Brian Buckley Remembers Peter Porter
Peter Porter, the poet, enjoyed Carlton and Melbourne, but there is no record of him visiting the local Library, although he was on a list of potential speakers.Born in Brisbane, he spent most of his life in London where he died in May 2010, aged (active and thoughtful) 80. He was a friend of a number of well-known Melbourne writers including the considerable poet, Peter Steele. The friendships were consolidated by his frequent visits here later in his life, after a lack of recognition in his birthplace for about 30 years.
I was a casual reader of his poems until I was knocked over one afternoon reading "Neighbours" which was composed shortly after his visit to the Arezzo region in Italy.(He loved Italy and the works of Piero della Francesca). He had looked into an old visitors' book at Borgo San Sepolcro and noticed a couple of entries, The beginning of the poem reads:
"I am Cecco di Cecchi
who died in 1493
and I apologise now
for troubling you.
This is my chance to speak...."On the opposite page of the memorial book (Libro di Morti) is an entry for Pieiro noting his death in October 1492.
Porter wrote about 17 books of poetry at last count, and a lot of music criticism (his ability as a musicologist largely self-taught), book reviews, and general literary and other comment. He made his living by writing, and regretted he never earned enough to buy a London flat when they were affordable. He was a friend of Clive James and his set.
He was clearly influenced by Browning and Auden (who is not, except the post-modernist scribblers) and became a literary lion in Britain in the last few decades of his life, through his wonderful conversational skills as well as his writing. He was interested in everything, and could turn most of this interest into verse that was fast-moving, erudite and melodic.
He enjoyed the poetry of Evan Jones, Chris Wallace-Crabbe and Vincent Buckley, amongst other prominent locals. He certainly compares with A.D.Hope, Kenneth Slessor and Les Murray in the Australian pantheon of poets, although often writing in a less formal, and less personal, style. His last published book was "Better Than God" (not intended to be irreligious). A new one is due out shortly and we hope the Library orders it.
An example of his irony is the title of his first book, "Once Bitten, Twice Bitten". In the poem, "Neighbours" (mentioned above), is the prophetic line:
"Now time has torn out my tongue".Brian Buckley
Carlton Author and Public Policy Director
From the Pacific to Carlton
Did you see the TV show "The Pacific” when the soldiers came to Melbourne for their R & R? If you had, you would have seen US marine Robert Leckie visit his girl friend in a double storey house in Rathdowne Street. Then he visited his neighbour in a lovely double fronted house in Fenwick Street.This program has been screened all around the world showing a little piece of Carlton.
La Porchetta Farewells Rocco Pantaleo
Rocco 'Rocky' Pantaleo, who died in a road accident on 26 March 2010 at the age of 53, will be remembered as an important force in the rejuvenation of the Rathdowne Street shopping strip between Curtain and Fenwick Streets, North Carlton. Shops at both ends of this block have over more than a century always survived economic and demographic changes but a number of shops in the middle of the block became private dwellings as early as the 1930s. One such was 392 Rathdowne Street, out of commercial use for thirty years when in 1974 Santo Aiello and a partner opened Porchetteria later called La Porchetta. According to newspaper reports, it was in a run-down condition when in 1985 it was taken over by Rocky Pantaleo, who had arrived in Australia as a young man of 21 and speaking no English less than ten years before. It was the first of his tremendously successful pizza restaurants which over the years expanded into a huge franchised business and four frontages in Rathdowne Street. The steady flow of diners is a mainstay to local shops of all kinds and local residents and long-term traders alike acknowledge the importance of Rocky Pantaleo's contribution to these Rathdowne Street shops.
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