Blakwork

by Alison Whittaker

A stunning mix of memoir, reportage, fiction, satire, and critique composed by a powerful new voice in poetry. Alison Whittaker’s BLAKWORK is an original and unapologetic collection from which two things emerge; an incomprehensible loss, and the poet’s fearless examination of the present.

Whittaker is unsparing in the interrogation of familiar ideas – identifying and dissolving them with idiosyncratic imagery, layering them to form new connections, and reinterpreting what we know.

Genres: Poetry, Indigenous, Australia, Nonfiction, Queer, Memoir, LGBT

188 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2018

About the author

Alison Whittaker is a Gomeroi poet, life writer, and essayist from Gunnedah and Tamworth north-western New South Wales. She now lives in Sydney on Wangal land where she studies a combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Technology Sydney. Her work has been published in Meanjin, Vertigo, Colouring the Rainbow: Blak Queer and Trans Perspectives. She is author of the award-winning poetry collections Lemons in the Chicken Wire and blakwork.

Reviews

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually most poetry goes way over my head but this went straight into my head, heart, lungs - and besides, Blakwork is more than simply poetry. I really appreciated the satire and playfulness throughout, tempering big topics without watering them down or trying to make them more palatable. More people should be talking about (and reading) this book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alison Whittaker's 'Blakwork' is a unique collection that stresses you to follow each word and abandon generalisations and coloniser attitudes. It is a breakdown of the experience of First Nations People, in particular women, and offers critiques of the law, social climate and capital.

Whittaker's poetry is not the kind that I write, nor is it my ordinary reading - which is why it is so important. This collection for me acted as another reminder that the phrases and stories I have grown up with are all half truths, nothing is complete without all experiences told. No one can be accepted until people move past insistations on style guides and grammatics. Language, storytelling, poetry - these things should be about feeling, about life, about emotional truth.

"I loved a sunburnt country - won't it
please come back to me? Won't it
show me why my spirit wanders
but is never free?" (6).

Whittaker reminds readers to consider racial splits in new ways, look into raw fact that cannot be disputed. Whittaker's vernacular is sharp, it reminds you to read it for what it is, look at it for what it is and to not add in elements. To accept at point blank. There is rhymth and hurt to the voices, there are consistent reminders about the experiences of First Nations people.

"no man is an island
blak women in the public service are" (86).

Poetry is in a weird place right now, but 'Blakwork' is one iteration of how it should be, not stylistically or tonally, necessarily, but at its core. With meaning, with truth.

Favourite poems included:
heartwork (16)
factor factory (19)
by another name (77)
____melon (107)
tea&tobacco (126).

[donnalyn ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy this was the assigned reading for my English class, and even happier that I already owned it~ it found its way to me while I was sitting on Tanushri's floor, staring at her bookshelf and its little 'donation pile' (she said Do you want any of these? and i said this this this this!!!).

This is a really wonderful book, and just such a great poetry collection. It feels like a collection, not as poems that have been compiled together, but as poems woven and entangled. And it's so generous! Almost 200 pages of poetry in stanzas, prose, emojis (!!!), laid out horizontally, in all-caps, censored. A lot of poets play with form, and I think Alison Whittaker does it so well; it's always surprising, and meaningful.

In an audio recording of an interview a year or so ago, Alison Whittaker said she hated hearing that her work was important because "it's just not an interesting thing to say. There’s such an exciting, rich, sexy moment happening in Black literature right now that's completely denigrated by oblique references to its importance". I love the phrasing of Black literature as exciting, rich, and sexy, because I think it's often overlooked in terms of aesthetics/form, and only extracted through a cultural lens as 'what can I learn from this?'. They aren't binary things, but I think we should allow ourselves to read this book as a book, and indulge in the language of the story as much as the story itself.

[Saskia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I am not smart enough to fully comprehend how great this book is. It is accessible and invitingly written but there are so many layers of meaning and things to sit with. In an awesome way! But I haven’t done that yet lol.

I particularly like how she uses structure/ space/ layout!!!! Very cool.

Standout poems and sections:

- Anthropocene
- the errand
- housemade
- The History of Sexuality Volume III
- beef______
- comparative
- framework
- start-up
- futurefear
- space junk
- WHITEWORK (title is capitalised, not my emphasis)
- gasp

the abattoir, heartwork, workwork, selfwork, sovwork

[Kowther Qashou · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Where do I start with this? I really enjoyed the eclectic mix of poems and prose in here, in varying formats too. It made the reading experience all the more enjoyable. The poems are also extremely good and extremely funny and just full of wit and snark.

The experimental format definitely worked for some pieces, not so much for others. However... I did enjoy that each piece had a running theme throughout it and each piece somehow connected to the next in the collection it was in. The pieces touched on a variety of topics from the personal to the political, from family, racism, colonialism, to everyday life and more.

The wordplay in the verses and stanzas also made them enjoyable to read aloud, adding power and greater impact to the words.

overall, a really amazing read and poetry collection.

[Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what to say about this one other than it was beautiful and thought-provoking.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first third/quarter of this, but from there I felt like it grew a little repetitive and simultaneously confusing and boring to read. There were sections I didn’t really understand either due to the formatting or the word choices, usually the former. Typically however, I found myself growing uninterested as the book went on. I think the strongest sections of the book were Bloodwork, The Abattoir, and Heartwork.

Other poems I really loved were:

Blakwork
A Love Like Dorothea's
Many Girls White Women
Of The

[James Whitmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this collection because I'm a huge fan of Alison Whittaker's literary criticism, and also she was one of the writers highlighted in a recent talk by Maria Tumarkin as possessing a certain "wildness", a sense of never knowing where her writing will go. It is a very apt description. Read more on my blog.

[Taryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

This was an interesting read. A mix of poetry, memoir, satire, social commentary and more, Alison Whittaker is a stunningly talented writer. The way she experiments with form and structure is great, but the way she experiments with words and imagery is phenomenal.

In saying all of that, I feel like so much of this just went straight over my head. I found myself stumbling over pages and needing to reread the same lines/phrases numerous times before meaning finally (or didn't) clicked in my head. I feel like this is something I'm going to need to come back to again at a later time just to reread it again.

Whittaker is definitely a very talented writer, and someone who will stay on my radar.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry makes me feel, rather than think, so I find it quite hard to review. This volume is assured, and evocative, doing things both clever and profound. Elements worked more strongly than others - and there is both a clear unity and dizzying diversity here - but the whole has something to say. It can be an uncomfortable read, but that is not a bad thing. Bits were beyond my understanding, and again, that wasn't a negative. It is a complete work.

**I'm editing this review, because I decided to count this as 2019 Reading Challenge #4 A book you think should be made into a movie, even though it seems crazy as I don't even think I understood all of this, and I would have no idea how to make a movie. But I can't get the idea out of my head, that if Whittaker had a vision for that, it would be amazing. And then I think about a collaboration and how much incredible Blak talent there is at the moment in sf and filmmaking and staging and literature, and anyway. So it's stupid because Blakwork is perfect as it is but I'm listing it anyway.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An original and clever work that is written from an Indigenous perspective and includes social commentary and ideas in the form of poetry, memoir, reportage, satire , legal reports etc. My favourite poem was "A love like Dorothea's" which is an appropriation of Dorothea Mackellar's "My Country." The abbatoir stories were confronting. The work is divided into 15 sections with most titles ending in "work": whitework, bloodwork, storywork, groundwork, heartwork, badwork, network, blakwork etc. It was great to read such an original work.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Emma Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find it difficult reviewing poetry as poetry feels different, inhabiting a different part of both my reader and writer heart and mind - but have also committed to writing Something about everything I read. So, three things. The poetry is clever, managing to be for me both highly articulate and at times frustrating but I read to extend myself (amongst other things) so that contradiction is fine. Secondly I loved the poem 'the feral girls' - I recognise those girls and finally I got to read something that goes deeper than the sociological, psychological, political, economic or demographic or satirical or pity based writing they are usually lumped in. I feel happy and vindicated just remembering it as I write this. Thirdly, I write poetry too and these poems played with words and phrases, imagery and passions in a way I can't but wish I could. All the parts I stumbled over and had to reread, multiple times, in my head and out load to get the gist of also showed how the rule-bound English language - which also tosses its own rules out with gay abandon when a prettier or more impressive word or phrase comes along - can be bent and twisted to reveal truths hidden by mainstream and everyday use. Its always good to read something that inspires and suggests another way to go in pursuit of a beloved craft. UPDATE Read again 2025 and same. Powerful but not a quick read. Lots of picking up and putting down, lots of reading aloud this time round as it helped with meaning. Lots of poems using shape and repetition to express content, subdued but articulate ... not resigned, shart tongued, quiet rage, soft humour, distinct voice throughout.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my pick to read on Australia Day, to reflect on what the day means for so many indigenous people.
The content is sometimes confronting, and I've had this from the library over the Christmas seasons waiting for the right time to pick it up.
Australia Day definitely was.
The pieces are divided into a number of chapters all with work as part of the chapter heading, sweetwork, bloodwork, are examples.
This is a collection I'll come back to and pick some favourites. One that stood out for me was a rework of Dorothea Mackellar's My Country.
Highly recommended.

[Underground Writers]

This review was first published on the Underground Writers website: http://underground-writers.org/review...

Look at that: the fantasy editor is reviewing poetry! Pigs really do fly after all. I actually read a lot of poetry, but my preferred written form is prose so it’s rare for me to talk about poetry on this platform, especially when we have quite a fantastic poetry expert on our team already. Regardless of that, when I read a book of poetry with the amount of gravitas that this book has, I feel it’s my duty to talk about it. Blakwork is a collection of poetry, memoir, fiction, critique, and satire written by a powerful new poetic voice. Whittaker’s work brings forth two things: a brave discussion of the present, and the description of what I would consider to be an indescribable loss.

Within this collection there are 92 poems broken up into 15 sections and so it’d be a rather lengthy review if I were to specifically talk about every poem in Whittaker’s collection, so instead I’ll talk about a few of my favourites.

The History of Sexuality Volume III

Favourite line: Is my want for you pure? Is your want for me?

This poem explores the complexity of race and sexuality. The grammar Whittaker uses replicates what I would imagine to be chaotic, complicated thoughts as well as the chaotic nature of physical intimacy. There’s a sense of naivety in this poem, which isn’t necessarily expressed in the earlier poems of the collection. I think the youth of the voice in this poem is what made me gravitate towards it, not to mention the question of sexuality.

by another name

Favourite line: if you scatter my flour like ash

This poem haunts me in ways that I can’t eloquently express in the same way Whittaker expresses the themes in this poem. It paints a marriage of beauty and ugliness; that is, its beauty gets you to look and the undercurrent of ugliness gets you to keep looking in disturbed fascination.

branchstack

Favourite line: no man is an island, blak women in the public service are.

This poem plays specifically with metaphor; it compares women of colour to an island in a choppy ocean. When speaking of the public service sector, specifically retail, I think we can all relate to feeling like an island in the middle of hostile waves. This poem is short and simple but speaks volumes of the feeling of hostile isolation.

beneviolence

Favourite line: THIS GOOD IS FOR YOU.

This poem is incredibly reminiscent of almost every day of my life; being told something is for my benefit without my opinion on the matter. While Whittaker doesn’t specifically express what “THIS” is that is good throughout the poem, the sentiment is the same; a deep, burning, frustrated rage a lot of us experience when stupid things we can’t believe exists comes our way.

don’t @ me

Favourite line: Love this country or leave it so

We live in a digital/political age and I think this poem speaks volumes of that. I’m not too sure what else to say, just that I related to this poem.

I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this collection, I’m typically quite picky about the poetry I like but there was plenty of content that I enjoyed and related to in this collection. For those who have been suppressed and/or manipulated you will find plenty to relate to in this poetry book. This collection explores many different voices; you will be surprised, as I was, to find yours in there.

[Tash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning collection of poetry.

Absolutely gorgeous expression in unpacking and deconstructing colonial trauma with such subtilty yet strength in language and in conveying heavy and complex emotions.

Some were a difficult read as for me, there is still much to understand subject matter and context. But I really enjoyed reading this collection of work as a way to further explore the complexities and intricacies of the Blak experience.

Each poem had a wealth of depth that reading the works once only scratch the surface of the literary and cultural importance - these works need to be read many times to glean the meaning(s). Which I believe is the power and indicative of great literature. To sit with the work, and over time and exposure absorb the sentiment and intention.

Blakwork definitely feels more of an intermediate read than other first nations writing/poetry collections, the experimentation with form, and play with language, the subject matter, the complexities and power. The works sometimes felt they needed a bit of prior knowledge of Blak literature/history to fully gain the insight into the poems. I found it really enjoyably-challenging and explored many truths and stories of a collective and individual experience, some that are lesser known and told. I enjoyed the poetic devices and the experimentation within the writing form and medium.

I think the collection format was interesting - set out in chapters relating to different styles, and thematics. I think at times this hindered the natural flow of work and relationship to the crescendo and catharsis I've experienced in other poetry collections - but this wasn't entirely a bad thing, an interesting way to separate the pieces.

[Amy Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

.....📚 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 📚.....

Blakwork by Gomeroi poet and author Allison Whittaker was my read for NAIDOC week this year. As always, I find it incredibly difficult to review a poetry collection as I truly believe that poetry is personal.

This collection is a mix of memoir, reportage, fiction, and critique composed by a powerful voice in poetry. It is a collection that challenges and critiques the injustices faced by Aboriginal people in Australia's colonial past and current legal systems. It also takes aim at the unjust distribution of work between Blak and white Australia. Broken into sections, each of the sections layer these injustices.

When reading this unique collection, there were some poems that simply stole my breath. There were pieces that made me pause, return, and then return again to make sure I got all of the message. There were many thought-provoking and eye-opening reads. A very talented writer and a collection I will probably go back to one day and find new messages within that I missed on my first pass.

[val · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant, eclectic collection of essays/short stories and poems. I truly do not think that I know enough about Aboriginal history and culture to fully comprehend Whittaker's genius, but I was able to pick up on how she manipulated colonial Australian narratives, such as Joan Lindsay's 'Picnic at Hanging Rock,' to criticise the persistent oppression of Indigenous voices that is found within stories like these. A highlight/standout poem for me was 'Artwork,' which really zeroed in on how cultural objects are only seen as valuable when they are able to be commodified; when their narratives are altered to suit a colonial palate. To assimilate within society and to earn the 'respect' of society, one must commodify and reduce their heritage into something lucrative/consumable/suitable for a colonial perspective— Whittaker points out the appropriation of the boomerang in the poem's final line to hammer the point home. I may reread these after I gain a better grasp of Aboriginal history, but overall these were brilliant.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there was a word to describe this collection it would be visceral.

Alison Whittaker's voice is unique and developed, weaving a thread through the collection that tells of experiences of a first nations woman. The pieces made up of judgements are at first strange and odd but equally manage to tell a tale of embedded racism, neglect and horrific crimes. There's an implication that these judgements are terrifyingly inept compared to the history of colonisation that has lead to the acts they describe.

The collection is layered and diverse. From short essays and prose to even one piece composed from emojis. I find it hard to describe just how amazing this collection was. Just how strong the authors voice was. I find, in reflection, that my review just simply could not express the quality it contains.

Stunning.

[Pip · Rating 5 out of 5]

- A love like Dorothea’s
- MANY GIRLS WHITE LINEN
- bpm
- of the
- exhibit tab
- busywork
- lingo
- thunderbolt
- beneviolence
- start-up

"Intermarriage did not bridge what the hill escarped. Blakness was a code embedded in your bones - it didn't bleed through you, it constituted you, so there was no letting it out. Like a haunting, all manner of vague racism weighed on you if your nose was too big, your accent too guttural, your step too off. Your spirit and your body made you, just as they condemned you." - vote pg. 43

"We would do this. We'd always do that. English's crude grammar - the habitual aspect - makes a nostalgic monster of old routine."

[Richard Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't originally planning to put a score to this capsule review, because what do I know of poetry? Yet as I slowly, and then quite rapidly, went through this remarkable collection of words I realised that I may not know poems but I knows what I likes. And I likes this. It's a book that you physically engage with, turning it clockwise and counterclockwise to read the text or study the words for a different perspective. It's a sharply contemporary collection while tackling issues that are by no means new. Whittaker is a powerful voice and I'm keen to check out some of her other publications.

[Mima Rambles · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Blakwork’ experimented with style in such an interesting way! Some of the pieces, such as ‘badblak’, were really powerful, and included some really cool imagery. At times the intentional confusing elements worked in the poems favour, ‘palimpest’ being an example of this, but sometimes it really detracted from the collection overall. While the commentary was solid, sometimes it was too difficult to read to be enjoyable, or it was simply impossible to read, ‘framework’ and ‘scissors anchor pistol’ being pretty good examples of this.

[Deb Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very powerful read. I didn't understand some of it to be sure, but what I did I found confronting and acerbic and profound. The variety in form and formats also added to the voice for me. She very cleverly took a different approach to raise issues and comment (obliquely) on legal judgements with her top 3 phrases. Her unique voice makes me see things differently. And the language is amazing. Each word so well chosen and placed. Highly recommend

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blakwork is a collection of poems and prose spanning the themes of childhood, family, her Aboriginal identity, history, white crimes, a place in society and all the moments that go into making a life.
Her use of words is intricate and precise. The personal and political always interwoven.
There is a line in the poem ‘trop’ where we are invited to ‘stare into her beam’. It seems to be what she's asking of any reader of this collection. To stare and to witness and to not look away.

[Daniel Fields · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's probably one of the tougher 3 stars, but it was very mixed for me. On the one hand the raw images and use of Gomeroi (?) words was an entity to itself, but I had to overcome the comprehension gap that I simply didn't understand a lot of the imagery or the words. I loved the unconventional media: poetry, prose, emojis, sideways text, black blocks... true artistry. The longer-form almost short story text worked better for me than the less explained poetry.

[Azlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blakwork is a breath of fresh air, a kick to the gut and a call to arms - I could feel the air rushing out of me when poems landed a hit. Alison Whittaker captures the experiences of black women throughout her poetry and critiques and I'll be digesting this book long after I've closed the last page. Thank you Alison, I didn't know I needed this until I started reading.

[Heather Taylor-Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an addictive book, speedy and explosive and avid and noisy, yet as it encourages the reader to take note, it demands a patience that feels altogether new in Australian poetry. It also demands to be read and reread and then reread again, Whittaker a vigorous educator on race, seemingly fearless, endlessly present.

[Maggins McMurray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an objective 4, but perhaps a subjective 3.5.
In that I think Whittaker is a brilliantly talented writer, and could feel the energy and power of these poems, even when they went a bit over my head.
Some of the imagery was hard for me to understand, which is why my overall score is closer to a 3.5.
I'd like to revisit, reading out l loud and see how I fare.

[Sheree Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected, thrilling and experimental, this is a remarkable collection of poetry and memoir. Each word, line, page is surprising and unique and will sit in your mind for hours afterwards. I audibly gasped by the end. I’m in awe of this book.