Book Recommendation: Tony Birch SHADOWBOXING (Scribe, Melbourne, 2006) 178 pages

With the recent release of his latest book of short stories Common People, Melbourne writer Tony Birch has consolidated his position as one of the best fiction writers in Australia. If you are new to Birch’s work the obvious place to start with is his first book SHADOWBOXING (2006), which is a collection of ten self contained but closely linked short stories, set mostly in inner city Melbourne during the 1960s.

SHADOWBOXING is a coming-of-age story narrated by Michael Byrne told from the perspective of a young adult looking back at his life in Fitzroy, Carlton and Richmond. The first eight short stories cover his years while at school whereas the last two stories “Redemption” and “The Haircut” act as a sort of epilogue ten years after the events described in the earlier stories have taken place.

The sad, tough family life of the Byrne working class family is the central focus of the collection. Mick, Michael’s father works as a tar layer for the local council. He is a heavy drinker and a morose and physically violent man. He is selfish and distant and unyielding but ultimately “family” who needs to be cared for. The unnamed mother is a stoical and wise woman who works in a crumpet factory to help support the family. She shows courage, dignity and resilience against all odds.

The title “SHADOWBOXING” derives from the short story “The Lesson” in which Mick decides that his son Michael at 13 is old enough to start training to be a professional boxer. In the lead up to his son’s thirteenth birthday Mick tells Michael more than once, “I reckon we’ve had enough of this shadowboxing.” From a young age Mick has taught his son how to spar bare fist to open hand with him in the backyard and now it was time for Michael to step up. As a birthday present he receives not one but two pairs of boxing gloves and his heart sinks, “I dreaded the prospect of going even one round with my father, although it seemed likely that I would soon have to.”

The opening short story “The Red House” quickly establishes the setting and tone for the collection. The Byrne family rent a house from an Italian immigrant Mr Carboni in Fitzroy after a move from the regional town of Clunes. On the surface the story is simple but it provides the reader with a series of narrative arcs to help us better understand the family’s dynamics- the father’s “explosive anger”, the tragic sudden death of May, aged 2, the history of “the red house” and the mother’s courageous attempts to make a go of a difficult situation.

Other family stories of note include the “The Return” which starts off as a portrait of the eccentric Aunt Billie but which morphs into Michael’s evolving youthful notions of Father Christmas, before he is attacked by the psychotic Lawrence brothers. “Ashes” is set much later when Michael and his family are forced to move into his grandmother’s house in Carlton after his father is hospitalised. Grandma’s close relationship with a boarder, Jack Morris is elaborated on. Importantly, it is Jack who encourages the young Michael to read & discuss books which later leads to his career as a copy boy and eventually as a sports journalist.

There are also a few interwoven stories which provide interesting character studies of people within the struggling working poor community. “The Butcher’s Wife” is based a true story about a battered woman, Mrs Ruth Goodall, who sets out to revenge her violent husband. Probably more notable is “A Disposable Good” about Wilma Carson, a local abortionist who cares for the needs of distressed women during a time when the medical procedure was illegal.

The stories are between 16 and 20 pages each. The writing is unembellished and very easy to read.  There are elements of sentiment and sensationalism, but overall, the writing is highly credible and emotionally engaging.

The two stories which clearly stand out are “The Lesson” and “The Sea of Tranquility”.  These are brilliant stories which best show the obstacles that Michael must confront & overcome on his journey to manhood. “The Lesson” combines fiction with autobiography, with Michael, like Birch, having to partake in compulsory boxing lessons because “he had increasingly talked about me having a career in the ring, just as he had done when he was younger.” 

The father's advice to Michael is candid, in your face: "When you're getting your head knocked off, that's when you'll find out how big the heart is. But most of all you got to have that instinct, a killer instinct. If you don't have that, it doesn't mean nothing: how fast you are, how hard you can punch. You'll get killed in the end, fucken killed. You got to hate the other bloke. Really hate him. Because if he's any good, when he gets in that ring with you, all he'll be thinking is how he's going to punch the shit out of you. Just one sniff from him that you haven't got it and well, it's over, all over. He'll fucken eat you." The climax to the story is brutal and agonisingly real.

“The Sea of Tranquility” is a more complex story and reveals Birch’s love of the Yarra River which we see in his later novels & ends in the tragic death of Michael’s friend Charlie after they flog a Mercedes & drive blindly along a curving road with the headlights off. This sense of ennui, of extreme carelessness, is captured by Birch in a few short captivating sentences:

‘Good night, Michael, it’s lights out.’

And with that Charlie switched off the headlights at the same time that he pushed the accelerator flat to the floor. I felt the rush. I wound the side window down. A cool gust of air hit me in the face. And I could smell the river coming up to meet me.

Charlie yelled and beat the steering wheel with his fists as he pushed the car around the curves of the boulevard following the river. I looked out of the front windscreen. All I could see was a black sheet. The car roared, Charlie screamed, and the radio thumped a bass guitar riff at me.

And then there was nothing. No sound. No feeling. Nothing.

Although Tony Birch is an indigenous writer he is more interested in class than race. There is only one specific references to race in the text. In “The Bulldozer” the government has decided to knock down a few acres of sub-standard inner city buildings and relocate the tenants elsewhere. Michael watches the destruction of his father’s family home and a contractor yells at his workmate:

“The sooner the whole place is gone the better. It’s full of no-hopers, dagoes, and fucken Abos, They’ve even got Indians here, fucken Indians. You seen the temple down the road, or whatever it is? Should knock it down. Should knock the whole fucken place over.”

This is a solid and interesting first collection- well worth the read!

 Buy the book here from Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Shadowboxing-Tony-Birch/9781922247681

Interview with Tony Birch: Shadowboxing- The Book Show ABC 12 March 2006 with Ramona Koval: Click on 'show transcript' in this link: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bookshow/tony-birch-shadowboxing-transcript-available/3305538

Book Review: Scott Wozniak & Janne Karlsson Killing Our Saints (Svensk Apache Press, 2017) 72 pages

Killing Our Saints is a collaboration between the Oregon poet Scott Wozniak and the prolific Swedish illustrator Janne Karlsson. The collection consists of 23 poems and explores many of Wozniak’s well honed topics- loneliness, self destructiveness, drug addiction, facing the demons, suicide and death. Karlsson’s iconic artwork is highly expressive of the deep anguish and alienation expressed in the poems.

In the interview which follows this review, I asked Scott Wozniak how Killing Our Saints came about. He explains, “Janne and I have become friends over the last couple of years. In fact, he was one of the first guys in the small press scene who really went out of his way to encourage me and to express that he liked what I was doing. Which was cool for me because I’d been collecting his stuff since before I ever thought about trying to get published.

“So, for my last book, Crumbling Utopian Pipedream, I contacted Janne and asked him if he would do a blurb for it. He kindly accepted, wrote a great blurb, and informed me that he loved the book so much that he wanted to know if I’d be into collaborating on a project that he would publish through his Svensk Apache Press. Like I said, I’ve been a huge fan of his work, as well as most of the other poets he’s worked with over the years, so I immediately jumped on the opportunity. I was honored, to say the least.”

Asked about what attracted him about Wozniak’s work, Janne Karlsson told me recently, “I always prefer collaborating with people who write honestly without shying away from the shit and the smell. Scott is definitely one of those. He has lived his poems and there’s a lot to learn from them. Actually I’d say Wozniak writes ‘help yourself’ poems.”

According to Wozniak, the process of putting the book together was “quick and painless”: “I had these poems that are loosely based, in my mind, around the hardships and struggles of people living on the skids. I knew Karlsson had previously done a series of illustrations revolving around this same theme. So, I figured it would be easy for the poems and his art to mesh within this framework.

“I threw together a manuscript and sent them his way for feedback. He was into it, wanted to run with it, as is. I decided to tweak it a tad, pulling a couple of poems and adding others, but for the most part, what I sent is what we used. As far as the illustrations go, Janne just did his thing from that point. My feedback was minimal. I just wanted him to do what he does best. Whatever he chose to do I knew he’d kill it, which he did. “

The title poem “Killing Our Saints” sets the lugubrious tone for the collection. Wozniak uses second person perspective & suggests the reason we stuff things up is because we lead self-destructive lives & are blind to the beauty- of “the saints” in our lives.

                                                                                           Killing Our Saints

It’s between

the Devil,

you,

and me-

This life

we lead,

killing

our saints

because we don’t

recognize

their face.

Happy to leave

death

in our wake,

we string up

and torture

every bit

of beauty

this world

offers

in an attempt

to lead us

away

from the offhand

wreckage

we create.

Wozniak says the poem “Kiliing Our Saints”represents the darkest period of his life when he struggled even against those who tried to help him, “When I was at my darkest point in life (which lasted many years), I had accepted that as my fate, and would both sub-consciously and consciously self-sabotage anything with a positive connotation that was offered to me because I felt I didn’t deserve better.”

In the collection, this candid self exploration of angst is counter-balanced by the thrill of living on the edge, of dancing “cheek/ to bony cheek” with death (“A Final Bit of Romance”), of getting “your money’s worth” (“Nothing is Free”).

This hedonistic, I don’t give-a-fuck attitude is perhaps best represented in the poem “The Way the Universe Intended”, which previously appeared in Bold Monkey:

                                                                      The Way the Universe Intended

I’ve lived

under the pretense

I’d die young

and leave

a good looking

corpse.

With age extended

and opportunity

lost, my new goal

is to leave

the most gnarled,

no organ usable,

scarred,

bruised,

beat up

carcass

cemetery gates

will ever see.

I want morticians

to have nightmares

from the sight

of my remains,

I want Earth

to gag

as I’m lowered

in my grave,

I want worms

to be nauseous

at the thought

of digesting

my flesh,

I want hard living

and bad decisions

to read

like an epitaph

on my corpse.

The elephant in the room- the biggest demon Wozniak has to face- is that of substance abuse. To “ease the pain”(“Wrong is All He’s Ever Known”), the “torture” (“After the Struggle”), to “end the faceless turmoil” inside his heart (“No longer a Blaze of Glory”), “to silence/ this symphony/ of discord” (“A Risky Mark”), the persona of the poems, presumably Wozniak, cares about nothing but the next fix or drink or pill or snort to obliterate his emotions and dissolve his sense of self.

The poem “Who You Calling Crazy, Motherfucker” is compelling in the sense that it illustrates how out of control the life of an addict is, how they are unable to realize how fucked-up & deluded their life has become: 

    

                                 

                                                           Who You Calling Crazy, Motherfucker?

‘When the voices

speak to you,

wait till no one’s

around

to answer.”

“It ain’t crazy

if ain’t

out of the ordinary.”

He knew

how to cope.

He just didn’t know

this was insanity

in action.

In the powerful poem “Feelings, What Feelings?” Wozniak writes that he used to have “to consume/ un-godly amounts/ of cheap booze/ and ingest/ whatever drugs/ I could get/ to achieve/ my desired state/ of numb/ in the quest/ to not feel” but now he feels a general malaise and senses that the drugs have done their job and perhaps he “may never/ be moved/ to tears again”.

In “Stretch Tomorrow to Eternity” Wozniak acknowledges the need to someday to “start stopping”, but:

For now,

it’s easier

to feed

the habits

starving

my senses.

Besides,

I wouldn’t know

where to begin,

I’m not me

without

the poison.”

Killing Our Saints is fascinating collection of confessional poems from an addict who has lived the life and who now feels the urgent need to tell us about it in a raw, honest way- without the bullshit or pretense. The best thing about the book is that Wozniak never preaches to us or feels sorry for himself or tells us he has been reborn. Instead he lays it bare before us- all his faults and stuff ups & tells us how he’d like to change- but fuck it! He is who he is.

(All poems and artwork have been posted with the composers' permission)

Buy the book here: http://www.lulu.com/au/en/shop/janne-karlsson-and-scott-wozniak/killing-our-saints/paperback/product-23415290.html

INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT WOZNIAK 12 JANUARY 2018

Scott, can you briefly explain the conception & development of the book, especially your working relationship with Janne Karlsson & his involvement in the project.

Janne and I have become friends over the last couple of years. In fact, he was one of the first guys in the small press scene who really went out of his way to encourage me and to express that he liked what I was doing. Which was cool for me because I’d been collecting his stuff since before I ever thought about trying to get published.

So, for my last book, Crumbling Utopian Pipedream, I contacted Janne and asked him if he would do a blurb for it. He kindly accepted, wrote a great blurb, and informed me that he loved the book so much that he wanted to know if I’d be into collaborating on a project that he would publish through his Svensk Apache Press. Like I said, I’ve been a huge fan of his work, as well as most of the other poets he’s worked with over the years, so I immediately jumped on the opportunity. I was honored, to say the least.

From there it was quick and painless. I had these poems that are loosely based, in my mind, around the hardships and struggles of people living on the skids. I knew he’d previously done a series of illustrations revolving around this same theme. So, I figured it would be easy for the poems and his art to mesh within this framework.

I threw together a manuscript and sent them his way for feedback. He was into it, wanted to run with it, as is. I decided to tweak it a tad, pulling a couple of poems and adding others, but for the most part, what I sent is what we used. As far as the illustrations go, Janne just did his thing from that point. My feedback was minimal. I just wanted him to do what he does best. Whatever he chose to do I knew he’d kill it, which he did. What he came up with was different from what I thought he might do. There’s a very surreal vibe running through the drawings he chose, which I love. I think they help lighten the mood of the book a bit. I’m glad I kept my mouth shut and just let him work.

Are the poems & illustrations strictly synchronised or is there a creative interplay?

I can’t really say for sure, I’m afraid the real answer is rattling around Janne’s beautifully twisted mind, you’d have to ask him. But, in my opinion, I’d say it’s a bit of both going on.

What's your take on the title poem "Killing Our Saints"?

I’d hate to detract anything from anyone’s own take of this poem, but I will say, that when I was at my darkest point in life (which lasted many years), I had accepted that as my fate, and would both sub-consciously and consciously self-sabotage anything with a positive connotation that was offered to me because I felt I didn’t deserve better. I think this is a common trait for people who scrape bottom for long periods of time.

Most of the poems identify with those people living on the edge- addicts, misfits, failures, the insane and the suicidal. Can you briefly explain your creds to write this harrowing stuff?

Let me just say this, I’ve been an edge walker for most of my life and have qualified for each of these categories, among others, at one point in time or another. I’ll leave it to the reader to decide if I’m full of shit or not.

You nailed that question, Scott. Despite the gloom, you sometimes offer the reader a rare beam of hope. What realistic advice, if any, would you give to those down on their luck?

I’d steal a friend’s line, “chin down, hands up.” Only when we throw-in the towel are we defeated. It might not be easy, but shit can get better.

Do you see people being at the bottom because of "self-inflicted,/ prisons of choice" ("Missing the Target") or for wider societal factors?

As I point to in the first stanza of this poem, “reasons we’d rather forget,” can be a broad spectrum of horrific experiences that led us to the bottom. And yes, a lot of times, it is perpetuated by a lack of resources for help coping with these experiences, which is very much a societal factor. Lack of mental health care, addiction recovery, job training and financial assistance programs are just the beginning. And, in my experience, once you find yourself in a situation that you see no way out of, you often cling to some sort of substance or “self-inflicted prison,” to numb yourself to the “hellish existence” you are enduring. Thus perpetuating the very thing you hope to escape. It’s very much like the snake eating its own tail. But how one gets to the bottom can be a multitude of factors, I think, it is rarely one thing but rather a compounding of many.

Strongly stated! Anyways, how have you faring now? How have you coped with the demons?

For the time being, things are well. My demons and I are living together in acceptance of one another. There hasn’t been a power struggle for dominance by them for a while. I recognize them, know they are always around, but if I treat them like animals at the zoo, don’t feed them, they tend to leave me alone, for the most part.

What's it like living in Oregon? 

Oregon is great! There’s no other place (in the U.S.) I’d rather live.    

What project are you working on now?

I’m working on another collaboration project with an extremely talented graphic designer friend of mine, Andrew Nutini. His work is mind blowing, hyper-realistic and very gritty. The style of his imagery is something, I personally, have yet to see in a poetry book. We hope to have it finished and shopped around to publishers sometime this year. I’ve also been talking to James Decay about putting together a split chapbook. Hopefully we can make that happen soon. Lastly, I’m part of the 2018 Holy & Intoxicated broadside collection, which has a solid line-up of great poets involved this year, as usual.

Thanks, George. I appreciate you taking the time!

Thanks for the challenge, Scott!