Published 1 November 20081 November 2008 · Main Posts Overland 54 admin Overland 54 was a special edition dedicated solely to poetry about the Vietnam war. Part of the introduction ran as follows: The Australian presence in Vietnam was born in deceit. It was a shabby attempt to buy insurance concealed behind a smokescreen of cold war rhetoric. The purpose was not to protect South Vietnam; it was to preserve Australian conservatism. And our leaving was shrouded in lies just as was our going. The Australian people were not told the truth about why we had entered nor why we had left, nor that we had lost. Poets contributing to the collection included Judith Wright, Denis Kevans, Bruce Dawe, James McAuley (!), Rodney Hall, Clem Christesen, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Graham Pitts, Len Fox and Mona Brand. The foreword (by guest editor R.H. Morrison) opened like this: Anyone studying the Australian poetry of our time will be struck with a signficant fact: the anti-war ranks in the community have enlisted some of our finest poets, but the pro-war elements are poetically silent. Is this because those who, even with the best of patriotic motives, welcomes, supported and justified Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam war know at heart that they have stifled something in their conscience? A poet who has maimed his own humanity becomes mute. What would a similar edition about Iraq look like? Who would the contributors be? Could you write a paragraph like the one above, with a similar conviction? admin More by admin › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays First published in Overland Issue 228 10 November 202311 November 2023 · Subscriberthon 2023 On the final day of Subscriberthon, Overland’s most important members get to have their say Editorial Team BORIS A quick guide to another year of Overland, from your trusty feline, Boris. I liked the ginger cat story, though it made my human cry. I liked the talking cat, too, but I’m definitely in the “not wasting my time learning to talk” camp. But reading is good. And writing is fun, though it’s been challenging […] 1 First published in Overland Issue 228 9 November 20239 November 2023 · Subscriberthon 2023 On the second-last day of Subscriberthon, Overland’s co-chief editor Evelyn Araluen speaks truth to power Editorial Team To my friends and comrades, I’m not sure if there’s language to communicate how this last month has utterly changed me. This time a few weeks ago the busyness and chaos of bricolage arts and academic labour had so efficiently distracted me from my anxiety about the upcoming referendum that I forgot to prepare myself for its inevitable conclusion.