Reeling Backwards

'Raymond writes of all he has loved in a backwards-travelling anthology that brings together the great events of Brisbane history and the small events of daily life. He writes about wars and extermination and convicts on the triangle in Queen Street. He writes about a possum like a "friendly lout" and boiled eggs and honey on the breakfast table. Old, wild love affairs begin and end in these poems. We meet Bob Dylan and remember Enid Blyton and creaming soda and afternoon matinees with Danny Kaye. It is a mixture of joy, sadness, rage, laughter and passion, celebrating a life that has been full of surprises. Give yourself a treat and read Reeling Backwards slowly.' - Sandra Hogan, author of With My Little Eye

'With the mind of a historian and the soul of an artist, Evans turns his gaze back over a life lived large and fierce - determined to resist the hidebound milieu and humid statis of his home city, Brisbane. Reeling Backwards plays at the knotty edges of nostalgia, bending and folding time around place, while pausing to catch all the fleeting, sensory moments that make up an abundant life. Each poem is a skipping stone, a gentle disturbance, nicking the surface and rippling outwards.' - Melanie Myers, award-winning author of Meet Me at Lennons

'Careful readers of Raymond Evans's histories always sensed he was a poet at heart. In this collection, he demonstrates this truth. The poems, which "arrived out of the blue", are personal and historical - a moving lesson in how to understand who we are and where we come from - individually and collectively. Read and savour.' - Julianne Schultz, author and former editor of Griffith Review

'Raymond Evans writes of history, home and heart with wisdom and warmth. From an empty house to a childhood home filled with love. Travelling backwards through time across a life portrayed in sensuous images. So lovely to read - highly recommended.' - Edwina Shaw, author and editor of Bjelke Blues

'A rollicking ride...and fun! Piercing in its emotional description of intangible realities we can all relate to. Such powerful, astute observations about secrets of the heart, granting permission to own and acknowledge one's often discarded sensibilities - written with intellect and artistry. Bravo! Contemporary and enthralling!' - Sue Smithers, international model, actress and jazz chanteuse