DoP November 2008, Welllington 138 x 180mm / 80pp Taking Bob DylanâÂÂs 1975 album Desire as its creative starting point, Michael OâÂÂLearyâÂÂs book contains a mix of new and earlier hard-to-find poems. The first section âÂÂLivinâ ina AucklanâÂÂâ contains most of OâÂÂLearyâÂÂs (now out-of-print) poems from his early Auckland days in the 1980s. The second section then moves on to Dunedin (where OâÂÂLeary lived for a decade) before finishing up in Wellington (OâÂÂLearyâÂÂs current location). Throughout the journey OâÂÂLearyâÂÂs book includes some moving tributes to dead friends such as Hone Tuwhare, Victor OâÂÂLeary and Nigel Cox.
Author description
Michael O'Leary's work includes collections of poems, several novels and a published thesis on small press publishing in New Zealand. His most recent novels are Unlevel Crossings (Huia Publishers, 2002), a highly original work in the Irish-Maori tradition, and Straight (ESAW, 2007). HeadworX published his recent collections, Toku Tinihanga (Self Deception), Make Love and War and Sounds of Sonnets, a collaborative volume with Mark Pirie. He is also the publisher for Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop (E.S.A.W.). The final novel in his trilogy Magic Alex's Revenge will be published this year by ESAW.
