Out To Lunch

by Andy Kissane

"When we put Kissane's almost telepathic empathy, his political subtlety and his humour together with his wide-ranging technical skills we have an Australian poet who is both a pleasure to read and a likely candidate for the best half-dozen or so of his generation." - Geoff Page, Canberra Times "This is generous poetry. Out to Lunch is a book of sustenance, pleasure and tender anatomies of living. These poems have conscience and gratitude; a sense of the momentous in ordinary things. Feast and savour. Delicacies will stick in your teeth-and you'll want them there." - Meredith Wattison A childlike perspective on life makes Out to Lunch a breath of fresh air in the solemnity of many other poetry collections that explore family dynamics and the elusive self. The poems are beautiful aural/oral creations... lovely to recite, perform and enjoy. - Judges' Comments, Shortlist, NSW Premier's Prize for Poetry

82 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2009

About the author

Andy Kissane is originally from Melbourne and now lives in Sydney with his partner and daughter. He writes fiction and poetry and has published one novel and two collections of poetry. He has worked as an editor, a producer of audio books and has taught creative writing at four universities.

Reviews

[Initially NO · Rating 4 out of 5]

These poems are inspired by other poem, so they could be called ekphrastic. I couldn't help thinking of Elisabeth Lesser's idea of 'taking the other to lunch' while reading this collection, particularly as the book began with a poem about empathy.