Tuesday 14 October 2008
Baxter part 2
Here is a poem from Autumn Testament that I find striking:
He Waiata
Mo Te Kare 5
No rafter paintings,
No grass-stalk panels,
No Maori mass,
Christ and his Mother
Are lively Italians
Leaning forward to bless,
No taniko band on her head,
No feather cloak on his sholder,
No stairway to heaven,
No tears of the albatross.
Here at Jerusalem
After ninety years
Of bungled opportunities,
I prefer not to invite you
Into the pakeha church.
(James K Baxter, Autumn Testament, 1972, Price Milburn and Company: Wellington, pp. 2).
He Waiata
Mo Te Kare 5
No rafter paintings,
No grass-stalk panels,
No Maori mass,
Christ and his Mother
Are lively Italians
Leaning forward to bless,
No taniko band on her head,
No feather cloak on his sholder,
No stairway to heaven,
No tears of the albatross.
Here at Jerusalem
After ninety years
Of bungled opportunities,
I prefer not to invite you
Into the pakeha church.
(James K Baxter, Autumn Testament, 1972, Price Milburn and Company: Wellington, pp. 2).
Baxter part 1
The other week I happened to come across a copy of James K Baxter’s ‘Autumn Testament’ (in Hamilton of all places!). This is the last volume he wrote before his death in 1972. This is my first encounter. I have long been intrigued by Baxter’s reputation and by other people’s response to his work but have never felt particularly compelled to read it. I have scarcely been able to put it down.
What follows is a section of prose from Autumn Testament. Feel free to post or email any thoughts. If I am not too lazy I will post more Baxter and other interesting stuff I come across. ;o)
Enjoy.
Under the cold high stars here at Jerusalem it is not easy to recall the mood of rage and rock-bottom frustration that led me, in the town, to think for several months that I was becoming a Marxist. It is difficult to go back in spirit to that claustrophobic labyrinth. Yet all experience asks to be understood.
B- made a good comment this morning, referring to my stay at Macdonald Crescent. ‘It must have been a very barren time for you, Hemi,’ he said. ‘But those experiences often turn out to be the most fruitful in the long run.’
He could be right.
Depersonalisation, centralisation, desacralisation, the three chief scourges of the urban culture. One has to look squarely at the Medusa’s head that turns so many into stone before one can even begin to smile again. But one has to do it without anger. Otherwise the light of the Holy Spirit is excluded from one’s meditation and darkness conquers the soul.
(James K Baxter, Autumn Testament, 1972, Price Milburn and Company: Wellington, pp. 5-6).
P.S: The Wikipedia article on Baxter is a concise and helpful introduction to Baxter.
Kia tau te rangimarie (let peace reign)
What follows is a section of prose from Autumn Testament. Feel free to post or email any thoughts. If I am not too lazy I will post more Baxter and other interesting stuff I come across. ;o)
Enjoy.
Under the cold high stars here at Jerusalem it is not easy to recall the mood of rage and rock-bottom frustration that led me, in the town, to think for several months that I was becoming a Marxist. It is difficult to go back in spirit to that claustrophobic labyrinth. Yet all experience asks to be understood.
B- made a good comment this morning, referring to my stay at Macdonald Crescent. ‘It must have been a very barren time for you, Hemi,’ he said. ‘But those experiences often turn out to be the most fruitful in the long run.’
He could be right.
Depersonalisation, centralisation, desacralisation, the three chief scourges of the urban culture. One has to look squarely at the Medusa’s head that turns so many into stone before one can even begin to smile again. But one has to do it without anger. Otherwise the light of the Holy Spirit is excluded from one’s meditation and darkness conquers the soul.
(James K Baxter, Autumn Testament, 1972, Price Milburn and Company: Wellington, pp. 5-6).
P.S: The Wikipedia article on Baxter is a concise and helpful introduction to Baxter.
Kia tau te rangimarie (let peace reign)
Thursday 3 January 2008
My Summer Foray into Beer Tasting
As you probably know (or can imagine) I’m more of a merlot drinker than a beer connoisseur, however when the weather reaches a certain temperature beer seems much more suitable, and there is nothing worse than an overly warm merlot. With Richard’s encouragement this year I have discovered that beer can actually be quite tasty, and has a complexity that I had not appreciated before. Mike and I had a lovely holiday in Napier where we visited the Filter Room. The Filter Room is a brewery and cider house, and you can do a brewery tour as well as tastings and purchases. The ambience is lovely, it is slightly out of town in the orchards, and it has a café attached, where you can order food to go with your beer. They offer a tasting rack which is great as you can try a little of everything (including cider and non-alcoholic options). Here are some thoughts on the 6 beers and cider that I tried:
Kingston Premium Cider – The tasting notes describe this as a medium dry cider, with a full-bodied English style. I enjoyed this cider and at only 5% alcohol it is very drinkable. If you have been put off cider by the apple flavoured lolly water available in supermarkets, this may convert you. I found it very refreshing and thankfully as cider should be, you can taste the apple without being too sweet. Mike said “yum”.
Perry (pear cider) – Tasting notes say this is a light sparkling sweet cider, made from pears. This is much sweeter than the Kingston, I was disappointed that the flavour of the pears was not stronger, and found it a little lacking in character. It’s as easy to drink as a soft drink but at 5% alcohol it’s not advisable. Mike said “too sweet”.
Force premium Lager – The tasting notes describe this European in style, clean crisp and fresh tasting. I found it light and refreshing, although not overly interesting in flavour. Mike said “its nice” and had another when we returned with friends (some days later).
Pure Draught: Pure 100% All Malt. – This is non-pasteurised, with no ‘added’ sugars. Compared to the others we tasted I thought this lacked flavour. It may be unfair to compare such different styles against each other. In my opinion it was plain and is probably for the non-adventurous beer drinker. It has the slightly beery bitterness that I personally dislike about beer. Mike said “ its ok”.
Special Reserve: The tasting notes describe this as citrus flavoured ale infused with honey and cinnamon. Developed with dining in mind and an especially good compliment to spicy food. This was my favourite and the one I drunk again when we returned (and bought a take home pack of). I enjoyed the subtle citrus flavour, and it was not bitter. It has complex layers of flavours that make it a pleasure to drink, very interesting and enjoyable. Mike says “mmm”.
Force Premium Draught – This is described as seductive in appearance and forceful in taste. I did enjoy it better than the Pure Draught it had a much smoother mouth feel with less bitterness. Mike said, “burp.”
The filter room can be found online at www.thefilterroom.co.nz
Kingston Premium Cider – The tasting notes describe this as a medium dry cider, with a full-bodied English style. I enjoyed this cider and at only 5% alcohol it is very drinkable. If you have been put off cider by the apple flavoured lolly water available in supermarkets, this may convert you. I found it very refreshing and thankfully as cider should be, you can taste the apple without being too sweet. Mike said “yum”.
Perry (pear cider) – Tasting notes say this is a light sparkling sweet cider, made from pears. This is much sweeter than the Kingston, I was disappointed that the flavour of the pears was not stronger, and found it a little lacking in character. It’s as easy to drink as a soft drink but at 5% alcohol it’s not advisable. Mike said “too sweet”.
Force premium Lager – The tasting notes describe this European in style, clean crisp and fresh tasting. I found it light and refreshing, although not overly interesting in flavour. Mike said “its nice” and had another when we returned with friends (some days later).
Pure Draught: Pure 100% All Malt. – This is non-pasteurised, with no ‘added’ sugars. Compared to the others we tasted I thought this lacked flavour. It may be unfair to compare such different styles against each other. In my opinion it was plain and is probably for the non-adventurous beer drinker. It has the slightly beery bitterness that I personally dislike about beer. Mike said “ its ok”.
Special Reserve: The tasting notes describe this as citrus flavoured ale infused with honey and cinnamon. Developed with dining in mind and an especially good compliment to spicy food. This was my favourite and the one I drunk again when we returned (and bought a take home pack of). I enjoyed the subtle citrus flavour, and it was not bitter. It has complex layers of flavours that make it a pleasure to drink, very interesting and enjoyable. Mike says “mmm”.
Force Premium Draught – This is described as seductive in appearance and forceful in taste. I did enjoy it better than the Pure Draught it had a much smoother mouth feel with less bitterness. Mike said, “burp.”
The filter room can be found online at www.thefilterroom.co.nz
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