Moya Costello reviews 'Correspondences

POETRYREVIEWSTHE FIRST women Red Press haspublished between its "warm redcovers" are Joanne Burns and Pa-

mela Brown, wilh CorresPondences.Red press is a relativelY new,

small press, the tYPe under whichthe women have published their pre-vious work.

lf establishment publishing everrecognises the talents of thesewomen, probably posthumouslY, andreprints, you can say you were part ofthe "avant-garde" who read the"new writing", as you wave Youroriginal Red Press copy.

The first and second Pronounspredominate since the Pieces arecorrespondences. Though l'm notsure what came f irt, the Pronouns orsure what came f irst. the pronounS or,

only three instances - Pam Brown's"all roads lead to album cover land-scapes" and "one for Patti smith",and in Joanne Burns''l . "i'm Packingto go away again."

Almost all concern relation-ships, or explore how the "i" feels.!nvective predominates. PamBrown's pieces take the hard lineon these, while Joanne Burns'deflects.

The intrigue of the book comesfrom this and other contrasts. lt feelslike fiction and non-fiction ("Letters I

wouldn't send but l'd publish" -Brown). lt reads like poetry andprose, and includes endearments aswell as scathing.

The women are somewhat battle-sca rred:

lately every changehas scared and changed me.

(the dear john letter)ln the parry and thrust of human

relationships, they courageouslytake their chances. But mostly theylose?

They adopt differnt stances.Joanne Burns is the loveable loser.To commence her section of the bookshe chooses a quote from the notori-ous lament of Prufrock, that poignanttragedian of the human condition, "igrow old . . .". She lampoons herselfwith black comedy. By getting in first

26 Womanspeax

and accepting blame, she is blame-less, and her opponent comes off asthe wrongdoer..

i say you don't know i realiseeverything. it's that knowledge

that's choking me. shall we discussyour carbon monoxide. lam breaking

down. my face is dribbling. i donot want to flood your batteries

(x1 remember the talk . . .)She admits to vulnerability and

stresses her ordinary-humanness.She deals in everyday objects, andmakes the personal open up to thegeneral.

Pam Brown is the swashbuckler,def iant,

"i would rather kick and shoutthan grieve like that."

(the dear john letter)or in more female terms. witch-like,protecting herself in her own powr.

"i dare to swim in mY ownhot blood."

(at first, you came with tears . . .)She begins her section knowing-

ly, with a quote from Grover LewisThe Wreckage of Children - "Histo-

ry reduces to . . . poison pen lettersoftime." There's the desperateness of

the more sinned against than sin-ning."once, trailing mY liPs around Yourneck. i thought i would fashion a

rhinestone studded noose. i

swallowedspansules containing clocks, coins,and automobile rhYthms. absorbed

-in my motivation to pin your effigywith cold steel needles."

(letter to a ghost rider)

Even "love letter in the sand", themost .positive arnongst her pieces,

ends in suspicion:you oh so good at romance

you talk like You love me sometimeoh so good to believe.

With a decided lack of trust in theworld, she centres on herself, at-

tempts a super-human posture, and

creates the surreal image.reluctantly, i began to Pile the

rubble. black rocks in mY mouth.(at first, you came with tears . ' .")

i can always see them coming, giant

boulders thundering across Yourroom . .

(i cannot say goodbye')

Though the vitriol disturbes me,

the women can be equalY tender intheir loving,

another time, You look Your best.pink dress. your best Pink dress.

you take my hand. walk me in themarkets. buy me bananas.

(love letter in the sand)and a quote from Greer, FemaleEunuch - "All literature, howevervituperative, is an act of love."

ln Sydney, l've ony seen RedPress publications in Exiles book-shop. just off Taylor Square, butthey're also availble by writing directto the distributors, Second Back RowPress, P.O., Box 197. Nofih Sydney,NSW 2060 (Correspondences $2l'.

Look out for two other women'sforthcoming publications, Sal Brere.ton - National Geographic, andAnna Couani - Were All WomenSex Mad.

The address of Red Press itself,'editor Tom Thompson, is 7/13Leichhardt St, Glebe, NSW 2037.

MOYA COSTELLO

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