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‘In this tale arcing from 1845 to the present, in poetry underpinned by meticulous research, we inhabit settler society with all its attendant joys, hardship and grief as we careen with Caroline through her journey of love, loss and horror into madness.’ \u2013 Biff Ward, author of\u00a0In My Mother’s Hands<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Today I decided to delve into\u00a0\u00a0A Wild Kind of Tune<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>by Miriel Lenore. Miriel’s latest\u00a0collection,Smoke<\/em><\/a>, was released in 2019\u00a0when I first began working at Wakefield Press (we featured a poem from that collection in a previous poetry spotlight \u2013 find it here<\/a>). Miriel’s name stuck in my head since then, and I was very interested to discover more of her earlier work.<\/p>\n And it turns out that although A Wild Kind of Tune<\/em> is an older release, it was actually Miriel’s seventh book of poetry at the time!!<\/p>\n As an author myself, I find that incredible! I can’t wait until I have seven books to my name \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n I wasn’t sure what to expect from this collection, but it was very interesting to discover it is actually written as a sort of poetry memoir, relaying the life and inner world of Miriel’s maternal great-grandmother, Caroline.<\/p>\n And hers was a tragic life indeed.<\/p>\n The use of the actual medical records from late nineteenth century Asylums for the Insane (Gladesville and Kenmore) is chilling in the extreme; the rendering of these facts into a narrative of sensitive family history a partial redemption, a heartfelt honouring, of Caroline’s bitter life. Lenore has made an important literary contribution to our understanding of the mistreatment of the mentally ill, especially women, in Australia’s history.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This book is much darker and sadder than I expected. It is the (not unfamiliar) story of a hard life, which I think makes it feel even more haunting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In a way, it feels like this book was written to give voice to a forgotten history and the kind of life that isn’t heroic or glamorous, but instead is filled with poverty, grief and hardship. An ordinary life that is extraordinary in its own way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I like this one because of the way it interweaves the past and the present, comparing Miriel’s own life and experiences to the previous generations of women in her family.<\/p>\n It also highlights the sad truth of how all details are eventually lost to time, leaving future generations to fill in gaps with guesswork and their imagination.<\/p>\n And, I think, it\u00a0shows us that\u00a0those of us\u00a0who live\u00a0ordinary lives\u00a0will live momentarily in living memory, but once that memory has passed, our\u00a0lives will eventually be lost to history.<\/p>\n I think a lot of people might find that sad. I don’t know why I don’t. It reminds me instead that life is for living, and that feels to me like a good positive thing.<\/p>\n Memento Mori<\/em> indeed.<\/p>\n The title of this poetry narrative\u00a0\u2013\u00a0A Wild Kind of Tune<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 captures perfectly the imaginative journey into the poignant psycho-geography of Miriel Lenore’s maternal great-grandmother, Caroline. In a wild tale arcing from 1845 to the present, in poetry underpinned by meticulous research, we inhabit settler society with all its attendant joys, hardship and grief as we careen with Caroline through her journey of love, loss and horror into madness.<\/p>\n Discover more about Miriel Lenore’s A Wild Kind of Tune<\/i><\/a>, as well as her\u00a0newest poetry collection, Smoke<\/em><\/a>, on our website.<\/p>\n Support Wakefield Press by buying our beautiful books! Visit our website<\/a> or contact us on 08 8352 4455 for more information, or to purchase a book (or three!). We can post your purchase to your doorstep!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This week for our poetry spotlight, we are showcasing a poem by\u00a0Miriel Lenore, from her collection\u00a0A Wild Kind of Tune. ‘In this tale arcing from 1845 to the present, in poetry underpinned by meticulous research, we inhabit settler society with … Continue reading
\n<\/strong><\/p>\nPost written by Poppy Nwosu<\/pre>\n
Here is a little bit about Miriel:<\/h1>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nBeginning in 1845, this is a fascinating mix of memoir, poetry and non-ficton history, underpinned by extensive research into the lives of women suffering from mental health issues in colonial Australia. I have never seen history presented to a modern audience quite like this before.<\/h1>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nMarried?<\/h1>\n
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