Knucklebones: Poems 1962-2012

by Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt is New Zealand's best-known and, arguably, best-loved poet. Since the publication of Doubtless: New and Selected Poems in 1998 (which has sold over 5000 copies), his career has been having a significant renaissance. He continues to regularly perform, has published a memoir, Backroads, a new collection of poems, Chords, had afeature documentary, 'Purple Balloon', go to general cinematic release, and collaborated with Dick Frizzell on a series of poem paintings. Knucklebones: Poems 1962-2012 is the latest collection of Sam Hunt poems to be published. It is intended to replace Doubtless (now out of print) to ensure that a substantial collection of his poems remain available to the general reader. Organised chronologically with a selection of poems from each of his published books, Knucklebones presents an outstanding collection of Sam Hunt's work, that runs from the earliest poems that first made his name, through to poems written 50 years on in 2012. Sam Hunt has had a remarkable and enduring career, and Knucklebones is a fitting tribute to the quality of his remarkable poems.

Genres: Poetry

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Sam Hunt is a New Zealand poet, especially known for his public performances of poetry, not only his own poems, but also the poems of many other poets.

Hunt was educated at St Peter's College, Auckland which he attended from 1958-63.

Hunt was among the younger New Zealand poets who began to be published in the late 1960s. He was first published in Landfall in 1967.

Hunt's distinctive appearance – tall and thin, usually wearing long, tight, trousers ("Foxton straights" he has called them) with vests and open-chested shirts, with long hair curling wildly above a well-worn face – is complemented by the familiar gravelly drawl, the rhythmic, sometimes staccato and sometimes incantatory quality of his recitation (often tapping his fingers or flicking a hand to emphasise the poetic beat) and the execution of occasional small dance-like steps of concentration. These have all made him one of New Zealand's most recognisable figures. Once, almost as well-known was his long-time travelling companion, the dog Minstrel.

Hunt was awarded a Robert Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago in 1975, and spent 1976 in Dunedin. He was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for community service in the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours and in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to poetry.] In 2012 he received a Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement.

From Wikipedia (abridged)

Reviews

[Jonathan Natusch · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some great stuff here (as there should be, given it's a career-spanning collection!). Perhaps many of the poems though are better performed live than sitting on the page in my lounge. Mr Hunt's performances were, by most accounts, legendary...

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kiwi icon, storyteller, wordsmith, performer and this contains many of my favourites. With hints of the Kaipara Harbour which I can relate to and which grounds the book to the whenua. Always going to be a winner.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The words really work on the page even if it's in the live readings where Sam makes them dance. But here they totally sing. The best of what is collected here is staggeringly good.

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to listen to him tell his poems and he was amazing.
I loved how he gave us the background of a poem or a story about how he came up with it before speaking it.