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Article: Vale Bruce Beaver (1928-2004).(Literature)(Obituary)
- Article from:
- Quadrant
- Article date:
- May 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Quadrant Magazine Company, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BRUCE BEAVER, whose funeral took place at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium on February 24, was not only one of Australia's most valued contemporary poets but one of its most inspirational.
In the heady days of the "poetry wars", particularly in Sydney, it was Bruce Beaver who acted as a mentor to key figures on both sides and helped many young poets be less dogmatic than they might otherwise have been. Those who thought of themselves as "avant garde" were impressed by his extensive knowledge of the American poetry of the 1950s and 1960s. Those who were labelled "conservative" recognised him as someone who understood the importance of craft and had a strong sense ...