the influence of language poetry begins leves' review - presumably from overland - of duty. he veers from this into european culture/history. the presence of charles bernstein - influential language writer (poetry and essays) - on the back cover - his blurb is on the homepage too - clues us in before we start. but clues us in to what? there's a tradition of criticising Australian poets in taking from (contributing to) northern hemisphere literary movements - as if we're all meant to read the same things (leves doesnt do this by the way). surrealism gave something to many poets writing now. they're not usually taken to be surrealists, dont take themselves as surrealists. the fact of the incredible variety and progress in the work of just the most well-known language writers is one for another time, and probably place (im not being controlling here - comment if u want - just bringing it back to duty...). duty could be described as a post-language work, as could much of the work of poets of her generation in the u.s. - of a certain stripe, or openness - as it could of those here. are there any language poets in australia? im sure ive read the implication there shouldnt be. does a poem make a poet or vice versa?