John Forbes literary papers, ca. 1982 - ca. 1998

MLMSS 8655/Boxes 1-5
MLMSS 8655/6X

fonds

ca 1982 - ca. 1998

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs

423573

1.27 metres of textual material (5 boxes, 1 outsize box)

John Patrick Forbes, poet, was born on 1 September 1950 in Melbourne. His father worked in the Royal Australian Air Force, and Forbes grew up in New Guinea and Malaya, and later Sydney and Melbourne. He began training for the Catholic priesthood, but abandoned this for university study, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with honours from the University of Sydney in 1973. He subsequently began research on a thesis on the work of American poet Frank O’Hara, which he did not complete.
Part of the ‘Generation of 1968’, Forbes began publishing his poems in the early 1970s in journals such as Poetry Magazine and New Poetry. His first collection of poetry, Tropical Skiing, was published in 1976. He worked at various jobs, ranging from furniture removals to writer-in-residence and literary reviewer, and published Surfers Paradise magazine and worked on magazines such as Leatherjacket. Moving to Melbourne in 1989, he was closely involved in literary activities including writers’ festivals and poetry readings, and was involved with small presses and the publication of literary journals such as Scripsi (1981–1994). In 1998, at the age of 47, Forbes suffered a heart attack and died at his home in Melbourne.

Reference:
http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/forbes-john (accessed 14/08/2012)

John Forbes literary papers, ca. 1982 - ca. 1998 including workbooks and notebooks; poems (1989-1995); reviews, reader's reports and prose writings (1988-95); correspondence (1984-95); publications; miscellaneous material including documents relating to the case of Hale & Iremonger v Collins/Angus & Robertson, page proofs of 'Wards of the State: An Autobiographical Novella' by Robert Adamson sent to Forbes for review, and LP records by Riverrun Poets and Robyn Archer.

BOX 1
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes’ containing letters and postcards received, ca. 1984 – ca. 1994
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes – Poetry Ms’ containing various typescript states of the poems “On The Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme”, 1993, “Sydney”, 1993, “The Awkward Load”, 1994, “IRA Dreaming”, 1994, “Reading”, 1994
Bound volume with spine title ‘Ourglass 1&2’, edited by Kris Hemensley, 1968
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes – Reviews Ms. Etc.’ containing letters and postcards received, ca. 1995
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes – Ms. Material’, containing 3 photographs of John Forbes ca. 1994, documentation regarding legal case between Hale & Iremonger Pty Ltd and Collins/Angus & Robertson Publishers Pty Ltd, 1992, and Report of trip to Rome by Forbes to The Literature Board, 1993
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes – Reviews Ms.’, containing two reports by Forbes to Angus & Robertson regarding the book “Blue Sky Device” by Adam Aitken, report by Forbes regarding the book “Black Night with Windows” by Nicolette Stasko, “Machinery of Bones” by Shane McCauley, “New and Selected Poems by Tim Thorne, “The Body In Time” by Diane Fahey, poems by Martin Smith, “Postcards from Planet Earth: An Anthology of International Poetry” edited by Paul Richardson and Ken Watson. Also includes typescript of “Roman Poems” by John Forbes, 1994, holograph “A Note on How The New York School Influenced My Work”, various letters received and correspondence, 1993
Bound volume with spine title ‘Reviews Ms.’ containing holograph review of “Explaining Themselves”, the first three books in the Melbourne University Press series “Interpretations” by Forbes, 1993, review of “Pleading Guilty” by Scott Turow, 1993, manuscript notes, holograph and typescript of article “Bill Henson”, 1993, holograph of article “Andrew Burke”, 1993, holograph of Forbes’ obituary for Robert Harris “From the Gods”, 1993, holograph of Forbes’ review of “Mrs Shakespeare” by Robert Nye, 1993, readers report on “Just Desert” by Philip Hammial, 1994, review of “Slanting” by Chris Fortescue, 1994

BOX 2
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes – Various Ms.’ containing manuscripts of the poem “Spleen” and “Admonition”, various correspondence, letters and postcards, 1989-1994, Darwin journal notes, 1988, manuscript of essay “A Diagram of How It Works: Ken Searle’s North Geelong”, readers report of “Shorelines” by Ian Reid, 1994, readers report of “Tyglion” by John Mateer, 1994 and review of “Mallarme: A Throw of the Dice” by Gavin Millan, 1994.
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes – Drafts’ containing manuscripts of the poems “Humidity”, 1995, and “Letter to Ken Bolton”, 1995, readers report of “Selected Poems” by Shelton Lea, 1995, draft column for Gleebooks “Gleaner”, 1995
Bound volume with spine title , ‘John Forbes – Ms.’ containing drafts for the poems “Chapel Street / Personal Poem”, “Unemployment”, “Moondance” and “Thin Ice”, “Elegy”, and “Poem”, report on “The Clean Dark” by Robert Adamson, drafts of “So, You want to be a poet?: Advice to any young poet”, drafts for the poems, “Holy Week”, “Nostalgia”, “Nightshift” and “Boeing”, drafts of obituary for Martin Johnston, John Forbes material written while in Rome, 1993.
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes – Ms Poetry, Reviews etc. containing manuscript drafts of the poems “Love Poem”, “Occasional Poem”, “Heroic Sculpture” and “The End of History”, 1992, drafts of Forbes’ review of “The Penguin Book of Modern Australian Poetry”, 1990, manuscript material related to “Ode to Karl Marx”, 1992, draft of article “The Lie of the Land”, draft review of “The Happy Isles of Oceania” by Paul Theroux, 1992, draft review of “Selected Poems” by Ken Bolton, 1992
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes’ containing various drafts and printed texts of the poems. Also includes miscellaneous correspondence.

BOX 3
Bound volume with spine title ‘John Forbes – Ms. Material’ containing draft memoranda from Forbes to Angus & Robertson publisher, 1995, readers reports for Angus & Robertson on poetry submitted for publication including “Sun Works” by Louise Crisp, “The Honey Moon Snaps” by John Foulcher, “Diner at the Savoy” byDeb Westbury, “Winds of Change” by Majorie Pizer, “Filth and Other Poems” by Hugh Tolhurst, “Obeying the Call” by Ray Liversidge, “Felt Good at the Time” by Alan Close, “Brother of Fire” by Ken Stone, and “Antarctica” by Caroline Caddy. Includes manuscript drafts of Forbes’ poems “Sermon on a Line By James Gleeson”, 1994, “Panto”, 1994
Bound volume with spine title containing manuscripts drafts for Forbes’ poems “Crazy Feelings /Argument with Les Murray”, “Endartarte Kunst”, 10am Mass, St. Carthage’s”, “Vespers”, “Poem Beginning with a Line From Quine & Ending with Bugs Bunny” and “Kamphing It Up”, 1994.
Five notebooks / journals kept by Forbes between 1982 and 1988 containing draft poems, notes, letters, diary entries.

BOX 4
John Forbes notebooks including eight notebooks, manuscript fragments, notes for poems, curriculum vitae, a diary kepto of a visit ot Canberra, various notes and drafts for essays and reviews, ca. 1982 – ca. 1992

BOX 5
John Forbes workbooks including three workbooks with drafts and notes for poems, drafts of reviews and articles, personal lists and jottings.

BOX 6X
Bound volume with spine title 'Wards of the State - Prelims - Robert Adamson containing page proofs of 'Wards of the State: An Autobiographical Novella' by Robert Adamson sent to Forbes for review, ca.1992

Gramophone record: GR 326-327
Riverrun Poets: Two Voluminous Gentlemen (Original record, double-sided 33 1/3 LP recording)
Robyn Archer: The wild girl in the heart (Original record, double-sided 33 1/3 LP recording)

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Information upgraded as part of the Manuscripts Unprocessed eRecords Project 2012-2013

Bound volumes include Geoffrey Cains bookplate on cover verso