Blog Archives

Touch of darkness, Sarah Jane Barnett

Posted on August 29, 2014 by NZ Books

Shadow Play
James Norcliffe
Proverse Hong Kong
ISBN 9789881993588

Great South Road and South Side
Tony Beyer
Puriri Press
ISBN 9780908943395

Remnants
Leonard Lambert
Steele Roberts
ISBN 9781927242285

Curriculum Vitae
Harold Jones
Xlibris
ISBN 9781493137527 (e-book also available)

James Norcliffe is an award-winning writer, editor, and teacher who has published six collections of poetry. Published five years after his last collection, Shadow Play was a finalist for the annual international Proverse Prize in 2011. The collection is one of curiosity in action. In a generous preface, Bernadette Hall sums up the appeal of Norcliffe’s poetry: his “quick, clever, jinky words” and “gift for being seriously funny”. While Norcliffe excels at whimsy, the poems are also wry and accomplished, especially the exceptional “Lost in Nineveh”, “Ichthyosaurus” and “Towards the Mountain” (a poem for Pat Hammond).

Tagged with: Harold Jones, Issue 107, James Norcliffe, Leonard Lambert, Proverse Hong Kong, Puriri Press, Sarah Jane Barnett, Spring 2014, Steele Roberts, Tony Beyer, Xlibris
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Remembering, John Horrocks

Posted on June 1, 2013 by NZ Books

Under the Dundas Street Bridge Peter Olds Steele Roberts, $20.00, ISBN 9781877577833 Chords and Other Poems Sam Hunt Craig Potton Publishing, $30.00, ISBN 9781877338181 Voicetracks: Poems 2002-2012 Jan Kemp Puriri Press/Tranzlit, $32.50, ISBN 9780908943388 Like Paul McCartney singing “Remember” at…

Tagged with: Craig Potton Publishing, Issue 102, John Horrocks, Peter Olds, Puriri Press, Sam Hunt, Steele Roberts, Tranzlit, Winter 2013
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Good returns, Cilla McQueen

Posted on June 1, 2010 by NZ Books

Table Talk Kevin Ireland Cape Catley, $25.99, ISBN 9781877340246 Africa Alistair Paterson Puriri Press, $36.00, ISBN 9780908943364 The Lakes of Mars Chris Orsman Auckland University Press, $24.99, ISBN 9781869404086 The Worm in the Tequila Geoff Cochrane Victoria University Press, $25.00,…

Tagged with: Alistair Paterson, Auckland University Press, Cape Catley, Chris Orsman, Cilla McQueen, Geoff Cochrane, Ian Wedde, Issue 90, Kevin Ireland, Puriri Press, Victoria University Press, Winter 2010
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Bubble jets of yearning, Murray Bramwell

Posted on September 1, 2006 by NZ Books

Dante’s Heaven Jan Kemp Puriri Press, $30.00, ISBN 090894330X Beauty Sleep Kate Camp Victoria University Press, $24.95, ISBN 0864735111 The Gas Leak Anna Jackson Auckland University Press, $21.99, ISBN 1869403568 In the fragile world of poetry publishing it is always…

Tagged with: Anna Jackson, Auckland University Press, Issue 75, Jan Kemp, Kate Camp, Murray Bramwell, Puriri Press, Spring 2006, Victoria University Press
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Eczema and ampersands, Janet Hughes

Posted on March 1, 2003 by NZ Books

Sing-song Anne Kennedy Auckland University Press, $24.95, ISBN 1869402952 Electric Yachts Tony Beyer Puriri Press, $26, ISBN 0908943253 Nonsense Nick Ascroft Victoria University Press, $24.95, ISBN 0864734514 Imagine a sequence of 80-odd poems centred on a case of eczema. That’s…

Tagged with: Anne Kennedy, Auckland University Press, Autumn 2003, Issue 61, Janet Hughes, Nick Ascroft, Puriri Press, Tony Beyer, Victoria University Press
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Down memory lane, Bernadette Hall

Posted on December 1, 2000 by NZ Books

Axis: Poems & Drawings Cilla McQueen Otago University Press, $34.95, ISBN 1877276065 The Sky’s Enormous Jug Jan Kemp Puriri Press, $24.00, ISBN 0908943199 Stairdancing Janet Hughes Wai-te-ata Press, $24.95, ISBN 1877159077 It was a rather odd experience writing this particular…

Tagged with: Bernadette Hall, Cilla McQueen, Issue 52, Jan Kemp, Janet Hughes, Otago University Press, Puriri Press, Summer 2002, Wai-te-ata Press
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Obscurity v the life principle, Kim Worthington

Posted on August 11, 1997 by NZ Books

Envoy Alan Loney and Mark Wills Puriri Press, $28.00, ISBN 0 908943 13 x On Virgin Skin Gay Linden Sandpiper Press, $19.95, ISBN 0 473 04187 1 Before the Divorce We Go to Disneyland Diane Brown Tandem Press, $24.95, ISBN 0 908884…

Tagged with: Alan Loney, Autumn 1997, Diane Brown, Elizabeth Crayford, Gay Linden, Graphic Press, Issue 29, J C Sturm, Mark Wills, Puriri Press, Sandpiper Press, Steele Roberts, Tandem Press
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Being elsewhere, Janet Hughes

Posted on August 8, 1996 by NZ Books

Landscape with Lines Diana Bridge Auckland University Press, $19.95 ISBN 1869401522 Antipodes Michael Jackson Auckland University Press, $19.95 ISBN 1869401581 Surprising the Slug Bernard Brown Cape Catley, $17.95 ISBN 0 908561504 Celebrating Stones Nadine LaHatte Puriri Press, $25.00 ISBN 0…

Tagged with: Auckland University Press, Bernard Brown, Bill Direen, Cape Catley, David Howard, Diana Bridge, Issue 24, Janet Hughes, Michael Jackson, Nadine LaHatte, Nag’s Head, Puriri Press
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review