Description

By Paul Fearne

ISBN: 9781783827039
Published: 2024
Pages: 139
Key Themes: Poetry

Description

This is a short novel written in poetic prose. Having said that, it has no narrative, nor main characters. It is a work of sustained poetic prose. Regularly it returns to the same motif – When we hear the heart, and when we hear the sea, we are hearing the same thing. And, as we discover, there are many ways to go about doing that – for instance we could have a stethoscope, and drive to the sea. We could then apply the stethoscope to our chest, and get out of the car, and go down to the sea, thereby getting a sense of what this phenomenon is like.

The structure of the book also lends itself to this motif. Chapters of long stanzas, and chapters of alternat shorter stanzas, give the book a sensation of pulsation, much like a heart, much like the sea.

But the book is broader than that, as you will discover. Many of Fearne’s recent books are written in poetic prose, but they are all addressed to 19th century poets. This book is more at liberty to resonate poetically. It uses assonance, and indeed rhyme, but on the whole, it is written in blank verse.

About the Author

Paul Fearne has in his time as a writer written a number of well received books. His first book was launched at the 2010 Melbourne Writers Festival. He was interviewed at that time on Radio National around Australia. His second book was launched at Readings in Carlton. The speeches were broadcast on 3CR radio. Fearne then participated in the Emerging Writers Festival, and was filmed by ABC News 24.

Fearne has a PhD from La Trobe University, and a masters from the University of Melbourne.