Guide to the Letters of Les Murray to Ang Chin Geok

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MS 10625

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: January 2023

Collection Summary

Creator
Murray, Les
Ang Chin Geok
Title
Letters of Les Murray to Ang Chin Geok
Date Range
1993 - 2015
Collection Number
MS 10625
Extent
0.06 metres (2 folders)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Content Description

Personal letters and postcards between Les Murray and Ang Chin Geok. The pair discuss their respective family news, deadlines, various health issues, travel, and work. Les Murray was a prolific Australian poet, and Dr Ang Chin Geok is an Asian-Australian author.

Conditions Governing Access

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn8660775).

Conditions Governing Use

Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn8660775).

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Letters of Les Murray to Ang Chin Geok, National Library of Australia, MS 10625, [class/series/file/item number(s)]'.

Finding Aid Source

Please note: This finding aid contains descriptive information provided by donors, researchers and/or volunteers.

Item Descriptions

Class. Letters of Les Murray to Ang Chin Geok

Items 1 - 73 (File) - Box (Shared)

Signed letter from Les Murray, 15 August 2016 (Item 1)

News, chat; after receiving stories, and sending Valerie's [his wife] memoir; health issues, day to day routine; Bob Ellis, now dead, refers her to his elegy for him in Quadrant.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Coolongolook Road, Bunyah, 4 March 1997 (Item 2)

Author talk regarding publishers, compromises etc; Duffy and Snellgrove; working on Fredy Neptune, "Wanting to finish things has a tinge of modern greed to it, of wanting to have them now, now. Whereas I do have Fred now and will slowly cease to when his tale is told and made public. He's been a serial, of course, Dickens-fashion, in PN review in Britain and Adelaide Review here, but that's somehow not definitive, as finishing his book will be."

Signed postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 21 January 1996 (Item 3)

Regarding her work: questions, "will have to be detachable chapters for Quadrant".

Signed postcard from Les Murray, Coolongolook Road, Bunyah, n.d. (Item 4)

Regarding her work, "…the sooner it goes into Quadrant the better". "I'd love to see Ch.1 of Heaven Earth and Brother, about the title of which I beg you to think further. It lacks both euphony and pizazz." News of trip to Germany and England.

Signed postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 2 December 1996 (Item 5)

Thanks for sending her work; has written a rebuttal of being a One Nation supporter; eating habits, "Left to myself, though, I'd live largely on bread, butter, sliced tomatoes, and vinegar and mustard dressing. Or on rice-cream drunk from the tin." And, beginning, in reply to hers, "'Loss, utter worthlessness, lack of relevance and paralysis', yes, I know all those, also the 'great shoreless gulf' - aren't you glad to be safely out of all that?"

Signed postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 26 November 1997 (Item 6)

Literary news, general chat.

Signed postcard from Les Murray, Coolongolook Road, Bunyah, 10 July 1997 (Item 7)

"It's odd how someone else is what we need to become ourself. In my case, it was Gerard Manley Hopkins, plus a few of that good Aust. generation of Douglas Stewart, Judith Wright et al. I thought TSE [T.S.Eliot] was also turned on by Tristan Corbiere, but seemingly not." Australian publishing, Meredith Rose gets a serve.

Signed postcard from Les Murray, 16 June 1997 (Item 8)

Re her work, details, re castration, The Last Emperor; rambling.

Signed postcards from Les Murray, Bunyah, 20 October 1998 (Item 9)

Regarding breakup of her marriage, notes, "I was only depressive, not often or strongly manic - just enough to know that Up is not better than Down". Regarding Bob Ellis' libel case with Tony Abbott and Peter Costello. Ang Chin Geok now with Margaret Connolly, Les Murray's literary agent.

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 9 December 1998 (Item 10)

Regarding her life; some details of break up, other family news, plans for the future.

Signed postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, n.d. (Item 11)

News, chat; Alison Broinowski criticised; "I enjoy my leisurely powdered wig, quill correspondence, and couldn't imagine it vulgaridsed by emails."

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 4 April 2000 (Item 12)

News, chat, literary gossip, Les Murray repeats the Alison Broinowski anecdote from previous letter; news of his biography, still on hold, "… seeking legal advice."

Signed letter from Les Murray, 201 Willina Road, Bunyah, 9 November 1999 (Item 13)

News, chat, her work and his; favourably on 'The Sixth Sense'; family complexities.

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 29 November 1999 (Item 14)

In reply to above; all of Les Murray's points addressed.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 4 September 2000 (Item 15)

Mostly his, then joined by Valerie and son, for travels in England and South America.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 25 September 2001 (Item 16)

Travels as a poet - readings, publishers; "The UK was haunted at that time by burning farm animals and that depressed me." Thoughts on Pauline Hansen; receiving his Doctorate from University of Sydney and Leonie Kramer politics; thoughts on her work.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 3 September 2001 (Item 17)

Chatty, rambling: autobiographical, Australian history, Asian writers in Australia, combination of opinion, argument and generalisation.

Postcard from Les Murray, London, 10 November 2001 (Item 18)

On tour as poet; responding to pieces from "White Smoke" that she has sent.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 29 November 2001 (Item 19)

"Hey, I'm two letters down: I'd better reply pronto herewith. Thanks for both your letters: I always enjoy them and learn from them." History, Chinese customs; "Poems the Size of Photographs" about to be published, regarding cover image.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 29 March 2002 (Item 20)

Ang Chin Geok has made Les Murray "an Honorary Chinese Person"; news of work, writer-in-residence for a week in Perth; the Portuguese navigators; "Deaf Language", photocopy of poem by Les Murray (5 lines), photocopied note at the bottom, "P.S. I'm the chap who 'discovered' Amy Witting, for Australia anyway, They knew all about her in New York, for ages."

Signed typed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 30 September 2003 (Item 21)

Family news and history, places woven in.

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Scarborough, Qld, 30 December 2003 (Item 22)

Family, news, including cricket anecdotes around Australian racism.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 2004-02-05 (Item 23)

News, chat, close enough to ask, and tell, about family members, eg, picking up on previous letters, "What dogs, those Oz Test cricketers, using racial sledging. I reckon sledging should be outlawed under the laws of cricket, to be rid of a vice that has corrupted the game."

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 10 June 2004 (Item 24)

Printout of "An Acrophobe's Dragon"

Signed letter from Les Murray, Norfolk Island, 22 February 2005 (Item 25)

Geok has Paget's disease. Enjoying Norfolk Island; historical significance; literary news: readings, travels, editing Best Poems of … annually for Black Inc; stylistically "Our Valerie" (wife), "Our Clare" (daughter), when referring to family members.

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 25 May 2005 (Item 26)

Will write; a week in Italy, has been working, worried about her; holding card.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 23 July 2005 (Item 27)

Polite beginnings of questions raised in earlier letters; his current state, "And to think I called a book 'Killing the Black Dog'. Kill him all we like, he never dies." Comments of her book; favourably regarding Sydney Writers' Festival; trustingly discursive.

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Scarborough, Qld, 3 March 2005 (Item 28)

News, responding to points in Les Murray's, travel to Tasmania, life in Queensland.

Postcard from Les Murray, 2005 (Item 29)

Christmas card, to "Geok, and Elle and Jess" from "Les and Valerie", birth of Jess, a granddaughter.

Postcard from Les Murray, 15 August 2006 (Item 30)

Rambling chat, regarding details of image on postcard, historical points.

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 1 July 2006 (Item 31)

Organisational: publish a story, put in line for a prize, or send to Queensland.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 16 March 2006 (Item 32)

News and chat; "The empty nest did, mind you, allow us to spend the first half of January in India together."

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 22 February 2006 (Item 33)

"The Name of the Nose" by Ang Chin Geok taken for Quadrant.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 29 October 2006 (Item 34)

News, chat, questions, reflections, digressions, and anecdotes.

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 28 November 2006 (Item 35)

Responding to photographs that Ang Chin Geok has sent

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 26 December 2006 (Item 36)

More photographs, remembering to his own children and grandchildren

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 3 January 2007 (Item 37)

More photographs, remembering to his own children and grandchildren

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 12 February 2007 (Item 38)

Thanks for letter; "Our Peter" [son] and Les Murray travelling to American plans and expectations.

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 10 February 2002 (Item 39)

Notes regarding details in image on card

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 22 March 2008 (Item 40)

Family news and chat. Picking up on, presumably, a later mention, "I dunno about racist Oz cricketers - I tend to think of most professional sportspeople as jocks and potential loons, but that's my prejudice. When Test cricket allowed sledging, I reckon it became a skilled but distasteful racket."

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 21 October 2008 (Item 41)

Acknowledging, thanking, hoping.

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 2008-09-01 (Item 42)

News, chat, travels, seemingly to both Beijing and Hobart.

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 3 February 2008 (Item 43)

"I've been shamefully neglectful of our correspondence."

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 3 October 1997 (Item 44)

"Margt Connolly was most impressed with you, too. She was a true find in my life, and probably made my freelance career possible, esp. after I denounced the Aust. Council as a clone making factory and cut loose from it. You're so right about how Patrick White wd. have despised Bryce Courtenay. He included all the right things in his too-comprehensive contempt, did Patrick!" Family news.

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 10 February 2009 (Item 45)

Rambling, questions, news.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 31 May 2009 (Item 46)

Turning seventy: "a small core of gloom" when depression lifts; travel news, Canada; family lunch on return at The Hellenic Club, "The Old Greeks", for close birthdays.

Postcard from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 26 June 2009 (Item 47)

Comments on her work; "I'm enjoying your tale and will write soon."

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 3 August 2009 (Item 48)

After finishing her book, favourable, especially regarding earlier versions; Valerie and Les Murray invited to Shanghai the following March and now looking forward to it.

Postcard from Les Murray, 20 December 2011 (Item 49)

Christmas card; thanks for gift.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 4 January 2011 (Item 50)

Reflections; organising Best Poems of …, annual anthology. "When Two Percent Were Students", clean typescript on reverse.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 28 March 2011 (Item 51)

Ang Chin Geok to concentrate on stories. Australian poetry and academic politics.

Postcard from Les Murray, 9 July 2011 (Item 52)

Holding card, has been on tour; a couple of questions and thoughts.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 16 September 2011 (Item 53)

Alas, you in America, I in Europe - and the lady bower birds in our kumquat trees." Travels, Valerie's health - turning 70, knee replacement, family news and chat.

Postcard from Les Murray, 10 June 2013 (Item 54)

Addendum to last letter.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 3 April 2014 (Item 55)

Rethinking touring after Valerie's fourth operation, still on a walking frame.

Signed letter from Les Murray, 15 December 2013 (Item 56)

"Suddenly Christmas is upon us. I enjoy it, especially the family gatherings." "Fancy Tim Winton saying extravagant things about my writing! He's a man of his own mind, though, unafraid to say what he thinks, so bless him."

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 28 May 2013 (Item 57)

Travels in America; family news, Valerie's health.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 8 October 2012 (Item 58)

Thanks; news; history

Postcard from Les Murray, 15 September 2012 (Item 59)

After a lunch in Brisbane; will write properly soon.

Postcard from Les Murray, 6 August 2012 (Item 60)

Organisational re Brisbane visit, finding a time to meet.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 1 July 2012 (Item 61)

Chat. "I seem to have written myself out, in this gloomy letter, so I'll wait till we meet in Brisbane."

Postcard from Les Murray, 30 August 2012 (Item 62)

Organisational: fixing Brisbane meeting details.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 16 January 2012 (Item 63)

Literary chat. "I'm not sure, now, whether I ever thanked you for sending me Coetzee's essay on my work. Very generous, of you both! I half dread the Nobel, though. Asians, Confucianists, aren't the only folk who hammer down any nail that sticks up - any Australian nail especially. Getting the thing would, I guess, put an end to the big half-furtive media shuffle each September as the Aust. reporters wait to see whether Stockholm has shone on me. That's a real pest, as they, the Oz media, for the most part don't like me and are afraid the Swedes will make me an even taller damn poppy."

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 20 August 2013 (Item 64)

Family news - health, history; both sides.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 23 January 2013 (Item 65)

After a family Christmas; other news, Valerie knees; typescript of "Eating from the Dictionary".

Postcard from Les Murray, 29 October 2014 (Item 66)

"This'll be the shortest note I ever wrote you …"

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 13 November 2014 (Item 67)

Points raised from exchanging work; travel plans.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 14 December 2014 (Item 68)

Family problems: Christina, eldest daughter, now 50, has declared that Les Murray has written poems against her; Australian Literature politics regarding Government grants.

Postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 15 April 2015 (Item 69)

Advice on what to write and pursue

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 3 February 2015 (Item 70)

"West Brazil? When are you heading there?" Ang Chin Geok's plans for their correspondence, with other writers as well? "My agent Margaret Connolly always detested Peter Alexander and still hopes her husband Jamie Grant will do the Murray Letters , but I'm not sure he wants to. They thought Peter a creep, and a pedophile, responsible for his teenage daughter's death. "

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 7 March 2015 (Item 71)

More regarding collecting their correspondence; questions regarding Brazil.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 18 June 2015 (Item 72)

Her stories and literary business.

Postcard from Les Murray, 9 August 2018 (Item 73)

Literary business, slight.

Items 74 - 101 (File) - Box (Shared)

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, n.d. (Item 74)

News, chat; Valerie sends thanks for the Chinese data on her shoe size.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 22 October 2002 (Item 75)

News, chat; pleased that she and Valerie hit it off; shared opinions on contemporary publishing

Postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, n.d. (Item 76)

After Les Murray's life threatening illness; exchanging news.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Bunyah, 14 January 1996 (Item 77)

News and chat, thanks for congratulations on an award. "Deaf Language", photocopy of poem by Les Murray (5 lines), photocopied note at the bottom, "P.S. I'm the chap who 'discovered' Amy Witting, for Australia anyway, They knew all about her in New York, for ages." (see above)

Postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 6 September 1997 (Item 78)

After receiving an inscribed copy of her book; Fredy Neptune finished

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 15 September 1997 (Item 79)

Incomplete. Thanks, has met Margaret Connolly.

Postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 21 May 1996 (Item 80)

Received her book; touring vignettes.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Cecil's Lane, Bunyah, 28 June 2006 (Item 81)

Travel news from readings; "Peter Alexander turned into a skunk, unhappily. He'd signed a contract for 2vols of my letters and got an advance for them, all without telling me: I'd have got nothing though stuff like my letters may well be a vital standby in our old age. My agent Margaret, who always detested him, stopped the project and sent him packing."

Signed letter from Les Murray, Quadrant, 26 March 1994 (Item 82)

Agreeing to write a letter of support; inviting to stay in touch.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Coolongolook Road, Bunyah, 9 September 1993 (Item 83)

Thanks for letter, "Dear Mrs. Ang"

Signed letter from Les Murray, Quadrant, 25 June 1993 (Item 84)

Accepted a story; please send more.

Postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 19 November 1996 (Item 85)

Australian politics. "I sent you a copy of Subhuman Redneck Poems today. No charge. Please consider it anti-media vaccine."

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 1 November 1996 (Item 86)

Family news; questions regarding depression.

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 17 December 1996 (Item 87)

Re Singapore book; acknowledging card.

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 10 October 1996 (Item 88)

Re Burma and Singapore books

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 18 January 1996 (Item 89)

Beginning "aaaarrrgggghhh"

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 18 January 1996 (Item 90)

Beginning "Happy New Year"

Postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 9 January 1999 (Item 91)

Thanks; sending this card from the cover of a Carcanet [Les Murray's UK publisher] edition.

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Whale Beach, NSW, 3 July 1993 (Item 92)

To Quadrant, after a story being accepted and regarding old Singapore.

Printout from Peter Alexander, UNSW, 16 May 2006 (Item 93)

Form letter seeking letters for edition of Les Murray's letters, sent to Ang Chin Geok

Postcard from Les Murray, n.d. (Item 94)

Family news, visits to Sydney.

Postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 6 July 1999 (Item 95)

Missed a deadline because of health problem.

Postcard from Les Murray, Bunyah, 4 May 1999 (Item 96)

Agreeing to be a referee.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Coolongolook Road, Bunyah, 15 April 1994 (Item 97)

Covering letter to letter for Literature Board, photocopy.

Typed letter from Les Murray, Coolongolook Road, Bunyah, 15 April 1994 (Item 98)

To the Literature Board, endorsing her work, photocopy.

Signed letter from Les Murray, Coolongolook Road, Bunyah, 2 May 1995 (Item 99)

Acknowledging, happy to help; news, chat.

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 1 June 1994 (Item 100)

Beginning, "How are you? Congratulations on yet another magnificent …"

Printout from Ang Chin Geok, Avalon Beach, NSW, 1 June 1994 (Item 101)

Beginning, "How are you? I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this letter …"


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