Jennifer Strauss

Jennifer Strauss (born 30 January 1933) is one of Australia's pre-eminent contemporary Australian poets, an academic, and pioneer of women's rights. Working in academia she has published several books of criticism and literary autobiography as well as editing anthologies and several volumes of her own poetry. Strauss is a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award amongst others.

Early life and education Jennifer Strauss, née Wallace, graduated with honours in English from the University of Melbourne in 1954 where her poetry was published by the Melbourne University Magazine. She then travelled to Scotland where she undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Glasgow.

Career

Following her graduation, Strauss taught at the universities of New England and Melbourne before taking up the role of Associate Professor in the English Department of Monash University in 1964. She remained at Monash until her retirement in 1998. At that time she was made an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the university.

Recurrent themes in Strauss's writing are memories of a country childhood; motherhood and domestic issues; depression and suicide (especially among females); anti-war concerns; and the re-interpretation of old stories and myths.

Works Poetry Children and Other Strangers: Poems. (1975) Winter Driving: Poems. (1981) Labour Ward. (Pariah, 1988) Tierra del Fuego: New and selected poems. (Pariah, 1997)

Non-fiction Stop laughing! I'm Being Serious: Three studies in seriousness and wit in contemporary Australian poetry. (1990) Boundary Conditions: The Poetry of Gwen Harwood. (UQP, 1992) Judith Wright. (OUP, 1995)

Edited The Oxford Book of Australian Love Poems. (OUP, 1993) Family Ties: Australian Poems of the Family. (OUP, 1998) The Oxford Literary History of Australia. With Bruce Bennett (OUP, 1999) The Collected Verse of Mary Gilmore: Volume 1, 1887–1929. (Australian Academy of the Humanities/UQP, 2005) review The Collected Verse of Mary Gilmore: Volume 2, 1930–1962. (Australian Academy of the Humanities/UQP, 2006) review