Letters to the Editor - September 1986

Dear Editor, I was surprised, on reading the August Issue of ABR, to find no comment or tribute to the former editor, John McLaren. I understand too well the pressure of deadlines and have no doubt that ABR will, at some future date, provide a fitting tribute to its former editor. In the meantime, I would be grateful if you would publish my own small and inadequate tribute. John McLaren was the founding editor of this magazine in its present incarnation. For seven years, he was an inspiration. Without doubt, future generations will be able to record better than I his vision, his energy and his great contribution to Australian letters, which will certainly now take expression in other forms. John McLaren was responsible for founding this magazine, and he had the vision to lead it through to what I see as its present very considerable strengths. Lovers of books throughout this country owe him a great debt of recognition and gratitude. Few have contributed as much to the promotion of literature in Australia. Yours sincerely, John Hanrahan Dear Editor, Kevin Childs: Starters & Writers How uncanny! The experience of Kevin Childs’s anonymous writer (ABR, July) reads so like mine, though my own tally of unanswered letters futilely sent to the interstate and irresponsive agent must have exceeded fifteen. Nil scripsum, seemed to be this agent’s motto. Commit nothing to paper and you’re safe – at least from the law – though I must say it was indeed the threat of legal action that brought about the return of my insignificant but not inexpensive manuscript. What rankled was the odd untruth and endless diversionary ploys. Of course, delude himself as he may that he has a right to a modicum of decency and honesty (especially from those who would seem to represent him), the author/client is in no position to argue. Agents, like publishers, are busy personages. They have contracts to witness, neologisms to champion, exotic private lives to cultivate. They have learnt, in short, to diversify. For myself, I am writing a novella about my experience. It’s a sort of fairy tale, called ‘The Happy Agent’. I think I shall endeavour to publish it myself. Yours etc., Peter Rose Dear Editor, There were good things in Michael Denholm’s article (ABR, August 86) on Literary Magazines, although there were a number of other magazines he should have mentioned, including his own Island. I have noticed in articles of this kind that they are always about Little Literary Magazines, i.e. those with a small circulation. But what about Literary Magazines with a Big circulation? The Bulletin Literary Supplement, which ran from 1980 to 1985, and The Australian Literary Magazine, which is still going strong, have made the work of Australia’s best writers available to hundreds of thousands or readers. Not only that, but they have paid the writer well, and all at no cost to the Literature Board. As founding editor of both journals, I published early work by many writers Denholm mentions, and the first work of a number of writers. I have great admiration for all the Literary Magazines. But they don’t necessarily have to be Little. Yours faithfully, Geoffrey DuttonEditor, The Australian Literary Magazine

From the New Issue

Always Will Be by Mykaela Saunders

Tremor by Teju Cole

Critic of the Month with Ian Dickson

Transgender Australia: A history since 1910 by Noah Riseman