White-out: selected published poems 1986—2016

by Saxby Pridmore

Published 7 July 2016
Paperback • ISBN 9781922198242 • 204 pages • RRP $19.95
Ebook • ISBN 9781922198259 • $8.99

Foreword by Professor Tony Simoes da Silva, Head of School of Humanities, University of Tasmania

White-out: selected published poems 1986–2016 brings together 194 of Tasmanian poet Saxby Pridmore’s published poems to commemorate his achievement and contribution to Australian poetry: more than 300 poems published in over 40 different literary magazines and journals, including Quadrant, Studio, Famous Reporter, Blue Dog, Overland and Island.

Reviews

“Saxby Pridmore writes with clarity and total lack of pretension. The rich range of his poetry embraces humour and self-deflation, admiration of bravery and acts of mercy we doubt we could emulate, and rueful reflections on the ways we bend to regulations that demean our best impulses and noblest ideals. These poems consider everything human: the swamps and exhilarations of relationships, through childhood, working life and ageing. They’re deft, poised, and compassionate. Many will stay in mind and invite revisiting the whole collection. It’s good to see this poet’s work so generously presented.”
— Michael Sharkey, editor of Australian Poetry Journal

“White-out combines serious writing, and serious thinking, and a mischievous sense of fun. … Each a self-contained unit, the poems combine to create a portrait of a life busily observing, reflecting, writing. Each in turn feeds into a richer narrative of being in and of the world, and of selfhood defined always relationally. The poems reflect an everyday wisdom tinged always by a wry sense of humour, occasionally veering on the cynical and disillusioned.”
— Professor Tony Simoes da Silva, University of Tasmania, from the foreword

“White-out explores the diversity of the personal and close at hand alongside coolly-observed, critical social commentary on the ills of the world. … [Pridmore’s writing is] perceptive, reflective, generous.”
— Ralph Wessman, former editor and publisher of Famous Reporter

“By turns whimsical and as penetrating as a surgeon’s knife. From deeply personal to philosophically abstract, a powerful range of images and ideas.”
— Emeritus Professor James Cotton, UNSW Canberra

“Saxby Pridmore captures the feelings of any one of us … this collection is a surprise to enjoy.”
— Anne Henderson, author, biographer and deputy director of the Sydney Institute