The David Merritt Poetry Experience
About The David Merritt Poetry Experience from Dunedin
Informal CV and Autobiographical notes
David Merritt
PO Box 243 Whanganui
I started writing poetry when I moved to Dunedin in the
mid-80’s and was active in the arts, music and publishing
circles there. During that ten year period in Dunedin I
edited and produced literary journals, wrote and self-
published seven modest chapbooks of poetry as Gung-Ho
Press, recorded poems and toured a one person poetry
show around the country several times.
My work was published in the following literary magazines
and anthologies: The Whole Crack, Arena, Critic, Takahe,
Otago University Literary Review, Wrapper, In Flight,
Poetry NZ, SNAFU, SpeC, Killing Capitalism with
Kindness, Quote and Runner. I was awarded the Louis
Johnston new writers grant by the former QEII Arts Council
in 1992. More recently a poem has popped up in Landfall.
By the time I moved to Auckland, I was an Internet early adaptor and wrote the first best-selling guide to the Internet for New Zealanders. I became a pioneer web designer in Auckland for five
years before enrolling in the Masters programme in Art and Design at AUT. There I was firstly a student, then a staff member and a research fellow. My thesis was about the culture and politics
of the computer operating system.
After many years of working 18 hour days, I took a leave of absence from teaching and private consultancies, moved out to the countryside and worked in a native plant nursery. Several years later I found myself working full-time night shift as the racing sub-editor on the local newspaper, the Wanganui Chronicle. After my sons had grown up and empty nested, I moved off the grid to the wop wops in Mangamahu and started to collect and farm old landrovers, get some hens and
grow as much of my own food as I can.
In the last three years I’ve toured a one person poetry show to Auckland, Wellington, Whanganui, Thames, Nelson, Picton, Raumati, Motueka, Takaka, Christchurch and Dunedin. For the last two years in particular, I have been making and selling books from street benches, during which time I have produced 40 new distinct titles using a copyleft intellectual property framework. I’m a passionate believer in new net based technologies and publishing models.
Publishing history
Chapbooks:
Gung Ho Press 1986 - 2004
in overdraft at the bank of human kindness, big on old cars, which one is the shark, 55x5 minute poems, hasty notes - frantic scrawl, no cup of tea at the railway station, good new friend goes swimming, the end of the beginning [selected writings - 1986-2003]
big book for fourteen letters - one cent press
Landroverfarm Press 2009 - now
Geek Prayers, Shoot me / sniper rifle, How I.T. is, First Friday Out , Inorganic 1, 2, 3., Grist & Kibble, Up through the gears..., A mixture of wishes - exit poems, The 12 stages of the Microsoft
addict, the end of hate, Curious Diets, Nice things, Sad Dog / Happy Dog, Speed of Sound, Machine Shop, Migration, Motherly Advice, Some things about Datura..., If you ask me..., Inconsolable, Ache Burn Long
Others...
Internet - a NZ users guide - Penguin Books 1995
prayers for geeks - Kilmog Press 2009
Shoot me from a long distance... - Kilmog press 2009
Editorial work history
Editor Auckland University Orientation Handbook, 1977
Editor NZUSA Overseas Students Handbook 1978
Editor Auckland University Craccum newspaper 1979
Co-editor SNAFU 1 & 2, Chippendale House Collective, Dunedin 1986-90
Editor Otago University Literary Handbook Centennial edition 1888 - 1988
Editor SIAP: South Island Arts Projects - Directions: 1990
Editor OUSA / Radio 1 Spec magazine 1989-92
Editor the Whole Crack, ESAW Press, 1991
Co-editor Punnet magazine Wellington fringe festival 1994
Editor NZ Net Guide magazine 1995-96
Contributor Julian Dashper catalogue, Peter McLeavey Gallery 1996
Co-editor 2 Bits, a ‘zine of digital ephemera. Auckland & Wanganui: 2000-05
Drivetime: a computer column, Wanganui Chronicle: 2004-2006
Visual Artist collaberations
The Geekosystem - Physics Room Chch, March-April 2008
Curious Diets sculpture with Raewyn Turner, Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens 2010
components of a special collection: a collaboration with the University of Auckland Fine Arts Library, Projectspace B431, University of Auckland | March 31st to April 9th, 2011
Discography
Gate: Lounge CD, Ajax Records 1989
Gate: Guitar CD, Ecstatic Peace Records 1990
Killing Capitalism Compilation (with David Kilgour) 1989
Runner: (with Alastair Galbraith) 1993
Time of Mess (with Alastair Galbraith) 2009
Dial: Bomb this Space CD 2004 - Eden Guly Records
Dial: Kaukopakopa CD 2005 - Eden Guly Records
Dial: Mystery Train CD 2006 - Eden Guly Records
UEB Sound Systems: CD 2007
dr_spooky: Live at the Eye of the Night CD 2006
dr_spooky: Sedition CD 2010
David Merritt - Live at Freds CD 2011
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