| •
REVIEWS
Review
by
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~abr/DecJan01/ar.htm
lAlison Ravenscroft teaches
in English and Women's Studies at La Trobe University.
"In
this book, earthy voices speak with passion and often
tenderness about what it means to be indigenous and
belong to a particular place. We are wiser for listening."
Christopher Bantick - Canberra, Jan.2001
"It's
such a good idea it seems amazing it hasn't been done
before." The Age
"An
absolutely absorbing collection" Philip
Adams, Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"This anthology is brilliant! Not
just because it is the first international joint venture
between Indigenous publishers, in this case Jukurrpa
Books (Alice Springs) and Kegedonce Press (Ontario,
Canada). Not because it brings together award winning
and internationally acclaimed American Indian (Sherman
Alexie, Louise Erdrich), Inuit and First Nations (Maria
Campbell, Thomas King), Aboriginal (Melissa Lucashenko,
Sally Morgan) and Maori (Patricia Grace, Witi Ihimaera)
authors.
Not even because it is collection of
short stories that removes Indigenous characters from
being simply statistics, or stereotyped as welfare dependent,
unemployed (or indeed unemployable), radical activists
or victims.
No, the brilliance in this book is that
while it achieves the list above, it is also a damned
good read. Skins is multi-dimensional with a variety
of styles, incorporating a number of linguistic and
cultural traditions unique to each Indigenous Nation
represented.
...After reading Skins you will desire
turning the pages
of not only some of the ground-breaking Indigenous writers
of the world, but also those who have become the most
promising in recent years." Anita Heiss,
Queensland News, 2001
"Skins
is a strong affirmation of identity, a claim for recognition
and respect in the writers' own countries of origin.
Styles vary, the cadences of language differ, customs
and traditions are many and diverse - yet the similarities
and parallels are evident.... Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm
and Josie Douglas are to be congratulated. Their collaboration
assists writing transcend cultural barriers. This anthology
is a forerunner; we await the next." Paki
Cherrington, Tu Mai, August 2001
|
