Commended, IP Picks 2007, Best Poetry
Hal Judge displays his skilful command over language in this kaleidoscopic collection of poetry. His style is often sparse, following the rhythms of colloquial speech. His poems range from subtle observations of life to an intense examination of political and social beliefs, pinpointing reality. Judge takes the reader through a whirlwind of contradictions and chaos, and then suddenly slows to embrace life’s quieter moments. The effect is powerful, chilling and unforgettable.
Hal Judge is an emerging provocative writer from Canberra. His poems have been published in over 20 literary publications in Australia and overseas. His concrete poem “Area Denial” won the ACT Writers Centre Award in 2006. He has performed poetry on ABC radio and at many venues around Australia. He has recited poetry in Sydney, Hobart, Launceston, Darwin, Canberra, Ubud, Jakarta and Palembang (Indonesia). Hal is an accomplished performance poet, twice winner of the Battle of the Bards in the ACT Writers Festival. The Canberra Times literature reviewers commented on Hal Judge’s ability “to cross-social boundaries” and described his poetry as “satirical, acerbic, highly successful”.
ISBN 9781876819712
PB 78pp
Poetry
Hal Judge is a energetic, risk-taking poet who is formulating a unique poetics. It is fascinating to watch something poetically ‘new’ take shape, watch it break out of its borders and boundaries and travel through different registers of language and experience. There is something of the troubadour about Judge, but a fiercely pro-active one: a combination of thrash guitarist and folk singer. He challenges the reader, he challenges the world-at-large, and he challenges his own perceptions. He is surrounded by poetry and pulls the threads together. A poet worth watching closely. – John Kinsella
...a distinctive and effective effusion of ideas and styles. Very evocative and funny. – Shaun Tan
Links
eNews 33: Commentary by Assistant Editor Mary Trabucco
Sample
snail
she’s casual about sex
she can switch gender anytime
she makes love quietly
not like a cat.
she’ll never criticise
another mollusc
oyster, clam
or sea-slug
she never takes more
than her small share
she’s a pacifist
and vegan
she blinks like the stars
on rainy days she gets busy
her trail sparkles
silver in the sun
this is not a metaphor
about love
or ideology
it’s about a snail