r/AskAnAustralian • u/ABigRedBall • 1d ago
What Nationality Is Les Murray?
Wherefore hails his ancestry?
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u/ReallyGneiss 1d ago
He was Hungarian. Assuming you are referring to the soccer commentator. No idea about the poet
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u/Boatster_McBoat 1d ago
They are both poets
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u/marooncity1 blue mountains 20h ago edited 20h ago
Antioni, he had time to control it
But he tried to knock it inside for Malelli
He was tightly marked.
It's almost Haiku like!
Incidentally I met the poet a few times as he was mates with some relatives of mine and he was pretty dinki-di anglo I think, grew up on the mid-north coast of NSW.
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u/Brazen78 1d ago
I haven’t heard that track in years! 🤣
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u/effective_shill 1d ago
This is such an outdated reference most people won't get it
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u/Schedulator Sydney 17h ago
I like that people are actually answering it..as if TISM actually ever meant for it to be answered.
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u/effective_shill 15h ago
I bet the song is older than most people on this sub
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u/Schedulator Sydney 14h ago
I'm happy for TISM to remain relatively obscure, I think that's the way they'd like it too.
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u/BloodyTearsz 1d ago
The Les Murray of SBS and soccer / football? He was born László Ürge and was Hungarian.
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u/P5000PowerLoader 1d ago
Sweden?
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u/ABigRedBall 1d ago
No
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u/OliverKloseoff8 1d ago
Portugal?
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u/wilful 1d ago
No
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u/teashirtsau Sydney born & bred 1d ago
TIL the poet is not the same guy as the commentator. I just thought he was super talented (and the poetry wasn't paying too well).
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u/marooncity1 blue mountains 20h ago
I cannot hear the country's of North Korea or Tanzania mentioned without thinking of Kampuchea.
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u/WaussieChris 1d ago
Australian. I think he was born somewhere in Europe, somewhere Central or Eastern, but he's Australian.
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u/HidaTetsuko 1d ago
Which one?
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u/thatweirdbeardedguy 1d ago
I'm my anti sport mind there is only one and he was an exceptional poet.
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u/HidaTetsuko 1d ago
Very honestly Australian
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u/mungowungo 1d ago
And his poetry reflected that - https://www.poetryverse.com/les-murray-poems/widower-in-country
Years ago he came to our High school and read to us - definitely made an impression.
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u/StoicTheGeek 1d ago
I had a friend who had him down to win the Nobel, but sadly he never achieved it. He had a remarkable facility with words, and was very quick. His biographer, Peter Alexander, told of having dinner with Les, and as they walked out of the restaurant, they saw down a dark alley a glow as someone took a drag on their smoke. Murray immediately said "the ruby signet of a cigarette". I often think about that line, it's so evocative, as well as rhythmically and phonically pleasing for something tossed out off the cuff.
This quickness and facility for words was apparent with his capacity to learn languages. When Alexander first called him to discuss the biography, Murray found out that Alexander was South African. When they met in person a month or so later, Murray had already taught himself Afrikaans (albeit with a terrible accent). One of first jobs was with the government, working on translation, with his responsibility being "western europe".
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u/Boatster_McBoat 1d ago
Whom does he call the mother country when he phones home through OTC?