of Western Australia with assistance from The Literature Board of the Australia Council. the Federal Government's arts funding and advisory body, and the Western Australian Arts Council. The opinions expressed in Westerly are those of individual contributors and not of the Editors or Editorial Advisors. Correspondence should be addressed to the Editors, Westerly. Department of English, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009 (telephone 380 3838). Unsolicited manuscripts not accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope will not be returned. All manuscripts must show the name and address of the sender and should be typed (double-spaced) on one side of the paper only. Whilst every care is taken of manuscripts, the editors can take no final responsibility for their return; contributors are consequently urged to retain copies of all work submitted. Minimum rates for contributors - poems $20.00; prose pieces $50.00; reviews, articles, $40.00. It is stressed that these are minimum rates, based on the fact that very brief contributions in any field are acceptable. In practice the editors aim to pay more, and will discuss payment where required. Recommended sale price: $5.00 per copy (W.A.) Subscriptions: $16.00 per annum (posted); $30.00 for 2 years (posted). Special student subscription rate: $14.00 per annum (posted). Single copies mailed: $5.00. Subscriptions should be made payable to Westerly and sent to The Secretary, CSAL, Department of English, University of Western Australia, NedIands, Western Australia 6009. In other States Westerly may be obtained from: New South Wales, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania: Hale & Iremonger Pty. Ltd., Tel: (02) 5604977 and (03) 537 1624. Queensland: Tema Agencies, Tel: (07) 3786190. Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia: Fremantle Arts Centre Press, Tel: (09) 335 8244. Synopses of literary articles published in Westerly appear regularly in Abstracts of English Studies (published by the American National Council of Teachers of English). Two Wester(v Indexes, 1956-77 and 1978-83, are available at $8.00 from the above address. JULIE LEWIS American Doubles When there's a third player the rules of the game change. Zac said he'd meet me on the steps of the G PO at the corner of George Street. If it's raining he'll be at the top of the steps. In the shelter of the colonnade. At twelve-fifteen. At eight o'clock, while Phil is still eating breakfast - the stuff they call 'Continental' in these places; stewed prunes, fruit juice and little packets of cornflakes like they used to hand out in show bags when we were kids - he asks what I have planned for the day. I did tell you. I'm meeting Zac for lunch. Phil has never met Zac, but he does know about him. Zac acts as my agent. Well, a kind of agent. He tries to place my work. It's convenient when you live on the other side of the continent to have someone on the spot. Where it all happens. Phil is having a great deal of trouble opening the foil pack that hides a smear of butter. They've taken the fun out of food, he says. Zac and I meet only once or twice a year. Sometimes not that often. Depends in which city my committee is schedulc~d to meet. Phil can't understand how I let myself get involved in committees. I tell him it's one way to meet people. What kind of a reason is that? he asks. I can't remember when Phil last had a holiday. He's an actor. He's in great demand back home - a bit type cast. Women adore him; they want to mother him, but they terrify him and mostly he leaves them alone. When I knew this trip was coming up I tried to persuade him to come with me. To look further afield, I said. Why? he asked. You never know what it might lead to. And so he's here. It's made it difficult for me and Zac to get together. You know when you are speaking on the telephone that an eavesdropper only hears half the conversation, but you imagine he overhears both voices. Zac said he knew someone was there when I rang. You sound guarded, he said. I had thought you might like a harbour cruise, says Phil. We are flying out later this afternoon. Boats make Phil impatient. WESTERLY, No. I, MARCH, 1987 5 I want to say ... I should say, thanks for thinking of it. It would be nice, but there won't be time. Instead I say, so long as we're back in good time. I know the ferry will break down. I try to open the miniature bucket of longlife milk for Phil's coffee. The top will not lift. I stab it with the end of a spoon. Milk spurts over my blouse. Now I will have to change. Phil dawdles on the pier looking at things. What's so special about the trinket shops? the squalid take-aways? We miss the 9.30 ferry. The 10.30 doesn't get back until noon. It will be a close call. Zac's a punctural person. I plunge into the wardrobe looking for a clean blouse. We get back in good time. Phil walks me to the GPO. He's reluctant to leave me there in case Zac doesn't turn up. Phil is very protective. Of course Zac does turn up and there are the three of us. The introductions are clumsy. This is my brother. I try not to apologise. This is Zac - you know (my voice lifts on the last word. Gauche). He handles my work. They lob pleasantries. They are surprisingly at ease. Zac asks Phil to join us for lunch.