Afleveringen
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After leaving Leeton in 1917, Henry Lawson spent the remaining years of his life in Sydney. His alcoholism, depression, and poor health all made the final years of his life difficult. Lawson died on 2 September 1922 and was granted a state funeral. Thousands flock to pay their respects and to give Lawson a fitting send off after a life of literary service to his country. In this last episode of the Henry Lawson’s Crumbs Podcast, we discuss the closing years of Henry Lawson’s life.
Some of Anne-Marie Hanson’s favourite Lawson works:
His Father’s Mate. Originally published in The Bulletin 22 December 1888. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
The Drover’s Wife. Originally published in The Bulletin 23 July 1892. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse (December 1894).
Mitchell Doesn’t Believe in the Sack. Originally published in the Bulletin 13 May 1893. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
“Shall We Gather at the River.” Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
The Story of ‘Gentleman Once.’ Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
Some of Gregory Bryan’s favourite Lawson works:
Prose:
The Drover’s Wife. Originally published in The Bulletin 23 July 1892. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse (December 1894).
Send Round the Hat. Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
“Shall We Gather at the River.” Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
By the Banks of the Murrumbidgee. Originally published in The Bulletin, 18 May 1916.
Poetry:
The Wreck of the ‘Derry Castle’. Originally published in The Bulletin 24 December 1887. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
“The Western Stars.” Originally published in Freeman’s Journal 23 December 1893.
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Henry Lawson died in 1922. One year later—almost to the day—the Henry Lawson Memorial and Literary Society was inaugurated. The Society continues today under the capable leadership of the President of the Society, James Thomas, and other similarly dedicated committee members, including Leigh Hay. Leigh is the editor of the Society’s publication, The Lawsonian. In this episode of the Henry Lawson’s Crumbs Podcast, James and Leigh discuss their passions for Lawson and their roles within the Society that honours his name.
Some of Leigh Hay’s favourite Lawson works:
The Bush Girl. Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
The Women of the Town. Originally published in When I Was King and Other Verses (November 1905).
Do They Think That I Do Not Know? Originally published in The Skyline Riders and Other Verses (October 1910).
Hannah Thomburn. Originally published in For Australia and Other Poems (October 1913).
Some of James Thomas’ favourite Lawson works:
Prose:
That There Dog of Mine. Originally published in New Zealand Mail 8 December 1893. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
Send Round the Hat. Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
Poetry:
The Fire at Ross’s Farm. Originally published in The Bulletin 6 December 1890. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse (December 1894).
Trooper Campbell. Originally published in The Boomerang 11 April 1891. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
“Tambaroora Jim.” Originally published in The Bulletin 19 March 1892. Collected in The Rising of the Court and Other Sketches in Prose and Verse (August 1910).
The Bush Fire. Originally published in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
Written Afterwards. Originally published in The Bulletin 29 January 1898. Collected in Verses Popular and Humorous (December 1900).
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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In 1916 and 1917, Henry Lawson lived in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, where he had the responsibility of writing promotional materials to attract settlers to the area. One of the unexpected benefits of the move from Sydney was that it provided for Lawson the opportunity to reconnect with Jim Gordon. Lawson and Gordon had not seen one another for 23 years, but their shared experiences in Bourke in 1892 and 1893 had formed a sufficiently strong bond that they were immediately able to pick up their friendship when they got back together in the summer of 1916. In this episode we discuss Henry Lawson’s time in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and some of the writing created there and inspired by his experiences living there.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
First Impressions of Leeton. Originally published in The Murrumbidgee Irrigator, 28 January 1916.
Drought and Irrigation. Originally published in The Murrumbidgee Irrigator, 4 February 1916.
Leeton Town. Originally published in The Murrumbidgee Irrigator, 11 February 1916.
Travellin’. Originally published in The Bulletin, 30 March 1916.
By the Banks of the Murrumbidgee. Originally published in The Bulletin, 18 May 1916.
Bonnie of our Area. Originally published in The Bulletin, 21 September 1916.
A Wet Camp. Originally published in The Bulletin, 21 July 1921.
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One of Henry Lawson’s best friends was Jim Gordon, who was also a poet who published regularly in the Bulletin and other similar forums for Bush writing. Jim Gordon wrote under the pen-name, Jim Grahame. As had been the case with Lawson in 1920, Grahame was awarded a Commonwealth Literary Pension in 1947; Prime Minister Ben Chifley deciding it was due recognition of his contribution to Australian literature. Lawson and Gordon first met in Bourke in 1892, when Lawson was 25 and Gordon was 18. Late in 1892, they tramped from Bourke to Toorale shearing shed and back (a distance of approximately 300km). In early 1893, they tramped from Bourke to Hungerford and back (approximately 450km). Life took them in different directions and so they were subsequently separated for many years. Fortune brought them together again in 1916 in the newly established Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Once again, the two became inseparable. In this podcast episode, we speak with Jim Everett, who is the grandson of Jim Gordon.
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Henry Lawson wrote a series of stories set in the city slums of Jones’s Alley. Arvie Aspinall and his mother were two of the inhabitants of Jones’s Alley. In this podcast episode, we discuss Arvie and the stories in which he and his mother feature. We also discuss the autobiographical connections between Henry Lawson and the character of Arvie.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
Two Boys at Grinder Brothers. Originally published in Worker, 7 Oct 1893. Collected in Over the Sliprails (June 1900).
Arvie Aspinall’s Alarm Clock. Originally published in The Bulletin, 11 June 1892. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
Jones’s Ally. Originally published in three parts in Worker, 1, 8, & 15 June 1892. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
A Visit of Condolence. Originally published in The Bulletin, 23 April 1892. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
His Mother’s Mate. Originally published in The Bulletin, 6 July 1895.
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Henry and Bertha Lawson were married on 15 April 1896. Henry was 28 and Bertha was 19 years of age. Throughout their time together in England from 1900-1902, the marriage was difficult. Upon their return to Australia in mid-1902, they separated but there followed a period of reunion-separation-reunion and further separation. Eventually, an official, judicial separation was granted on 4 June 1903. The marriage had barely lasted seven years. At the time of the separation, Henry and Bertha had two young children—Jim was 5 and Barta was 3. Throughout these difficult times, Henry Lawson penned a number of works that provide revealing insights into how he was feeling.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
After All. Originally published in The Bulletin, 28 March 1896. Collected in Selected Poems of Henry Lawson (November 1918).
That Pretty Girl in the Army. Published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
To Hannah. Originally published in The Bulletin, 1 September 1904. Collected in When I Was King and Other Verses (November 1905).
The Secret Whiskey Cure. Originally published in The Bulletin, 22 September 1904. Collected in When I Was King and Other Verses (November 1905).
To Jim. Originally published in The Bulletin, 9 March 1905. Collected in When I Was King and Other Verses (November 1905).
The Separation. Published in When I Was King and Other Verses (November 1905).
Hannah Thomburn. Published in For Australia and Other Poems (October 1913).
The Separated Women. Published in For Australia and Other Poems (October 1913).
Exit. Originally written 1903, but not published until after Lawson’s death. Collected in Colin Roderick (ed.) Henry Lawson: Collected Verse, Vol. 2: 1901-1909 (1968).
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From mid-1900 until mid-1902, Henry Lawson lived in England, pursuing fame and fortune on what he perceived to be a bigger and more esteemed literary stage than the one he struggled to secure a comfortable living from in Australia. Before leaving Australian shores, he published a controversial article in the Bulletin, advising young Australian writers to seek success in England or America (or even Timbuctoo). Failing that, Lawson’s advice to any aspiring Australian writers was that they needed to kill themselves. When Lawson lived in England, he found many things were not as grand as he had imagined. He recorded his impressions of London and English life in a number of works where it is clear that he expected things to be different to the realities he discovered.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
“Pursuing Literature” in Australia. Originally published in The Bulletin, 21 January 1899.
Grimy Old Babylon. Originally published in The Daily Telegraph, 2 August 1902.
A Voice from the City. Originally published in The Bulletin, 1 October 1903.
Letters to Jack Cornstalk. Originally published in Triangles of Life and Other Stories, October 1913.
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Henry Lawson’s most famous story is The Drover’s Wife. It initially appeared in The Bulletin in 1892 and was included in a number of Lawson’s books in the years immediately following its first publication. In this episode of the Henry Lawson’s Crumbs Podcast, we discuss Lawson’s classic work, The Drover’s Wife.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
Alligator Desolation: A Ghost Story. Originally published in The Boomerang 25 April 1891. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse as We Called Him “Ally” for Short (December 1894).
The Drover’s Wife. Originally published in The Bulletin 23 July 1892. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse (December 1894).
“Middleton’s Peter”: A Bush Yarn. Originally published in The Worker 21 December 1895. Collected in On the Track (April 1900).
A Double Buggy at Lahey’s Creek. Originally published in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine Monthly February 1901. Collected in Joe Wilson and His Mates (November 1901).
The Bush Girl. Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
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Henry Lawson made three visits to New Zealand. In this episode of the Henry Lawson’s Crumbs Podcast, we discuss each of those trips. Lawson went to New Zealand in 1893, 1896, and 1897. As a bachelor who was fed up with life, his initial intent when he first left Australia in 1893 was never to return. His second trip to New Zealand in 1896 was very short. He was engaged to be married and missed his fiancé too much to stay away from her. In 1897, the newlywed Henry and Bertha Lawson travelled to New Zealand together. While on that trip, their first child was born in February 1898.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
The first trip to NZ
Coming Across: A Study in the Steerage. Originally published in The New Zealand Mail, 15 & 29 December 1893. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
New Zealand from an Australian’s Point of View. Originally published in Fair Play, 30 December 1893.
“Here’s Luck.” Originally published in Fair Play, 16 December 1893. Collected in Verses Popular and Humorous (December 1900).
His Country—After All. Originally published in The Patriot, 22 December 1894. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
‘Pursuing Literature’ in Australia. Originally published in The Bulletin, 21 January 1899.
The second trip to NZ
After All. Originally published in The Bulletin, 28 March 1896. Collected in Selected Poems of Henry Lawson (November 1918).
The third trip to NZ
A Daughter of Maoriland. Originally published in The Antipodean, Christmas 1897. Collected in Over the Sliprails (June 1900).
Pigeon Toes. Originally published in Town and Country Journal, 16 December 1900. Collected in When I Was King and Other Verses (November 1905).
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When he was 25 years old, Henry Lawson was sent into the Outback. His editor at the Bulletin gave him £5 and a one-way train ticket to Bourke. Lawson remained in the area until the middle of the following year before he travelled on the train back to Sydney. Lawson recorded his experiences and reflections of his train travel in two sketches that were published in the Bulletin—In a Dry Season (the journey to Bourke) and In a Wet Season (the journey from Bourke back to Sydney). In this episode, we discuss these two Henry Lawson prose works.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
In a Dry Season. Originally published in the Bulletin 5 November 1892. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
In a Wet Season: Along the Line. Originally published in the Bulletin 2 December 1893. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
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As a young man, Henry Lawson was thoroughly committed to unionism. He wrote with enthusiasm of “the new religion” that he felt had the potential to unite people and to carry them forth in ways that would make Australia a unique shining light to the world. However, when Lawson worked in Outback New South Wales shearing sheds in 1892, he found union members off-putting. He was treated harshly and did not feel united with them. In response, Lawson wrote a series of scathing articles in which he called upon unionists to conduct themselves in a more dignified manner.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
The New Religion. Originally published in the Albany Observer 5 July 1890.
Spread the Truth. Originally published in the [Brisbane] Worker 22 August 1891.
The Union Buries its Dead. Originally published in the Truth 16 April 1893. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse (December 1894).
The Cant and Dirt of Labor Literature. Originally published in the [Wagga] Worker 6 October 1894.
A Word in Season. Originally published in the [Wagga] Worker 13 October 1894.
The City and the Bush. Originally published in the [Wagga] Worker 8 December 1894.
A Rouseabout of Rouseabouts. Originally published in the Bulletin 13 January 1900. Collected in On the Track (April 1900) as A Rough Shed.
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In a somewhat forlorn attempt to get his excessive drinking under control, in 1892 and 1893 Henry Lawson resided in Bourke in Outback New South Wales. One of Lawson’s favourite locations in Bourke was Watson Braithwaite’s Carriers’ Arms Hotel. The hotel served as the gathering place for many heavy-drinking, hard-fighting Bourke identities. Lawson used those people as characters for poetry and prose writing he set in the Carriers’ Arms Hotel.
Lawson works discussed in the episode:
When the ‘Army’ Prays for Watty. Originally published in the Bulletin 13 May 1893. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
Send Round the Hat. Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
That Pretty Girl in the Army. Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
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Brothers Barrie and Gregory Bryan remain the only people known to have accomplished complete re-enactments of Henry Lawson's two Outback treks back o' Bourke. In January 2011, they became the first people ever to recreate Henry Lawson's 1893 450km walk from Bourke to Hungerford and back. Despite declaring that he not only never wanted to walk in the Outback again, but that, indeed, he never wanted to see the Outback again, just 16 months later, Greg was back in Bourke with his brother. This time, in July 2012, the two became the first people ever to recreate Lawson's 1892 300km walk from Bourke to Toorale woolshed and back. In this episode of the Henry Lawson's Crumbs Podcast, we are joined by Barrie “Baz” Bryan. The two brothers talk with Anne-Marie Hanson about their Outback experiences chasing the ghost of Henry Lawson.
Some of Barrie Bryan’s favourite Lawson works:
Poetry:
Andy’s Gone with Cattle. Originally published in Australian Town and Country Journal 13 October 1888. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
The Christ of the ‘Never’. Originally published in The Bulletin 16 July 1898. Collected in Verses Popular and Humorous (December 1900).
Past Carin’. Originally published in Australian Magazine 30 May 1899. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
The Babies in the Bush. Originally published in The Bulletin 8 December 1900.
Prose:
The Drover’s Wife. Originally published in The Bulletin 23 July 1892. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse (December 1894).
“Stragglers”: A Sketch Out Back. Originally published in The Bulletin 27 May 1893. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
An Old Mate of Your Father’s. Originally published in The Worker 24 June 1893. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
A Double Buggy at Lahey’s Creek. Originally published in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine Monthly February 1901. Collected in Joe Wilson and His Mates (November 1901).
The Babies in the Bush. Originally published in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine Monthly April 1901. Collected in Joe Wilson and His Mates (November 1901).
“Shall We Gather at the River.” Originally published in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
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In 1892 Henry Lawson came up with the idea of engaging in a poetry battle with Andrew Barton Paterson. Lawson would argue that life in the Bush was an endless struggle, while Banjo Paterson would adopt the position that the Bush was wonderfully idyllic and enticing. The two created so much interest with their debate in the pages of the Bulletin that other poets soon joined in and shared their opinions.
Reflecting on the poetry duel many years later, Paterson said he considered it to have been “an undignified affair,” but one that was necessitated by a need for he and Lawson to find ways to make money. Paterson conceded that Lawson did a better job of arguing his case, but he maintained that he was the one who was actually on the right side of the argument. At the time, however, Lawson insisted, “I was right, and Banjo wrong.”
In 1939, Lawson’s widowed wife, Bertha, responded angrily to Paterson’s claim that the poetry duel was an orchestrated, mock battle. Bertha insisted that her former husband was too concerned about the struggles of the people of the Bush to have staged such a battle for a little extra money.
Lawson and Paterson Bush battle poems referred to in the episode:
Borderland (Henry Lawson). Originally published in the Bulletin 9 July 1892. Later republished as Up the Country.
In Defence of the Bush (Banjo Paterson). Originally published in the Bulletin 23 July 1892.
In Answer to ‘Banjo’ and Otherwise (Henry Lawson). Originally published in the Bulletin 6 August 1892. Later republished as The City Bushman.
In Answer to Various Bards (Banjo Paterson). Originally published in the Bulletin 1 October 1892.
The Poets of the Tomb (Henry Lawson). Originally published in the Bulletin 8 October 1892.
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John Schumann has enjoyed a long and successful career in Australian music. For his service to music and to war veterans, in 2014, he was a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). In the Australia Day Honours in 2022, John was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Since childhood, he has been a devoted fan of the work of Henry Lawson. In 2005 John invited a number of Australian musicians to work with him to record an album featuring Henry Lawson’s poetry. That album, simply entitled Lawson, was re-issued in 2020. To mark the centenary since Henry Lawson’s death, on September 2nd, 2022, John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra are staging a performance at the Adelaide Festival Theatre. The show is entitled Henry Lawson: A Life in Words and Music. In this episode we are joined by John. He discusses his love of Lawson’s work, the making of the Lawson album, and the Henry Lawson: A Life in Words and Music show.
Some of John Schumann’s favourite Lawson works:
Poetry:
Faces in the Street. Originally published in The Bulletin 28 July 1888. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
“Knocking Around.” Originally published in The Bulletin 7 December 1901. Collected in Children of the Bush (July 1902).
Second Class ‘Wait Here.’ Originally published in The Elector 1896. Collected in Verses Popular and Humorous (December 1900).
To An Old Mate. Originally published in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
Prose:
The Drover’s Wife. Originally published in The Bulletin 23 July 1892. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse (December 1894).
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One of Henry Lawson’s most commonly occurring characters was Jack Mitchell. In this episode we discuss eight Mitchell stories included in While the Billy Boils (1896). Mitchell is a likable, knock-about swagman who loves telling stories. Lawson’s real-life mate, Jim Gordon, served as one of the models for the character of Mitchell, but as we discuss in the podcast, Jack Mitchell is also a reflection of his creator, Henry Lawson.
Mitchell stories referred to in the episode, collected in While the Billy Boils(August 1896), and listed below in the order in which they appear in that book:
Enter Mitchell. Originally published as “That Swag” in the Bulletin 15 December 1894.
The Man Who Forgot. Originally published in the Truth 6 August 1893.
On the Edge of a Plain. Originally published in the Bulletin 6 May 1893.
Another of Mitchell’s Plans for the Future. Originally published in the Bulletin 1 July 1893.
Mitchell Doesn’t Believe in the Sack. Originally published in the Bulletin 13 May 1893.
Shooting the Moon. Originally published in the Worker 22 September 1894.
Mitchell: A Character Sketch. Originally published in the Bulletin 15 April 1893.
Our Pipes. Originally published in the Bulletin 11 May 1895.
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Henry Lawson’s first book was published by his mother on the printing press she used for her Dawn women’s magazine. That book was published three days before Christmas in 1894. Henry seems never to have been pleased by the book—neither the contents nor the presentation. He was certainly not pleased by his mother and their dealings over the book. As such, Henry happily switched publishers to Angus & Robertson when that opportunity arose. This change led to the development of a strong friendship with George Robertson that lasted throughout the remainder of Henry’s life. Angus & Robertson published the first two of their Henry Lawson books in 1896. In February they released a collection of Henry’s poems and then in August they published a collection of prose works.
Lawson books referred to in the episode:
Short Stories in Prose and Verse(December 1894). Sydney: Louisa Lawson.
In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896). Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
While the Billy Boils(August 1896). Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
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In late-1890, a businessman and journalist by the name of Gresley Lukin took ownership of Brisbane’s Boomerang newspaper. Lukin invited the 23-year-old Henry Lawson to relocate to Brisbane to join the staff of the Boomerang. When Henry started, he found himself working alongside one Alfred George Stephens, who later became an influential editor at the Bulletin. This was the start of the long association between Henry and A.G. Stephens.
Henry had many poems and several prose works published in the Boomerang while he worked there, and a number of those pieces later appeared in Henry’s published books. Additionally, he was employed to write a regular column for the Boomerang entitled, Country Crumbs. It is from that column, we took the name for our Henry Lawson’s Crumbs podcast.
Lawson works referred to in the episode:
The Third Murder. Originally published in The Boomerang 13 December 1890.
The Free-Selector’s Daughter. Originally published in The Boomerang 28 March 1891. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
A Narrow Escape. Originally published in The Boomerang 4 April 1891. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse (December 1894).
Alligator Desolation: A Ghost Story. Originally published in The Boomerang 25 April 1891. Collected in Short Stories in Prose and Verse as We Called Him “Ally” for Short (December 1894).
Freedom on the Wallaby. Originally published in The [Brisbane] Worker 16 May 1891. Collected in For Australia and Other Poems (October 1913).
Bogg of Geebung. Originally published in The Boomerang 23 May 1891. Collected in While the Billy Boils (August 1896).
The Shame of Going Back. Originally published in The Bulletin 10 October 1891. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses(February 1896).
The Cambaroora Star. Originally published in The Boomerang 19 December 1891. Collected in In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses (February 1896).
‘Pursuing Literature’ in Australia. Originally published in The Bulletin 21 January 1899.
A Fragment of Autobiography [handwritten manuscript]. Not dated, but composed 1903-1906. State Library of New South Wales: Mitchell Library.
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With dynamic editors like J.F. Archibald and A.G. Stephens, the Bulletin magazine became an immense force in the development of Australian short story writing and poetry. For a short story writer and poet like Henry Lawson, the Bulletin was the perfect outlet. In this episode we discuss the early days of the Bulletin from its inception in 1880. We talk about prominent figures associated with the magazine and the relationships between Henry Lawson and some of those people.
Lawson works referred to in the episode:
‘Pursuing Literature’ in Australia. Originally published in The Bulletin 21 January 1899.
The Sydney Bulletin. Originally written 1901, but not published until after Lawson’s death. Collected in Colin Roderick (ed.) Henry Lawson: Autobiographical and other writings 1887-1922 (1972).
The Sweet Uses of London: One View. Originally published in The Bulletin 22 October 1903.
Archibald’s Monument. Originally published in The Bulletin 18 September 1919.
Three or Four Archibalds and a Writer. Originally written 1919, but not published until after Lawson’s death. Collected in Colin Roderick (ed.) Henry Lawson: Autobiographical and other writings 1887-1922 (1972).
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