| Reviews, criticism and comments |
Buzz Words CD-Rom “A Kiwi poet in the tradition of all Kiwi poets. Unfortunately New Zealanders put poetry to the side but this is very funny, a little sarcasm and parody. Very clever. Keith Newman and a guitar player. It’s funky and cool. He’s got a lot about New Zealand life whether it’s the bush or anti-Kiwi stereotypes - we’re a diverse nation we do a lot of different things. Really neat and very clever. The CD-Rom has all the lyrics, a few graphics. Good to see a Kiwi artist using technology. It’s very different and we like that,” - Dr Kristin Zemke-White, Good Morning Show, TV!, March 4, 2002. "An intriguing multimedia production packed with kiwiana and personal inspiration ...quite unlike anything you've ever heard," - Judy Voullaire, Ansett Airlines Inflight Magazine, July 1997. "Buzz Words celebrates, satirises, praises and puts words and music to the experience of being in New Zealand... the title track is probably the quirkiest NZ song since Low Profile's Elephunk, from the early 1980s," - Nevin Topp, Christchurch Press, Sept 3, '97 "Just listening to Buzz Words with pleasure again this morning - and it struck me that I had no indicators from my booking staff that they had contacted you and booked you for Sweetwaters. Have They?? - Daniel Keighley, Sweetwaters 99. (No, but that's okay) "Thanks for the poetry. I hope your verse doesn't get stored and forgotten somewhere in the garage! it's worth keeping out and trying to put in a collection and issuing. Of its protest genre it seems to me better than things I've heard and has real interest. It balances the general and particular in this area nicely and has a good modern style for the intimate poetry reading," - Rollan McCleary 2.7.99 (relastro@winshop.com.au ).
"I do wish I could offer anything better than this most doleful report about your poetry, but one has to report fact, not fancy. Poetry, in a commercial sense, is a dead, dead duck. Louis Johnson once said to me, there are more New Zealanders writing poetry than there are buying it, and this must be absolutely right, overseas as well as here...." - G C A Wall, publishing director. |
IN PERSONAL LETTERS: "I have read your collection of poetry Heartwars and find it like a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup on a cold winter's day - really warms you up. I must say I admire your style - it's really interesting, topical, feeling, imaginative and at times humorous...." - Carla Robins. "Heartwars is still sitting proudly
amongst our book collection. Your poems NEW ZEALAND WOMEN'S WEEKLY - 26-1-86 "Thank you very much for your letter and copies of Heartwars and Reflections From the Silver Surface. We enjoyed your thoughts immensely and will endeavor, if and when the space is available, to use some of them in our magazine. Yours sincerely, Michel Louise McKay (Mrs) Editor.
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9 Jul 1994 13:08:08 -0400 |
Reviews HEARTWARS - Baptist newspaper review - Dave Cohen 1985 "Keith Newman is a new man. He's a journalist from Palmerston North whose metier is poetry. Heartwars is his second book to date and has been published at the authors expense. If you enjoy poetry - especially the kind you can understand, and appreciate the rough look of a "grass roots" publication, then this should go down a treat with you. It's 40 pages long and interspersed with quirky sketches and photos. Heartwars is available at $5 a shot from ( www.wordworx.co.nz ). Trust me!" REFLECTIONS FROM THE SILVER
SURFACE - OTAGO DAILY TIMES 11-9-85 "Another book of verse which exhibits considerable care in presentation and layout is Keith Newman's Heartwars. A Manawatu journalist, Newman has published one other collection. Heartwars includes several likeable lighter pieces, notably Feet (which Spike Milligan would not be ashamed to fall his own) but when this author attempts a more serious utterance he is less convincing. His poems are certainly about human weakness and human hope, but they are curiously impersonal and therefore lacking in impact; there is little sense of these poems being peopled. Keith Newman handles his characteristic four line stanzas with competence, but he doesn't really achieve convincing cadence; too often the word that rhymes takes precedence over the word that would really fit, or move the reader." THROUGH THE DARK album by Guy Wishart Spamm Magazine. Review by Phill "...A nod of recognition to Auckland wordsmith Keith Newman who, not once but twice on this offering, fuels Guy's ability to put out a mean melody. And the tape includes a lyric booklet (complete with Pics). A nice touch." "I feel your pieces have done much for the magazine," Paul Grover, Christians Writing circa 1984? |
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