Cow

by Susan Hawthorne

An intriguing approach to the rewriting of myth, this poetry collection journeys through the history of languages and symbolic traditions. Through main character Queenie, a cow of many abilities, these poems delve into the creation of the universe as Queenie fashions the galaxies and travels through the sky as a herd of stars. Delightful and surprising, this compilation draws on the Greek lyric tradition of Sappho as well as on South India’s Sangam poetry tradition to provide a balanced work of both humor and melancholy.

Genres: Poetry

166 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2011

About the author

Susan Hawthorne is the author of six collections of poetry, a novel, political theory and a quiz book. Her poetry collections include The Language in My Tongue (1993), Bird (1999), The Butterfly Effect (2005), Unsettling the Land (with Suzanne Bellamy, 2008), Earth’s Breath (2009) and Cow (2011). Her other titles include The Falling Woman (1992), Wild Politics (2002) and The Spinifex Quiz Book (1993). Susan is a poet, novelist, aerialist, political activist and publisher.

Born in Wagga Wagga, she grew up in rural New South Wales. She has a BA (Hons) from La Trobe University in Philosophy, an MA (Prelim) in Ancient Greek language and a PhD in Political Science and Women’s Studies both from the University of Melbourne, and a Post-graduate Diploma in Sanskrit from La Trobe. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Writing Program at James Cook University, Townsville. In 2009, Susan was an Asialink Literature Resident at the University of Madras, Chennai. She has lectured, spoken and performed at festivals and conferences around Australia and in New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, India, France, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Germany, Korea, Spain, Fiji, South Africa, Uganda. She is also a publisher and Director of Spinifex Press and played a leading role among independent Australian publishers in innovative and eBook publishing.

Reviews

[Pat Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful book.Reading and re-reading this book is like watching a flower gradually unfold, each layer revealing more and more of the beauty within. Very highly recommended.