Emma Neale
Let us praise
the small evasions:
the missed call
the slight sore throat,
the prior engagement … From ‘Little Fibs’
Fibs, porkies, little white lies, absolute whoppers and criminal evasions: the ways we can deceive each other are legion.
Liar, Liar, Lick, Spit, the new collection by Ōtepoti poet and writer Emma Neale, is fascinated by our doubleness. Prompted by the rich implications in a line from Joseph Brodsky — ‘The real history of consciousness starts with one’s first lie’ — it combines a personal memoir of childhood lies with an exploration of wider social deceptions.
From the unwitting tricks our minds play, to the mischievous pinch of subconscious imitation; from the corruptions of imperialism or abuse, to the dreams and stories we weave for our own survival, these poems catalogue scenes that seem to suggest our species could be named for its subterfuge as much as for its wisdom. Yet at the core of the collection are also some tenets to hold to: deep bonds of love; the renewal children offer; a hunger for social justice; and the sharp reality that nature presents us with, if we are willing to look.
Author
Emma Neale is a novelist and poet. Liar, Liar, Lick, Spit is her seventh poetry collection, following To the Occupant (Otago University Press, 2019). Recognition for her work includes the 2008 NZSA Janet Frame Memorial Award for Literature and the 2011 Kathleen Grattan Award for Poetry for The Truth Garden (Otago University Press, 2012). In 2020 Neale was awarded the Lauris Edmond Memorial Prize for a Distinguished Contribution to New Zealand Poetry. A former editor of Landfall, she lives in Ōtepoti Dunedin and works as a freelance editor for publishers in New Zealand and Australia.
Publication details
Poetry
230 x 165 mm
Cover art by Laura Williams
ISBN 9781990048883
RRP $30
Release date: 14 November 2024
Reviews and Interviews
Review: ‘I liken these poems to those decadent liquor-filled chocolates that seem to proliferate around this time of year. You put one in your mouth and you think “Oh yeah, that’s a nice rich, dark chocolate” and then you suck or bite into it and you realise there’s this boozy centre, that sugary feeling that fills your mouth.’ – Claudia Herz Jardine for Nine to Noon, RNZ Listen