2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009
It was, truly, our pleasure to be your Yankee blokes. You set out to be different from the usual writers conference and you succeeded. In my book, your 2009 Muster ranks with the best of what I've experienced in the U.S.--in particular, the Sitka Symposium, an Alaskan annual event now about to pass into history, and the Fishtrap summer gathering, an annual northeast Oregon get-together now going into its twenty-fifth year...Both events are themed, like yours, and focused, like yours, more on serious discussion of ideas than on writing workshops and such. Fishtrap, in particular, demonstrates that both ideas and the writing craft can be served in the same weeklong gathering.
I am delighted to be corrected on the significances of "muster." Having been in jail only twice in my life, I didn't think of convicts and cattle, but of military drills. (Not having been in the military, either, of course...) My comment, I see now, betrayed an ignorance of the specific Australian instance and a too-easy reliance on my notion of the stereotypical "British." I see and hear the term now in a fresh light, and will remember your muster--the only I have attended!--in its distinct individuality.
It doesn't surprise me that you have received a positive response from participants. It does occur to me that, yes, euphoria might dissipate--and that such dissipation is likely to be more pronounced in an event held only every other year. I wouldn't wish any such calamity upon you or any other of the Goddesses--who, after all, are only mortal, and to whom I hope you'll express my gratitude--but it may be that an annual event would better sustain the euphoria issuing from each.
I would happily advise you, in due time, with my thoughts on the sort of Yank you might appreciate for the 2011 Muster. And we, if called, would be delighted to serve again, any year.
P.S.: Roger Underwood, I thought, was a most important member of your 2009 society. The anguished young woman in the back will inevitably be there and needs to be heard. The Underwoods, at least in my experience, aren't so often heard or so well spoken as this particular Underwood. I did indeed praise the warmth and authority of his storytelling voice--not in a "literary" way, but as a voice that made a connection with me and I think with many in his audiences.
As for the other Roger, many thanks for yoking us with him and Sue. As ignorant of Australian literature as I was, I had no idea the caliber of writer I was hanging out with. I have now read Mr. Darwin's Shooter and have a pretty precise idea. And they are a delightful pair. John Daniel, invited writer, USA
What can I say except THANK-YOU!!! What a muster! I think Watermark allows people to go outside their comfort zones in warmth and safety - another blessing of the muster. Waterrmark is a bespoke event – at once sophisticated and homespun. The speakers span the spectrum – academic, poetic, pragmatic…There is a loveliness in having the event in s School of Arts and that is what the weekend embodies – it is a living, breathing, speaking School of Arts – a knowledge filled word rich occasion. Carolyn Leach-Paholski, invited writer
Firstly, my warmest congratulations on Watermark, which I think excelled in every way - a gathering of interesting and intelligent people, opportunities to share creative thoughts and reflections, a forum in which to improvise, and superb administration. I met many lovely people. I particularly enjoyed my friendship with Peter Solness.... we seemed to hit it off from the moment we met, and shared several hours of discussion, ranging from our professional interests to families, tennis, books, tv programs and even politics...The fact that I had such an enjoyable time, and met so many lovely people (including you and the Goddesses) surprised and fascinated me. Roger Underwood, invited writer
How much I valued Watermark and how happy I was to be there…the festival is more than the sum of its parts, and its quality of theme and variations seems to be at the heart of that effect. Nicolas Rothwell, invited writer
Thank you so much for inviting me to this year’s Watermark Literary Muster. Driving away from the little cottage in North Haven on Tuesday morning, I felt surprisingly sad that I wouldn’t be spending another day learning about trees, chatting to nature writers over cups of tea and opening my mind to new and inspiring ideas.
The highlights of my experience were:
- The instant rapport I enjoyed with my stunningly intelligent and highly entertaining housemates: Stuart Cooke and Steven Ross;
- The approachability of all writers in attendance;
- Sunday’s indoor ‘forest walk’ with Bill Gammage, Roger McDonald, John Daniel;
- The raw and beautiful essay Bob Beale bravely shared with everyone the morning after writing it;
- Making friends with generous-hearted people like Ashley Hay, Peter Solness and Pete Hay;
- Establishing connections with writers from up my way, including novelist Jesse Blackadder (whose place I’m heading to this afternoon for a writers’ soiree!) and nature writer Peter Shepherd (who’s keen to attend our next cloudcatcher haiku walk);
- Buying books I’d never heard about;
- Receiving enthusiastic, validating and thought-provoking feedback (as well as actual POETRY that I will frame and keep till I’m a little old granny) following my presentation on Australian haiku;
- Meeting Gina Mercer, who has invited me to write an article for the next issue of Island;
- Talking with Dr Terry Whitebeach, who offered me an idea (as well as her promise of practical support) regarding a project I can undertake once I’ve finished my PhD;
- The discovery that perhaps I’ll keep writing after all. (I’d been planning to make a drastic career change after completing my book about Janice, but realise now that working in isolation is what’s been getting me down more than the writing process itself. Watermark reminded me that contact with other writers replenishes my motivation to persevere with difficult, long-term creative projects. Sharon Dean, invited PhD student
O for the gentler rhythms of Watermark! I haven't had time to scratch myself since I stepped off the plane.
I thought Watermark was mighty. Including - perhaps especially (as I said at the time) - the final session... It was a great assemblage of people yet again. Stuart Cooke - as awesomely good a poet as there is in the country... And another great Watermark thing for me that you won't know about was sitting up way into the wee hours with Anthony L. drinking Bushmill Irish whisky and reading poetry, as we used to 'way back when' when Anthony lived in Tassie...I thought Watermark a triumph, and I had the best of times. I'll try to come next time as a mere anonymous, paying-my-own-way face in the audience, and I won't even squeak. Pete Hay, invited writer
I took so much, so many things, from Watermark that I cannot list them. I hope I gave enough back. Bob Beale, invited writer
I liked your muster a lot - the intimacy and the conversational possibilities of it were fantastic, and it felt like a very warm and supportive space (which is useful when you're a sleep deprived and insecure at the best of times author reading 1000 words of a first novel ...). It was the kind of event one emerges from feeling genuinely inspired and excited, and with a brace of new people to keep in touch with. It was lovely to have the opportunity of catching up with writers I knew, meeting a host of new and interesting writers, and getting to spend so much time with that most important cohort, the readers. Having a more intimate group of writers and seeing them at different times in different combinations, made it feel as if we were part of a rich and inspirational – and very inclusive – four-day conversation. Ash Hay, invited writer
What a great four days. I was proud to be part of it, and your gift of inclusion made Sue part of it too... My head is still spinning with the possibilities aroused in the interweaving of every sort of writing and writer. Personally I came away with a sense of renewal and that reconnection with fellow-writers that working in isolation needs, but doesn't always get. Leaving halfway through the last session was like leaving the flicks before the end of the serial - two gunslingers facing off - we discussed mediation on the way home, not entirely in jest (I hadn't realised how driven into a corner foresters of great accomplishment must feel in the current climate. I hadn't picked up that in Roger, that a lot of the time he must have been simmering). I am sure your great diplomatic skills brought things to a rousing finale, however. Roger McDonald, invited writer
Congratulations - Kendall was superb, and very nourishing (quite apart from the excessive number of sandwiches I ate). And of course I can't thank you enough for directing my steps towards the Gross family. As for the weather - there's enough of the romantic in me to have been enchanted by the haunting mysticism of the swirling clouds and constant torrential rain, with a full rainbow at one stage. Don't know if I'd like it so much in sunshine.
Louise Luccarini
The trek was very definitely worthwhile. My head is bursting with new ideas and connections. A very enjoyable time for all of us. Thank you for your organisational talents - they worked to great effect.
I got promises for lots of material to put towards a strong Watermark issue.Gina Mercer
I was most impressed with the Watermark Muster. I found it amazing to be enjoying so many of my heartfelt passions and interests at the one venue. Like continental drift; my friends glaze over and there was Bob Beale touting it! What a treat to hear Elizabeth Webby's fine scholarship and reap the benefits of her long study. I could list many more with accompanying superlatives. I have been contemplating "becoming Australian" for some time now and exploring it through my writing and elsewhere. That was perhaps the most powerful concept that I have taken away with me. I have been regaling friends with stories from Watermark and they have many more to hear yet! I was at the Nightcap National Park protests in 1982 which were the last before rainforest logging was stopped. So much has changed, so much more to do. I remain stubbornly hopeful. Thank you all for your welcome, your sustained hospitality,your imagination, your committed energy,your warmth, your Australian-ness. Vicki Vivian
On the way home, I finished reading Nicolas Rothwell’s The Red Highway, from which many strong and sometimes enchanting images have stayed with me. Watermark itself had a similar effect. Although I came to it quite tired, there was so much especially in the last two days from which to draw sustenance. So, thank you for all the organisation and the wonderful selection of writers who spoke and shared their work. I think, too, the potential dialogue opened up in the last session on forests was very important. We need to find ways to talk and listen to each other on such important issues and this was a great beginning. Similarly, the session on fire on the first afternoon showed something of the kind of reflection we need to be doing together in Australia...Where often my interest in writing and place does not find an easy point of connection for family, I think one of the values of this Watermark has been in the snippets from it I find myself telling my family and research students.
Anne Elvey
I was honoured to have the opportunity to take part in what was certainly for me a most enjoyable experience. Andrew Riemer is spot on in what he said, as that sort of contact between writers and readers has been lost in the increasing size and commercialism of writers’ events. Some of the women I spoke to during the Melbourne Writers’ Festival last year were very critical of the move to Federation Square as the size of the new venue meant it was even harder for them to talk to the writers than had been possible in the more intimate previous space. The Kendall School of Arts was a great venue in this respect and I loved the musical animals above the stage... the mix of speakers was I thought a real strength of Watermark along with the venue and the chance of speaking to most of those present. Elizabeth Webby, invited writer
Watermark was pure pleasure. I’m not usually a conference goer, but yours might convert me! I doubt there’s anything like it in Australia.
Bill Gammage, invited writer
The intimacy between audience and writers; the frank offering and exchange of ideas; the caliber and diversity of guest writers; the fact that Watermark is small; we all share the same experience which encourages a confluence of information, opinion and experience which is positive and nurturing...Watermark offers readers, writers and people interested in the world a rare privilege - days spent in an intimacy of words. For the audience there is an immediate engagement with the ideas, visions, politics, passion and poetry of some of Australia's most interesting thinkers and writers. While the experience of many larger writers' festivals includes crowds, queues, a bewildering array of events and panels and, often, the frustration of having to choose between favourites because of multiple scheduling, Watermark's great strength is its simple program structure. All participants share the same experience. This provides the purest form of forum, sparks ongoing discussion and knits the Muster into a meaningful and memorable event...
Nature and Place is an excellent ongoing focus for Watermark. This year's theme, Wood, generated fantastic visual and verbal images, memoir, polemic and lyricism, as well as fascinating perspectives on history and the future. It was dynamic...
The feature events were wonderful too, Pete Hay's spirited presentation of the Third Cohort at the Watermark Dinner and the Musical Evening were particularly good. I had considered saving a few pennies by not going to the Music, but am so glad I did. Doug and Dale were excellent and those gifted local teenagers, with their wonderful harmonies and arrangements, made the spirits soar.Dael Allison
The intellectual breadth, the camaraderie and the discussion all exceeded my expectations Asa Wahlquist
It exceeded expectations tho mine were high. Quality of speakers was great, organization A1, size and coherence of the group and venue made it exceptionally accessible and exceptionally enjoyable. Barbara Holloway
I feel inspired, impressed, empowered, moved and ready to write more and excited to read the collection of books I read. Greg Kiernan
The intimate gathering, the honesty and generosity of writers, the single session program – all wonderful. An extraordinary and inspiring four days which has deeply nourished heart, mind and soul. I found my natural habitat – felt deeply at home. Thank you so much and wild horses couldn’t keep me away I the future. Jesse Blackadder
This is the first literary festival where my ‘real’ life (lived in the bush and concerned with the natural world and with a complex interwoven web of human relationships) and my “literary life” (my life as a writer and thinker) have both been able to be fully present. together. – without one taking precedence over the other. A rich and satisfying experience which will I am sure richly feed both aspects of my life.
Terry Whitebeach
It was a small, cosy, warm and welcoming gathering, full of interesting ideas and passionate discussion. The location is remarkable.
Stuart Cooke
The scale is perfect – no parallel sessions. And
the right balance of formality and informality. Now I'm
back in Adelaide and the dust has settled, I'm writing to
thank you for such a wonderful experience at the Watermark
Literary Muster. I give you full marks on everything: setting,
hospitality, accommodation, company, and, of course, the
brilliantly managed business of discussion, exchange and
entertainment. It really is a model and I felt very fortunate
in being part of it. I particularly enjoyed the range of
speakers and took away many discoveries and insights. Thank
you sincerely. Please keep on doing such a good job. Thank
you too for including Gillian Britton. The emerging writers'
panel on the Thursday morning was a highlight for me. They
were all so good and so interesting. Nick Jose,
Professor of Creative Writing, Adelaide University, invited
writer
A successful friendly gathering of a very special kind. Bernadette Hince
An inspiring continuous conversation Jill Morris,
invited writer
I met some fantastic people. It was worth the trip from
Queensland. Dale Jacobsen
Great mix of writers and topics; definitely worth coming
all the way over from the west. Jacki Wright, Post-Graduate
Creative writing Student, Edith Cowan University WA
Fantastic diversity of writers and ideas …has reshaped
my ideas on what is Australian writing. Melissa
Lucashenko, invited writer
The quality and variousness of the speakers, the warmth
of the gathering; the beauty of the venue; and the fact
that it was writing rather than academic...Speakers were
thoughtfully matched and the warmth of the gathering was
fantastic. It’s so lovely to see a community of like-minded
people bringing an event like this together – very
heartening. I didn't want to let any more time elapse without
letting you know how special I found Watermark to be. It's
really the most wonderful literary gathering i've been too.
I met some great people and felt entirely invigorated by
the blend of writing, ideas, and the beautiful place. I
think what i came away with most (& this is what separates
it from other such events) was a feeling of warmth. So,
many thanks to you and Eric and to all the good people that
make it happen.Lucy Dougan,
Post-Graduate Creative Writing Student, University of Western
Australia
Many thanks…for organizing the Watermark Literary
Muster. I really appreciated this opportunity. What a great
idea and thanks for inviting me. Nathalie Nguyen,
University of Melbourne, invited writer
I appreciated the balance between focussed sessions and
quiet time to contemplate...This has been a special time.
I’ve really enjoyed absorbing all the new ideas from
the panels, then thinking about it while walking the North
Haven waterways. I’ve come away feeling inspired,
challenged and nourished – thank you. Catherine
Padmore, invited writer, La Trobe University
Most stimulating and an enormous variety of speakers and
topics; the inclusion of aboriginal writers and speakers
is so important and much appreciated. Cecile Scholtz
This event has been an inspiring week for me in my environmental
education/ creative teaching work. Ken Rubeli
The Watermark experience is unbeatable. The dust is just
settling in my mind now. I felt like a bunch of wild brumbies
had run through it - so much to think about. It's like reading
ten fantastic books all at once. Carolyn Leach-Paholski
I would like to thank you [and your pantheon] for hosting
a very enjoyable event. I met many interesting people and
had a really good time. The accommodation worked well to
give some nice long balcony spells for reflection and friendship
and the surrounding area was a revelation. I hope to return. Adrian Franklin, invited writer, A/Professor Socoilogy,
University of Tasmania
Thanks so much for putting on a fantastic event. I was
honored to be a part of it. David Rothenberg, invited
writer, A/Professot oPhilosophy & Music, New Jersey
Institute USA
It was refreshing to be part of something that has grown
out of a community and exists because of the dedication,
passion and kindness of your members. Helen Cushing,
invited writer
Watermark is the Australian Nature Writers' Conference.
There is no other. I keep attending because I am interested
in Australian Nature Writing. Ian Johnstone
Thank you for making my stay such a pleasurable one and
for putting together such a wonderful festival. It's certainly
like no other festival I've been involved in - you really
get to know your fellow participants and the audience and
such intimacy makes for many interesting and stimulating
conversations. There was a real warmth impossible to achieve
on the production line model of the larger urban festivals.
And the chance to get out into the countryside was a special
bonus - I'll remember for a long time swimming in the pool
at the base of Ellenborough falls with David Rothenberg. John Hughes, invited writer
I can't thank you enough for inviting me (to be part of
the Muster). I found the entire experience very exciting. Judith Binney, invited writer Emeritus Prossor History,
University of Auckland, NZ
Watermark has left a strange feeling in my bones. Hard
to put it into words. It's a positive feeling - as if there's
been a shift towards something subliminal in me that I didn't
know existed. In my mind's eye I keep seeing the Camden
Haven flowing towards me…a pleasure to observe how
writers care about the world and its people. Hope for the
future. Peter Skryznecki, invited writer
I am writing to thank you so very much for all your kindness
and hospitality at the Literary Muster. It really is a remarkable
event. I have to confess that I arrived in Kendall not being
quite sure what to expect, but I found my time there really
stimulating, inspiring and refreshing. You had a splendid
group of speakers, and the atmosphere was lovely…
think you’ve achieved something very special, and
I’d like to send you all my deep appreciation for
everything. Tessa Morris -Suzuki, invited writer,
Professor Japanese History, Australian National University
Being inspired by listening to the clarity and focus of
the writers who presented their work, especially the poets,
and experiencing…their humility, in the light of their
profound insights on Life, Love, Death, “Nature” Georgette Allen, Valla Beach
Watermark was a threshold for me. It was a parallel universe that I got
to be part of, and I take away with me many thoughts of transcendence
– that there really is a world of love and concern, passion and
beauty, and how lucky to have been able to live in it for a little while. Deborah Bird Rose, ANU Canberra
The fine balance of conversation,
discussions, and panel sessions with public events, such as walks, river
cruises, music, luncheons, and dinners encourage an intimacy between participants
and visitors that is unparalleled when compared to Capital City writing
events. Overall, the mix provided an accessible and welcoming venue to
the general public who had varying degrees of experience with poetry and
prose and for those who were in fact new to readings focusing on literature
of nature and place. The 2005 Watermark Muster was certainly an exciting
meeting, not to be missed. Fay Bee Bee, visiting from Reno USA
It's hard to put into words
what the week in Camden Haven has meant to me personally. First of all,
it was extraordinary to be among so many kindred souls--writers and readers
passionate about nature. It's as though I had arrived home to a family.
I feel as though the experience has given me renewed focus and energy
as a nature writer--a greater sense of purpose and mission. And ideas!
Already I'm playing with new ideas for books…I'm already exploring
ways to get back to your wonderful country…Thanks again for the
wonderful experience. It will stay with me always. Jim McVey,
invited writer from Colorado, USA
How much I enjoyed the three
Watermark events I attended. The content of the various sessions gave
me what I was hoping to hear with respect to nature writing. For me, it
'hit the spot'. In addition, your attention to detail resulting in smooth
running, together with warm welcomes, made for a very enjoyable experience.
There was a lovely sense of energy and discovery. Friday night was a most
thrilling performance. Margaret Newman, Camden Haven resident
Quality of panels was outstanding;
genres were beautifully varied; I was deeply stimulated by the generous
intellectual and personal discussions; I discovered new voices and was
able to clarify things I was confused about; I was delighted by the general
company – the audience and extended Watermark group; the festival
lived up to its web publicity; it’s very high quality; special.
This festival is a tremendous resource. It brings together a diverse natural
forest of voices. I want to write again. I found that here, that energy.
Most importantly, I feel that many writers shared that feeling with me.
I felt part of an extending shared sigh of creative relief. Thanks so
much. Helen Milte-Bastow, Ivanhoe, Victoria
The experience was certainly
very different for me from the recent Byron Writers Festival and Brisbane
last year. I felt at home for the first time in any such event, found
it exciting and inspiring, and came away feeling nurtured and appreciated. A/Prof Margaret Somerville, UNE
I would love to be invited
again…I am sure it is an enormous labour to put the event together,
but if my experience is anything to go by it is tremendously valuable.
I can't say it strongly enough. The writing, the emphasis on writing,
the way the sessions move from the work to ideas about the writing and
its context, the engagement with the theme of our times - what is happening
to the natural world? - the wonderful group of creative people that you
bring together and wonderful readers and participators: I was very, very
thrilled to be part of the event. I'm sure everyone says the same - that
there were also so many details which simply worked, including the goddesses!
It's the right size for genuine engagement, there is a great sense of
communication and involvement from all the people there: it seemed to
me that you'd put together a forum for renewed energy and for true insight.
And putting it heavily, I was delighted that in a period when there are
so many dull, but terribly pressing, pressures to forget art and creative
practice, that you and Eric kept bringing the emphasis back on to the
writing and the writers and poets.Watermark
was an inspiring, focussing week. It was a real privilege to be invited
and to be part of an event that brought writers and the community together
– and did it so well, with so little pressure and such good spirit. Martin Harrison, poet, lecturer UTS
Whole
days spent in
An enchanted space
Talking of a sense of place through
Environment and nature-writing.
Readings of great beauty and
More ominous events.
Activism operating in its finest sense in a
Remarkable community of caring –
Keeping the vision splendid.
Thank you
Karen Brown, Port Macquarie
Loved it, will be back in
2007, have been inspired, motivated, challenged and excited from beginning
to end Liz Sharples, Tasmania
Congratulations on a highly
successful and wonderfully stimulating week - it's certainly got my creative
juices going, so look out!! Angela McPherson, Camden Haven resident
You know already how much
I appreciated Watermark but I'd like to say so again. You put it very
clearly when you talk about the combination of intellectual stimulation
and the intimacy of getting together with other like-minded readers and
writers. The ease of it all makes the latter possible and that ease comes
from the goddesses' generous and creative organisation. Thank you all
so much. I feel very lucky to have been invited. Dinah Hawken,
poet, New Zealand
Thank you and all the Goddesses
for a wonderful experience at Watermark. You all make this celebration
of creative writing worthwhile. I have
stopped going to capital city literary festivals. They now are so market
driven. I find them of little interest and starved of the warmth and intimacy
so evident at Watermark. They are tuned to fashion and the making of the
celebrity. There is no way I could
have had the Conversation I had with Martin in a room full of strangers.
The friendship shaped and encouraged the talk. Ian Templeman,
poet, publisher Pandanus Books
the wonderful event it turned
out to be. I think there must be something about people who have a passion
for the natural environment - smaller egos, less ambition or something
that makes for an open-ness and generosity towards each other which was
the modus operandi of Watermark, along with the consistently high quality
of all the presentations. Sharing the
apartment with Ruth and Dinah was also a great thing to do, and the gatherings
on the balcony to debrief about the day's ideas and events over fish and
chips and a bottle of wine was another high point. It was wonderful to
have all the writers staying in close proximity to each other, as it meant
we got a chance to talk and make those connections which so often lead
to collaborations and enduring friendships. What
came through very strongly was the range of approaches to writing about
nature, the depth of connection we all express in different ways, and
the sense of being engaged in something to which we believe we can make
a real contribution. Also how bound up in the social, cultural and political
life of Australia is a concern for land and landscape. Anyway,
I feel very privileged to have been a part of it all. I'll carry with
me for a long time the specialness of the days spent among people and
in a place which made it possible to express the best of our creative
selves, and to have it received in the spirit it was given. Kim
Mahood, writer. artist, Braidwood NSW
I very much think there is
a great deal gained by having this Festival not in a capital city but
a place made special by its own geography - a place where Tasmanians,
Queenslanders, Victorians, those from Sydney, Canberra etc etc can feel
a great closeness, not to mention the New Zealand and American connection.
I also think you've got it right with that mix of poetry and prose writing
- biographies, nonfiction, novels – so that we can all feel it's
as much, or more, about learning as about showing what we have. I
hope that when the new book, the Apocrypha is finally finished and published…
you'll see just how much nature has been writing itself into my new poetry,
in ways that often complement so many things I heard for the first time
at Watermark. Peter Boyle, poet, Sydney
Watermark is a world class
event which marries wonderful writing to an intimate environment watched
over by a talented and thoughtful organising team. Every writer had had
such adventures and told them beautifully. It was a truly inspiring cast
each one better than the last. An honour to be in their company. I love
Watermark. Every person, audience or speaker was treated with respect
and joy. My head is bursting with the wonderful words and stories I’ve
heard here. I will be coming back no matter what. Please let the next
Muster be as good as this one. Please let it be a biennial event forever. Carolyn Leach-Paholski, writer 2004 Watermark Fellow, Victoria
Watermark was such an experience
for me. It's hard for me to put into words (and he calls himself a writer?!?)
everything I experienced from it. I'm still on a high from it. Thank you
to you and all the Committee for your tremendous work, your foresight
and your great attention to the finest of details which helped add all
those extra elements which made Watermark so wonderful for all of us. Michael Connolly (Conal Fitzpatrick, poet, Camden Haven resident)
It is a blessing you bestow
on all of us in the Australian writing scene, nature writing, and the
places and people (all of us) it serves. Not to mention the future itself,
which is that little bit brighter and more hopeful because of you and
Watermark. Mark Tredinnick, writer, Sydney
It was as much a joy to be
a Watermark this time as it was last time and I look forward to 2007.
By then I may have 'lifted my game' as far as writing is concerned, and
may even have more published, though that possibility remains daunting,
especially given the wonderfully high calibre of the Watermark writers…
Such a rich body of work from everyone. Rosemary Sandford, Research
Fellow, University of Tasmania
It was indeed a very special
meeting and you are doing something very important for Australian writing
and for writing about the earth. A brilliant and diverse group altogether…how
good it was of you to put us up together and/or near each other. You may
know there were several get-togethers in units/motel rooms that went well
into the nights!… Important connections were forged among us all. Ruth Blair, Lecturer in University of Queensland
Thanks so much for the wonderful
time spent down there! once again, I can't begin to describe the feeling
I had coming home. For a full-time writer, it felt as though my batteries
had been recharged!
Samuel Wagan Watson, poet, Brisbane
I was…pleasantly surprised
by the combination of low-key atmosphere and high-octane thought
Danielle Wood, writer, Tasmania
I
have been trying to work out why Watermark has been the
event of the year for me. It is something to do with a number
of balancing factors: that it was low key and high quality,
well organised but spontaneous too, connected with the place
and the community, and so friendly to visitors. Most of
all it was wonderful to be around people who truly love
the natural world and truly love writing. Thank you very
much to the committee of 4 - who I hope by now have been
able to rest and recover a little. It was an extraordinarily
good event. Dinah Hawken, New Zealand
I don't want
to let any more moments pass before letting you know what
a miracle you all pulled off last week. Watermark was a
complete triumph. That it was is a function of your imagination,
tenacity, organisational skill and lifeforce. I know that
Nels and Laurie and Scott left the country still alive with
excitement at everything that transpired at Camden Haven
and Kendall and at everything that began there. And they
were full of love and gratitude for you and what you all
managed. But none of them is more thankful or more excited
than I am. You pulled together, with what I know were limited
funds hard won, a group of generous-spirited, committed,
articulate and intelligent writers, all of whose work is
embarked on a project Eric has been nurturing for years
almost alone. And you attracted an audience---no, a community---of
people, articulate and passionate themselves, hungry to
know about and to learn from the work of the people on the
panels. I meant what I said from the platform: this was
the single most successful and literate, the single most
important, literary gathering I have ever experienced---that
many people have ever experienced---in Australia, or for
that matter anywhere. Mark Tredinnick
You
have created something wonderful…..It was simply the
best of any meeting of people in which I’ve been involved
of the scale of conference, symposium, colloquium. It was
also by far the best of anything I have been to in the writers’
and readers’ festival category…..the Watermark
experience will be a forever-lasting one.…a warmth
and willingness between participants, and with the audience,
that was really special; a sense of a fraternity meeting,
but a fraternity who had merely suspected there was a fraternity.
A diverse fraternity though, a miscellany of types of writing
and writers that needed something special to bring them
alongside one another. It meant that Watermark’s participants
committed to the muster, and in ways beyond their respective
on-stage moments. It meant that our talk about the great
importance of making our words sing was in a context that
sang itself…..I personally now feel a whole host of
stuff affirmed about “nature-writing”; stuff
that I have wondered about, worried about in that solo-flying
state that, in my case, the writing is undertaken.
Geoff Park, New Zealand
Thanks to all
of your for your tremendous effort and ingenuity invested
in organizing and running Watermark. It was an extraordinary
success, I think. I myself have attended hundreds of scholarly,
literary, and environmental conferences in countries throughout
the world, and Watermark was among the very best of these--intellectually
exciting and personally rewarding. I am grateful to all
of you--as well as the other organizers--for your good work. Scott Slovic, University of Nevada, USA
Are you elated
and exhausted all at once? I felt some grief at leaving
you all on Friday afternoon - in the moment created by that
dramatic hailstorm. Grief is not a normal feeling at the
dispersal of conference participants. Congratulations on
your work - and the work of all the goddesses – in making
'Watermark' so richly rewarding as a social and intellectual
event.
Here are some
of the lines (just some) that still live with me: Eric described
the magic of writing, the way that 'words drop on you'.
He explained that, although a writer is public property,
'my obligations do not amount to answering the telephone'.
A planned life is an accountant's life. 'North Brother influenced
our decision that this was the place to live'. 'Children
need protection from moralisers'.
Nels admired
Eric's evocation of this place. 'Eric did it so beautifully
that I might have jumped up and hugged him, which I could
have done anyway.' Nels seeks the fullest, most intense,
most visceral experiences. He quoted Thoreau's wonderful,
wry boast that 'I have travelled widely around Concord'.
Mark Tredinnick
evoked fire and rebirth, and little Henry snuffled. A story,
he said, is not about inventing things, but a way of knowing
what's true. Once, when he explained the Aboriginal legend
of the Three Sisters to a youngster, she concluded: 'So
that's a true story that didn't actually happen'.
Patrice Newell
looks east for the antithesis of her agricultural life.
But she felt 'the seaburbs' crowding around her, vaguely
threatening, even there at night at the Pilot Station. When
she writes, she sometimes asks herself: 'is this girly?'
A farm can be a misery every other day, she reflected, but
there's always the kitchen at the end of it.
Herb Wharton
admitted that: 'I am not very political but I'm pretty bloody
argumentative.' He was able to dismiss Windschuttle without
even mentioning him: 'Lies can be printed just as easily
as they can be told'.
Bill Lines
confessed that he is congenitally hostile to authority:
'Thanks to the Queen, I've been blissfully immature ever
since'.
Nonie Sharp explained that visitors must become known to
country because land is sentient. Welcoming and acknowledging
are part of the one process, an extensive practice in Australian
indigenous cultures.
Anita Heiss's
family call her white father a 'Guborigine'.
Les Murray
described the 'levitation of land' that was the October
2002 duststorm. 'That's our country: every decade or so,
it has to scatter itself out of an urn.'
And Laurie
Kutchins quilted words for us, our words, and gave them
back to us transformed.
What a week! Tom Griffiths, ANU
I really enjoyed
my visit to your part of the world and the company was just
as memorable as the landscape. Many thanks to all who made
watermark and Kendell oration a great experience for me. Herb Wharton
The more I
think about the magic you wove at Watermark the more apt
the title Goddesses seems. Thank you, and Eric, so much
for your extraordinary vision and the labour it took to
put the muster together and see it through. And thank you
all for your unfailing good humour and generosity of spirit
throughout the five days.
I
booked, interested in finding out what a 'Nature Writer'
is. I know I write with a strong sense of landscape/spirit
but. I went thinking that if the Muster wasn't my bag I
could go home, quite happily. I think Richard Nelson was
the first hook, when he asked, of the magpie, what sort
of wind could create a bird like that? By lunch on day one
I knew I could not head home early. Many things stay with
me from Watermark; both the passion and the utter humility
of the writers, their professionalism and commitment, (weren't
they gorgeous people?) the diversity of interests and skills
of everyone there, and the rightness of Pete Hay and others'
advocacy of activism in nature writing. Dael Allison
Since
the closing moments of Watermark, I've been carrying a kind
of euphoria around with me, brought on by the remarkable
energy, engagement, and excitement that was created there.
Here in America, we've had a number of fairly large gatherings
centered around nature writing, and I've participated in
quite a few of them. But Watermark was unprecedented in
my experience.
Partly, this
is because it brought together a group of people who have
perhaps felt isolated, and suddenly they found themselves
in company with so many others who share the same passions
for the natural world, for writing and the arts, for the
vital endeavour of nurturing a more balanced and sustainable
relationship between humankind and the environment.
And partly,
it's because Watermark was so impeccably well organized.
From the initial invitations and promotions of the event,
all the way through the orchestration of each day's activities,
everything was done in a thoroughly professional way. Also,
it was important that presenters came from a wide range
of backgrounds, including writers, activists, and academics,
and perhaps most importantly incorporating Aboriginal perspectives
throughout.
I was very
impressed by the quality of people who had been attracted
to the muster, and this includes not only the formal presenters
but also the audience. It really was an amazing assortment
of folks.
Coming from
the U.S., where the tradition of nature writing is so well
established, Watermark gave me an entirely new appreciation
for the significance of this work, and it opened my eyes
to the possibility that nature writing will emerge as a
worldwide phenomenon. For me, there was a tremendous sense
of privilege to be a part of Watermark, because it seemed
like something powerful had been released there. Of course,
writing about nature and the environment is well established
in Australia, thanks to the work of people like Eric Rolls,
but perhaps this gathering opened the possibility that these
individual writers and artists will now feel more like members
of a community. And, of course, we can achieve much more
by working in concert this way than by working separately.
I loved every
minute of Watermark, and that includes not only the times
of harmonious celebration but also the moments when people
expressed controversial opinions. Those differences perhaps
made us uncomfortable, but they were also a stimulus to
discussions we never would have had otherwise.
Meanwhile,
it was wonderful to be a part of Watermark, to be back in
Camden Haven and at the Pilot Station. Wonderful to hear
again the voices of magpies and wattlebirds, lorikeets and
whipbirds, kookaburras and crows. And above all, wonderful
to spend a bit of time with all of you! Thanks so much. Richard K Nelson, Sitka, Alaska
Would you please
pass on my thanks and congratulations to members of the
Waternark organising committee for an excellent conference.
I thoroughly enjoyed being there and meeting so many interesting
and talented people. I get the feeling this may be the start
of a re-vitalised commitment to writing about the wonderful
places I am lucky to be promoting through the NPWS. I look
forward to next year's Watermark! Harry Creamer,
NPWS
Congratulations
on an outstandingly well conceived and organised event –
exceptional atmosphere rich in humility and friendliness.
Thoroughly uplifting Ken Rubeli, Dungog
I had a wonderful
time at Watermark, controversies and all. It was a peaceful,
intelligent, inspiring gathering. Anita Heiss |
