1991 abc peter ross

komninos - bibliography - intro by peter ross, work history. pr: "isn't it a bit schizophrenic, for kids to have that free style and who have essays to write in the afternoon?"

k: "you have to make a clear distinction between essay and formal english language and creative writing and the use of informal language. I encourage people to use their schoolyard language when they are writing." "There are two types of language, formal language will be needed in life".

pr: "From microbiology to poetry?"

K: "I started writing poetry as therapy, then i met the street poets, read some bukowski, and the beats, my diary entry was like their freestyle poetry so I started reading my diary at poetry readings". "It was an unconscious writing as therapy". childhood in richmond - "this is a poem written when I was becoming a poet and not just a free bleeder'

pr: "parent's dreams, what do they think of you now?

pr: "why has poetry become such a public performance arena, arena?event? do you think?

k: "It's an immediate form of artistic expression, it's something that can be written in one minute and jumped up on a stage and tried the next minute, at the very many open readings we have all over australia. Writers in the Park had a lot to do with giving literature a public image, of creating a hype around listening to literature as an entertainment form".

pr: "You must have developed some theatrical techniques?" Do you know how to work an audience?"

k: "I wouldn't say they were theatrical, I can get to a point where i can whisper and still be heard."

k: "school students are a very discerning audience. If they think you are credible, they'll go with you. I use that in schools. Performance stimulates an interest in the kids and then they will listen to what I have to say about writing their own poetry".

k: "kids really all over australia respond in a similar way. No matter what school they come from, government school, private school, disadvantaged school, react in a similar way, their toys may be more expensive but they are basically the same.