About

Laurie Brady was educated at Sydney and Macquarie universities, and spent most of his working life in teacher education. He recently retired as Professor of Education at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Proudly published by Post Pressed

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Reviews

Don't start reading these poems late at night unless you want to be up to see the dawn. Privet Moon is a poetic page-turner in the best possible sense as each poem, stark, haunting and beautiful, ventures into a key stage of human life. Sex, death, love, laughter and loss fill this book with energy and insight, which encourages and rewards reflection.

Duncan Richardson

Brady writes in Privet Moon (what a fecund title!) of the absurdities of men and women, finding himself most absurd of all, but forgiveable for all that. Importantly, he also reflects on moments of tenderness and fellowship, often with generations before and after. I welcome also finding a poet unafraid of writing in rhyming stanzas, overcoming the challenges of the form to achieve its delights, so infrequently assayed these days.

Ross Clark

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Extract

Privet Moon

'and why was i the horse's rump',
a wistful smile
and vision of a snowy-haired duet
enthralled with infant playground games,
or leaping from
the jasmine porch-cum-rocket ship
to privet-shaded moons.
there's no mistake,
it's David Mills,
'donations to the cancer fund',
and hidden by my morning Telegraph
i contemplate my life,
removing chunks from time's constructed edifice
like children's building blocks.
my energetic wife makes pancakes
for ipodded sons
inured from death writ large
by corpses piling high behind the television screen,
while ill-at-ease with recollection's claim
and destiny that made a simple choice,
i baulk at just a mote of ownership;
and each familiar name the years expel
is pause for fleeting thought,
until i make a safe retreat
to resurrect the blocks
or fly
to other privet moons.

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