Ep. 14 - The Poet and the Performer with Roger Patulny & Paul Capsis

Presented by Maria Issaris.

In episode #14, poet and writer Roger Patulny (a lecturer at Wollongong University by day) takes us through three poems, each telling a story: isolation in Covid, being a single parent, and, of course, the sheer romping boy-like enthusiasm of a spaceman orbiting the earth, reciting a poem of love and longing.

Highly respected Australian performer Paul also muses on the time of COVID, and the artful, textured and visceral way that Roger Patulny captures the small moments that make up this big event. Certainly big for Paul, who as part of the arts and culture fraternity, was deemed a ‘non-essential’ worker by the government. What does this say about our society, he muses.

Paul Capsis relishes all three poems! But is thoroughly celebratory of Roger’s incursion into the writing world, and the small introspective vision of major publishers which excludes new and ‘grass-roots’ talent. Roger has brought a team together to create a new online literary magazine Authora Australis, which uses a blind review process for selecting works submitted for publication. That way, he says, it’s not who you know, nor what your reputation is, but the talent and appeal of your work alone that gets credit.

Tune in to this wonderful episode with two essential workers in the arts, who will take centre stage and on a journey into the world of words. Just don’t get too dizzy taking a ride on that spinning orbital poem.

Original broadcast date: 5 October 2020