Snake Like Charms

Book excerpt: This book is grounded deep in reality, as are the snake cultures and legends it draws from. Author Amanda Joy is a poet from the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia, origin of the Rainbow Serpent, the Great Spirit that represents the world's oldest religious tradition. According to Indigenous song-cycles, a snake literally created this country. These lines from the poem 'Your Ground' carry their wisdom lightly "snake says / be still / stand your ground / it the only protection we have.' This book quivers with snakes, consorting with birds and animals, in company with humans: "There's no animal alive / won't meet your eye." The author won the Peter Porter Poetry Prize, created by Australian Book Review, in 2016. ***.This book is teaming with life, it's a celebration of families surrounded by animals, a book where ideas snake through the lines like arteries. Amanda Joy's variegated language explores rebellious ideas, delves into the underground but remains compassionate. This poet takes a hard look at the world now and yet comes up with a hugely optimistic book.--Robert Adamson (Series: UWAP Poetry) [Subject: Poetry]