'Mangroves' is Laurie Duggan's first book of poems since his 'New And Selected Poems 1971-1993' and 'Memorials', both published in 1996. From 'The Ash Range' to 'The Epigrams Of Marshal', he has published ten poetry collections as well as a cultural history, 'Ghost Nation', published in 2001.
This generous collection reveals a change in direction by this long-time Melbourne resident. The first half was written in Brisbane. It broadens the range of Duggan's work, adding to his customary wit and documentary approach a new sense of philosophical investigation.
The second half contains work from the early nineties including 'Twentieth Century', a group of translations from an Italian Futurist poet, and concludes with the long prose poem, 'The Minutes', a hallucinatory meditation on art and politics in Melbourne.
