Montale

"What does it mean to be a poet? In Montale: A Biographical Anthology wonders of the ordinary are recounted by men we will never know. So Montale (if it is Montale) marvellously mistakes moonlight for snow. John Watson (if it is he) magically mistakes himself for Montale though would like us to believe he is perhaps a third - a ghostlier Monteagle existing in the fictive fictive realm, perhaps knee-deep in snowlight beneath an antipodean moon. The mistakes pile up beautifully. A mistake is a lesson you are surprised to have been taught. And what a surprise is this book! All written in octopus ink. By sixteen arms. Poets sliding in and out of each other. What might I say: "I want to show it to people!" So read: 'There is the late Montale, the late late MontaleAnd the Montale so late as to be almost putting in an appearanceThe following morning. He envisaged at this point the poemAs a shared monologue in which there would be a blurringOf categories so that poems might be almost indistinguishable fromCommentary... ruminations and even occasional preparatory notes.' Prepare yourself for a poet!" - MTC Cronin Shortlisted for the 2008 Adeliade Festival Award for Innovative Writing Shortlisted for the 2007 C J Dennis Award