Book Description

Ian Mudie (1911-1976) was a man well ahead of his time who produced a body of work that deserves to be kept alive.A review of the collection by Dave Mack observes that: "The poet is watcher, gatekeeper of Truth, Whistle-blower, Elder, and true to his cause, Contrarian. Ian Mudie is all of this. His poetry (as represented in this fine collection) speaks from the heart with conviction and vigour. Employing vivid, elemental images of nature he pulls no punches and makes no concessions to those in his sights. .........Fiercely nationalistic with a strong sense of justice and equity, Mudie is driven by the conviction that white man has much to learn from our Indigenous cousins and bemoans the destructive influence of British Imperialism, in particular, its detrimental impact on the Australian environment and its original custodians. .................... Mudie was very active in the Australian literary scene, became editor in chief at Rigby Ltd. and organised the Adelaide Festival's world renowned Writers' Week from its inception in 1960 to 1972. A man of many talents, Mudie left a rich vein of images, notions and emotions derived from razor sharp perception and insight. He helps to remind us of the things that really matter in our lives and forces us to reflect on the State of Things as they stand today. And this is his greatest legacy. He reminds us that life, like the environment that sustains it, is fragile and tenuous as well as unique. And it is up to us, the guardians of the present and future to learn from the past and respect those customs and practices that sustain life and respect the land on which it depends. Mudie reminds us that we walk on a knife edge in a world that has lost its balance; and if we are not careful we could find ourselves at the tipping point in an instant." (Dave Mack's complete review is available to read on our website).