Hal Porter

Hal Porter (1911-1984). Courtesy NNDB.

Harold Edward (Hal) Porter (16 February 1911 – 29 September 1984) was an Australian poet, novelist, playwright, and short story writer.

Life

Porter was born in Albert Park, Victoria, grew up in Bairnsdale, Victoria, and worked as a journalist, teacher and librarian. A car accident just before the outbreak of war prevented him from serving in World War II. His first stories were published in 1942 and by the 1960s he was writing full time. His 1963 memoir, The Watcher on the Cast Iron Balcony, is regarded as an Australian masterpiece. His other works were less successful. Shockingly, his friend and biographer Mary Lord revealed in her book Hal Porter: Man of Many Parts that Porter had had sexual relations with Lord's then ten-year-old son; despite this, she chose to remain friends with him. Other critics, notably Noel Rowe, have argued that a close reading of his various works reveals a strong interest in paedophilia.

Publications

Poetry

• The Hexagon. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1956.
• Elijah's Ravens: Poems. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1968.
• In an Australian Country Graveyard, and other poems. Melbourne: Nelson, 1974.
• Hal Porter (edited by Mary Lord). St Lucia, Qld: University of Queensland Press, 1980.

Play

• The Tower, in Three Australian Plays. Harmondsworth, UK, & Ringwood, Vic: Penguin, 1963.
• The Professor: A play in three acts. London: Faber, 1966.
• Eden House: A play in three acts. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1969.

Novels

• A Handful of Pennies. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1958.
• The Tilted Cross. London: Faber, 1961; Adelaide: Rigby, 1971.
• The Right Thing. Adelaide: Rigby, 1971.

Short fiction

• A Bachelor's Children: Short stories. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1962.
• Short Stories. Adelaide, [1943?]
• Coast to Coast: Australian stories, 1961-1962. Sydney & London: Angus & Robertson, 1962.
• The Cats of Venice. Sydney & London: Angus & Roberston, 1965.
• Mr. Butterfry, and other tales of new Japan. Sydney & London: Angus & Robertson, 1970.
• The Clairvoyant Goat, and other stories. Melbourne, Vic: Nelson, 1971.
• Selected Stories. Sydney & London: Angus & Robertson, 1971.
• Fredo Fuss Love Life: Stories. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1974.

Non-fiction

• The Watcher on the Cast-Iron Balcony: An Australian autobiography. London: Faber, 1963
• Stars of Australian Stage and Screen. Adelaide: Rigby / San Francisco: Tri-Ocean, 1965.
• The Paper Chase (memoir). Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1966.
• The Actors: An image of the new Japan. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1968.
• Criss-Cross (1973)
• The Extra (memoir). West Melbourne, Vic: Nelson, 1975.
• Bairnsdale: Portrait of an Australian country town. St. Ives, NSW: John Ferguson, 1977.

Edited

• Australian Poetry, 1957. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1957.
• It Could Be You. Adelaide: Rigby, 1972.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of Australian poets

References

• Craven, Peter. "Porter: friend and betrayer," The Australian, 15-16 January 1994, Review 3.
• Mary Lord: Hal Porter: Man of Many Parts (Random House, Sydney, 1993)
• Noel Rowe: '"No one but I will know": Hal Porter's Honesty', in Australian Humanities Review, Issue 41, February 2007

External links

Poems

• Hal Porter (1911-1984) in the Australian Poetry Library (104 poems).

Audio / video

• Hal Porter, Watcher from the Cast-Iron Balcony at Radio National

About

• Hal Porter at University of Queensland Press
• Hal Porter in the Encyclopædia Britannica.
• Hal Porter at NNDB.
• Hal Porter at AustLit
• Porter, Harold Edward (Hal) in the Australian Dictionary of Biography
• "Hal Porter's Pastoral Vision" at Cordite Poetry Review
• '“No one but I will know”: Hal Porter’s Honesty' by Noel Rowe

Etc.

• Hill of Content Bookshop Hal Porter Short Story Competition