Reviewed by Trevor Reeves

JAAM 13 and GLOTTIS 3. JAAM edited and published by Mark Pirie of HeadworX Press, Wellington and Glottis, edited by Corin Black in Dunedin.

Both are edited and published by new generation writers but the major articles in each dwell on the past, Useful, if you want to describe a sense of place and progression in terms of the "next wave" of contributors to literature in New Zealand. In Jaam, Phillipa Prebble, who completed a degree at Canterbury University last year with a study on literary publishing attempts to "re-set the past" and to some extent, redress the lack of recognition of small press publishing in the South Island of New Zealand's current and past literary historians. Her article deals with the rise of Caveman Press and Hawk Press in the 1970's and early 1980's and their contribution to the overall picture of an emerging new direction for New Zealand literature from the 1960's. This article has been well researched and would be essential reading for those who want to 'fill in the gaps' left by publications such as Oxford's Companion to New Zealand Literature (1998).

In GLOTTIS, there is a very informative and sometimes amusing interview by Richard Reeve and Corin Black of Lawrence Jones, former academic at Otago University, having started there in 1961. He is editor of the Journal of New Zealand Literature and has been a major literary critic in New Zealand for many years. In the interview, Reeve and Black bring out the details of Jones' development of New Zealand literature as a teaching subject over the years. He contributed a section on the New Zealand novel for the Oxford History of New Zealand Literature. His book, Barbed Wire and Mirrors (1987) is now recognised as one of the more significant works of New Zealand literary criticism to date. It is somewhat of a surprise to see this very interesting and useful interview in Glottis when you might almost expect to see it in one of the older, more staid journals, but that is the trend for the new millenium it seems, and it is to be applauded.

In JAAM, there is an editorial, which is usual these days especially for smaller and newer (and somewhat struggling?) literary magazines. Such editorials are needed for the new genre to establish its function and place and make the claims it obviously ought to be making on behalf of the next wave of writers. Jaam provocatively asserts that writers have "suffered from inadequate and unsympathetic reviewing in the pages of Landfall" (in the past and presumably presently). "JAAM is now making a concerted effort to cover all poetry releases in this and upcoming issues, to take on a more serious and professional appearance". Laudable, yes. Now sponsored by Creative New Zealand (not without a fight, it seems), JAAM is making a creditable effort to achieve this aim. There are no less than forty pages of competent reviewing of new publications, including "shorts" of other literary magazines, like Southern Ocean Review. This is the first time an on-line magazine, really the trend now, particularly overseas, has been dealt with locally in a print publication other than NZ Listener. One hopes the on-line magazine, Trout, in Auckland will get a mention one day. It's been going since 1997 but not a word said.
In a magazine billed at providing "new young New Zealand writing" the editors have gone for a wide spread of ages and styles. As well as aging veterans like myself and Alistair Paterson there is Stephen Oliver, really a forgotten man of New Zealand literature until recently, and others. But young writing is certainly well represented here. And there is no sign of 'cliques' such as the Manhire Group (in Sport) or the badly out-of-touch crew of Landfall.


I enjoyed the work of Alistair Paterson in this issue, "Lilies" and "Remarkable". He certainly hasn't lost his deft touch. Some of the prose is quite charming: "The Bead Weaver" by Katrina Bell, and Tim Jones "The New Land", who is really making a name for himself with his fine work. As Lawrence Jones noted, there was a striking shortage of fiction writers who introduced political overtones into their work. His namesake does it here – it's a fun read! The introduction to Bill Sewell's work should not be overlooked as with the excellent article, "Future Lit: Targeting the Psychographic" by Annabel Crerar. This is an article about the future! Also, it is good to see overseas writers represented. Subscribe now, and get your copy to read the rest: $21.00 for three issues, 26 Grant Road, Thorndon, Wellington.


GLOTTIS is smaller, and a little more irregular, it seems. It is more a magazine of writing rather than a magazine for and about literature. The focus here is on Dunedin writers and this issue displays a wealth of talent. Some of these writers are going to go a long way, such as Tarek Bazley, with an excellent story called "King Shag". Here at last we are getting some intelligible writing and this is a piece of pure enjoyment. Other locals who have weighed in include the indomitable David Holmes who writes "From the Antipodes". This piece, billed as a segment from an introduction to a larger work has everything but the kitchen sink in it. One feels he must have been reading large slabs of Ezra Pound, perhaps. His intelligibility and direction in this piece is very much in question, in my view, but my word, is he a toiler!
The poetry is sometimes quirky, with some really good lines blazing out here and there: "…. Perhaps they are not trees at all / but barcodes" from Clair Beynon's "His Words, Not Mine". The advertising rep for the magazine has done a good job, too. Adverts for local bars and pubs proliferate, so you'll know where to hang out when you come to Dunedin. Tony Beyer pokes his nose in from Auckland with typically polished pieces: Place Name and Mrs Caddie's House. Beyer has a very sharp nose for the 'ordinary' in life and he can hone it to a startling expression sometimes. John Allison's work here shows once again why he must be one of the most important poets writing in New Zealand today. There's more… but I'll tell you about it when we meet at FUEL, here, for some refueling sometime. Subscription is $15 for three issues plus postage, totalling $18.00. It has to be the best buy of the century. Be in now: P. O. Box 6249, Dunedin.

SPIN 36 (March 2000). Spin, edited this time by we-know-not-whom, but edited by Catherine Mair and Bernard Gadd for the Winter issue, rolls out no less than 59 poets for it's March issue. That's enough for two footie teams including reserves. Levity aside, though, there is no other magazine in New Zealand that treats poets with such care and sensivity. This is not a magazine that postures, or for posturers. The editorial (by someone in Mairangi Bay) discusses the use of certain words – pornography, 4-letter words and their acceptability or otherwise; it's a good read, this. My favourites amongst the poets in this issue include John Allison (his The Zen of Mud is a hoot!). Tim Bravenboer impresses: "…who's Mary / where's Tuesday" in Leviathan. Jill Chan is a new voice coming along just nicely. We could have done with a list of contributors' bio's, but you can't have everything, I guess. There are too many other poets here that I like, to mention in this space. I just look forward every time to receiving my copy, and enjoying it. Good to see reviews here, too. SPIN appears in March, July, and November. $20 subscription (that's less than a ticket to the footy). Write to Leicester Kyle, C/o Postal Agency, Ngakawau, Buller, NZ.