networker:
Spence Pete
1946, Australia
biography
Pete Spence was born in 1946 and started writing in his early teens. He was first published in Makar magazine (early 70′s) then did no writing for ten years whilst attending to numerous adventures (e.g. sapphire mining in Queensland and New South Wales).
In 1984 he began Post Neo Publications and produced a handful of great books by Australians ,Belgian (Luc Fierens) and an American (Hannah Weiner). His own work developed in three main areas during this period: Visual Poetry, Mail Art & traditional writing. The writing split into three different styles one inspired by the New York School, one by the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E School, and an odd group of things that didn’t fit into any school. His first published book was FIVE Poems (Nosukomo 1986).
Through 1989 to 1996 he also made a number of films, some screened internationally at Oberhausen (Germany) Viper (Switzerland in a programme with Stan Brahkage) and festivals in Australia, with 2011 screenings in UK and Melbourne. His recent adventures include learning to paint (very Rothko!) and making small three-dimensional works with wood à la Louise Nevelson and Ben Nicholson. He lives in Kyneton, Victoria with his partner of many years Norma Pearse (whose provided the illustration on the cover of Kynetonbury Tales) and their son Perren.
