Sunday, September 11, 2016

HOLY MOLY ! RARE VOLUME LEADS TO JOKING GERMANIC GOD

Midst  the stack  of  purchases from  the latest  annual  bookfest  on  Magnetic Island   was The Victorian  Drama League 1952-2002  by Robert E. Glass , foreword by  Charles Tingwell ,  a  presentation  copy  by  the  author   to  some   island   friends.

Thinking  this  book may  have  indicated  these  friends  had a secret  involvement   with  dramatic  productions  when  they  lived  in  Melbourne , I called  at  their  leafy  residence , a koala bear heard grunting  nearby from  time  to time, a  Curlew sitting  on  eggs .

In answer to  a  question , the  husband denied he and his  wife had trod the amateur  theatrical  boards in earlier  days . However ,  he admitted  that  while he was  studying  German in Melbourne  , he  once  stood  up  and  was  instructed  to  say  he  was  God .

Standing at  the front door of his  island  home , with a flowing beard which made him  appear God-like,  a bit scruffy , he firmly repeated  his line  from  yesteryear : Ich bin Gott ! Then  he  brought the house down by saying that on another occasion he  had   told   two  risqué  jokes  in  German .
 
  
Other items of interest  bought at the bookfest , held at  the kindergarten , included two worn,  silverfished editions of  the   Deakin University  magazine , Mattoid , 1979 and 1981 ,  dealing  with  poetry, prose and graphics ; Speaking of  Home , Poetic  Relections  on  the  Pacific Islands   by  Professor  William  C. Clarke , University of Otago , New Zealand , which contains a  number of impressive colour  plates  by Pacific artists  , poems dealing with a wide range of subjects , including corruption , tourism , cruise  ships , impact on the environment , logging , American and  French nuclear   testing in the Pacific, a conclusion which  says more detail could be provided about the troubles of the South Pacific today , ending with  a  poem about the   Fiji  tensions.