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Phantom Dwelling
- GenresPoetry
52 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1985
4 people want to read
About the author
Judith A. Wright
37 books35 followersJudith Wright was probably Australia's greatest poet; she was also an ardent conservationist and activist. She died in 2000, at the age of 85.
Over a long and distinguished literary career, she published poetry, children's books, literary essays, biographies, histories and other works of non-fiction.
Her commitment to the Great Barrier Reef began in 1962, when she helped found the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland. She went on to become a member of the Committee of Enquiry into the National Estate and life member of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Judith Wright worked tirelessly to promote land rights for Aboriginal people and to raise awareness among non-Aboriginal Australians of their plight arising from the legacy of European settlement. She has written The Cry for the Dead (1981), We Call for a Treaty (1985) and Born of the Conquerors (1991).
Judith Wright was awarded many honours for her writing, including the Grace Leven Award (twice), the New South Wales Premier's Prize, the Encyclopedia Britannica Prize for Literature, and the ASAN World Prize for Poetry. She has received honorary degrees (D.Litt.) from the Universities of New England, Sydney Monash, Melbourne, Griffith and New South Wales and the Australian National University. In 1994 she received the Human Rights Commission Award for Collected Poems.
Over a long and distinguished literary career, she published poetry, children's books, literary essays, biographies, histories and other works of non-fiction.
Her commitment to the Great Barrier Reef began in 1962, when she helped found the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland. She went on to become a member of the Committee of Enquiry into the National Estate and life member of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Judith Wright worked tirelessly to promote land rights for Aboriginal people and to raise awareness among non-Aboriginal Australians of their plight arising from the legacy of European settlement. She has written The Cry for the Dead (1981), We Call for a Treaty (1985) and Born of the Conquerors (1991).
Judith Wright was awarded many honours for her writing, including the Grace Leven Award (twice), the New South Wales Premier's Prize, the Encyclopedia Britannica Prize for Literature, and the ASAN World Prize for Poetry. She has received honorary degrees (D.Litt.) from the Universities of New England, Sydney Monash, Melbourne, Griffith and New South Wales and the Australian National University. In 1994 she received the Human Rights Commission Award for Collected Poems.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 28, 2015
Phantom Dwelling is one of Judith Wright’s last collections of poetry. This is my very first collection of Judith Wright (I am very ashamed to admit) and I was disappointed. Not disappointed because of this marvellous poet’s writing but disappointed that time has blunted and made old the political stance she has taken in some of her poems.
She would be appalled by what has happened to our country since she died. Can’t you hear her turning in her grave? I can, especially reading poems such as For a Pastoral Family. My favourites instead are when Wright turns her eyes to the land around her, especially in the section entitled Notes At Edge. My favourites are River Bend, Caddis-fly, and Glass Corridor. From River Bend:
“The swollen winter river
curves over stone, a wild perpetual voice.”
In the last section The Shadow of Fire my favourites are Memory, Skins and Dust. From Skins:
“You ask me to read those poems I wrote in my thirties?
They dropped off several incarnations back.”
I enjoyed this collection and am looking forward to reading those poems she wrote in her thirties. Recommended for lovers of Australian poetry.
She would be appalled by what has happened to our country since she died. Can’t you hear her turning in her grave? I can, especially reading poems such as For a Pastoral Family. My favourites instead are when Wright turns her eyes to the land around her, especially in the section entitled Notes At Edge. My favourites are River Bend, Caddis-fly, and Glass Corridor. From River Bend:
“The swollen winter river
curves over stone, a wild perpetual voice.”
In the last section The Shadow of Fire my favourites are Memory, Skins and Dust. From Skins:
“You ask me to read those poems I wrote in my thirties?
They dropped off several incarnations back.”
I enjoyed this collection and am looking forward to reading those poems she wrote in her thirties. Recommended for lovers of Australian poetry.
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August 6, 2022Judith Wright was one of the most important Australian poets but she doesn’t have much recognition over here which is a shame because she is really rather good & her occupations appear ecological, especially regarding the treatment of Australian First nations people these it seems to me are rather current concerns no less.
The collection itself has an irrepressibly eighties feel to it for me though better than an awful lot of what was popular at the time. Im excited by her use of the ghazal & haiku though it’s not strictly feeling its full development here- I suppose Im saying I like but want more judith
The collection itself has an irrepressibly eighties feel to it for me though better than an awful lot of what was popular at the time. Im excited by her use of the ghazal & haiku though it’s not strictly feeling its full development here- I suppose Im saying I like but want more judith
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews