Each year the Arts Queensland Poet in Residence creates a legacy item – a work of poetic art inspired by their stay here, something left with us to enrich Queensland’s cultural landscape.
This year, the 2011 Poet in Residence Jacob Polley has created an item that is, essentially, two legacies: the poem that keeps on giving.
Daily Rituals, Vernacular River: A Telegraphing of Brisbane is a long poem, a collaboration between Jacob Polley and four students from the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries that Jacob worked closely with throughout his stay here. Daily Rituals is a lyrical musing on the everyday, a snapshot of Brisbane. The voices of the five authors flow together, mirroring the ebb of the river from where this piece has drawn its inspiration:
The Story Bridge is open like a book
that tells a tale about the city’s people
from point to Valley, bank to bank, across
the river’s jagged mouth. One must begin
the journey down between the flow of words
Vernacular rivers are spoken, unconfined.
Printed on card that folds out like the river itself, Daily Rituals has been illustrated with the beautiful designs of Kids in Cloaks.
So, here’s where the legacy keeps on giving:
A copy of Daily Rituals can be yours for a mere $5 (or more, if you like). The full amount of every purchase will go towards establishing a Poetry Competition for high school students in 2012. The competition will be administered by Queensland Poetry Festival, and judged by Jacob Polley and a prominent Australian poet.
We hope to raise enough funds to offer first, second, and third place cash prizes, as well as run poetry workshops for high school students. Already Queensland Writers Centre has generously pledged to match the total amount of money raised.
And here’s how you do it. Click on the Paypal button above and to your right, follow the prompts, and away you go!
Alternatively, send us an email at qldpoetry@gmail.com with ‘DAILY RITUALS’ in the subject heading, and we’ll email
you back to arrange payment.
I encourage you all to get involved! The beautiful piece of art that is Daily Rituals is reason enough, and the added warm-fuzzy of contributing to Queensland’s cultural vibrancy is the icing on the cake.
Contact Sarah at qldpoetry@gmail.com with any questions.
