Leonard Cohen wrote “poetry is just the evidence of life”, a phrase perfectly apt for what has happened to Australian Poetry (and Australian poetry) over the last month.
Paul Kooperman, screenwriter, playwright, author and Founding Director of the newly formed Australian Poetry Limited, suddenly resigned, made his thoughts public and was immediately suspended from the office leaving projects hanging, the office in disarray and staff members wondering about the fate of the organisation.
Although a shock resignation, the issues Kooperman had been experiencing with the Board of Directors “had been occurring since the organisation was launched in January 2011,” he says.
Australian Poetry Limited is a merger between two organisations: the Australian Poetry Centre based in Melbourne and the Poets Union based in NSW.
“The logistical issues involved in merging the two organisations were easier to deal with than the philosophical issues. The attitude, expectations and agendas of people from the two different organisations were vastly contrasting and sadly could not be reconciled,” says Kooperman.
Kooperman said he ultimately “felt bullied by the Board, and was unable to continue to battle the self-interest and controlling nature of Board Directors”. So he resigned after a meeting with Board members who denied any bullying which left Kooperman in the position of having no recourse and feeling like he had no option other than to leave.
Kooperman says “it’s unfortunate because the staff is so talented and committed. It is a dynamic, fun office to work in. Eliza Hull, Noe Harsel and the rest of the staff are a terrific, smart, talented, enthusiastic group of people and it is with regret that things had to end like this.”
A difficult time for the organisation, Australian Poetry, has clearly achieved unheard of success since launching just over a year ago. In the short time Kooperman led the organisation, he achieved many terrific milestones for the organisation and for poetry generally increasing media coverage, audience involvement and readership for poetry via a number of terrific projects: establishing a phone application, running a National Symposium for poets, running an events and workshop program, establishing extraordinary partnerships with Life Without Barriers, the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, SBS, the Sebel Pier One Sydney (putting poems on their pillows), establishing a podcast with RRR called Nothing Rhymes with RRR, initiating the famous Cafe Poet Program (now placing more than 70 poets in residence in cafes around the country), developing a second phone application called Poet Pals, linking the Cities of Literature, being successful in gaining the support of the Australia Council to send two poets to Ireland in 2012 and producing the Australian Poetry Journal.
It was a whirlwind of a time, a golden era for Australian poetry. Kooperman’s innovative, entrepreneurial nature was a good fit for an organisation (and sector) needing to spread its wings and connect with a wider audience, but his reign and vision has come to an abrupt end.
Australian Poetry Limited has appointed an Acting Director, Cathy Brown-Watt, and Kooperman hopes the organisation can stabilise, find a new Director, continue to grow and reach new audiences. He has been selected to participate in the Australia Council’s Emerging Leaders Program in Mt Eliza this week and is looking forward to utilising his experience and expertise in another context.
