MacMillan Makes Good

As mentioned in a previous post, Andrew recently learnt that one of his poems, “Mr James”, was published without his knowledge in a text book by MacMillan Education Australia 14.

Andrew approached MacMillan last week and the publishing house responded with an apology for the oversight and an offer of a $400 payment. Needless to say, Andrew happily accepted both.

The full publication details of the book in which “Mr James” appears are:

Simply Poetry: A student workbook

eds Rex Sadler & Sandra Sadler
MacMillan Education Australia Pty Ltd (South Yarra)
First published, 2004. Reprinted 2005 (twice), 2006, 2007 (twice)
ISBN: 9780732997755

The poem “Mr James” was first collected in Andrew’s book, Counterpoise (Angus & Robertson, 1980) and is reproduced here:

Mr James

When I was a boy
and needed birds, Mr James
built a cage for me
from large pine-wood cable-reels.

And at church on Sundays
he stood at the door,
crushed my knuckles
in the vice of his hand,

handed me a hymn book
from his brick-like stack
and banged me with the hammer
of his voice.

Of all the kind people
I have known in my life
this man is set apart,
having raised a cathedral in my heart.

© Andrew Lansdown