What people say about my writing, editing and teaching
A comment on one of my reviews
I don’t know of any other Australian poet who is writing with the combined verve and craft of Jackson.
Claire Potter
The poems in A coat of ashes are beautifully composed, coherent and crystalline.
Fiona Sampson MBE FRSL
I came across Jackson’s editing services whilst compiling a submission for a poetry program. Being a new poet, I was seeking an editor with a deep knowledge of the poetic form to help refine my work. Jackson’s work and input was invaluable. They gave detailed, insightful and supportive feedback. This ranged from use of punctuation, to syntax & semantic suggestions. I learnt so much to elevate my poetry, and also was successful in my submission! A heartfelt thanks for helping me to express myself with purpose in my poetry.
Sarita Slater
Poet
[Jackson is] a thorough editor, not afraid to change or question …
I asked … Jackson to help me with task of vetting the new poems I had been working on, and to review the manuscript. What transpired was that some of the older poems no longer hit the mark, that many of them needed serious edits … I liked the new structure Jackson suggested … Jackson did what I could not face: to submit individual poems from the manuscript for publication in magazines and for competition … my poems [were published] in Tamba, The Lake, Grieve, Burrow, as well as Creatrix and Poetry d’Amour. I cannot recommend Jackson more as a poetry editor … the opening poem to the manuscript [was] shortlisted for the Ros Spencer Poetry Award.
Tineke Van der Eecken
Thank you, Jackson, for your editorial guidance, wisdom and amazing formatting skills.
Jackson agreed to assist me with my application for a poetry program. I knew that drawing on their long experience within the writing community would guide me in the right direction.
Jackson made helpful editing suggestions to my poems and to the body of my application. They reformatted my curriculum vitae to improve its presentation. They brought certain elements to the forefront and polished my language to a high shine. Thanks to Jackson’s assistance, I was successful in my application!
For any poet, fiction or non-fiction writer out there who may be looking for an editor, I cannot recommend Jackson highly enough. They are professional, responsive and flexible. Knowing that Jackson is ready and willing to help me, should I require it, makes me feel happy and confident to take risks with my writing.
Christine Della Vedova
I strongly recommend Jackson as an editor of long-form fiction. I engaged Jackson to edit the manuscript of my second novel—an 80,000 word adult speculative fiction book—and was impressed by their diligence and attention to detail, particularly regarding scene setting, time framing, continuity issues and character development. Jackson not only vastly improved my book before submission to my agent but also taught me many useful writing tips. They did all this in a professional, courteous and friendly manner, without diminishing me as a writer. I would definitely engage Jackson again.
Dr Mira Harrison
Jackson’s honest, respectful feedback has helped me to write with more confidence … Because Jackson is so willing to share [their] knowledge, I always come away feeling that I’ve learned something new.
Elizabeth Nicholls
There is no right or wrong with Jackson: [they] will simply help you to find places within yourself and your writing that have not yet had permission (from you) to come out. Jackson gives you the permission to give yourself that permission—and this is the basis for fine creative work.
Andrea Barnard
[Jackson’s TAFE writing course] was a really great course and from that time with Jackson I have strengthened my passion for writing.
A few years later I joined Jackson at Poetry Kitchen and found it very beneficial. This led me to have some private sessions with Jackson and I gained so much from the one-on-one experience. Jackson can take a bow for getting me to the stage of publishing a poem. Since then I have had four poems published in Creatrix and a short story in Redgum Reports, who approached me to write something …
Jackson is a great teacher and [their] own writing is a wonderful inspiration to the student. [Jackson] has given me the confidence to continue.
Ann Harrison
Writer
“A coat of ashes”, poetry book by Jackson, reviewed in Cordite by Pascalle Burton
“[Jackson’s] wager is that poetry, as mediator of spirituality and science, could provide deeper understanding about existing in a world of ecological and postcolonial turmoil. It seems to have paid off in this striking volume of work.”
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“The emptied bridge”, poetry book by Jackson, reviewed in Westerly by Miriam Wei Wei Lo
“Subject matter ranges from the deeply philosophical to the prosaic, written in a manner that continuously calls into question the division between the two. … Observe the irony of those last two lines, which deftly insert art back into the mundane landscape of suburban Perth.”
Read“lemon oil”, poetry book by Jackson, reviewed in Cordite by Ray Briggs
“The narrative voice in Jackson’s ‘lemon oil’ speaks with humour, verve and curiosity, inviting the reader into a conversation about sex, identity politics, industrialism, environmentalism and what to do in Melbourne.”
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“Coracle”, poetry book by Jackson, reviewed in Indigo by Shane McCauley
“From the opening lines of the first poem, the reader is introduced to a powerful, resonant and poignantly moving voice … Jackson’s poetry is lean and purposeful … There are many stunning poems here, wry and wistful, love poems with a heartbreaking absence of sentimentality, terrific poems of place and observation and understanding … Coracle…
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Jackson 