Ray Mathew
Encyclopedia
Ray Mathew (14 April 1929 - 27 May 2002), an Australian author, was born in Sydney, NSW. Mathew wrote poetry, drama, radio plays and filmscripts, short stories, novels, arts and literature criticism, and other non-fiction. He left Australia in 1960 and never returned, dying in New York where he had lived from 1968.
, Sydney
during his childhood, attending Sydney Boys High School. He attended Sydney Teachers College from 1947 to 1949.
where he was often the only teacher. His experience as a lone and lonely teacher is expressed in his most well-known play A Spring Song which was first performed in 1958.
During the 1950s Mathew also worked in shops, moved furniture, gave school broadcasts and adult education lectures, wrote literary reviews for the Sydney Morning Herald as a freelance journalist, worked for the CSIRO as an accounts officer 1952-1954 and was a tutor and lecturer at the University of Sydney
1955-1960.
and his wife Eva. His British lover, Tony Hippisley, had committed suicide the year before. The Kollsmans, and especially Eva, assisted Mathew through their literary connections.
Mathew remained in New York for the rest of his life. In 1969, he wrote in a letter to his Australian artist friend, Pixie O'Harris
, "I have probably not been happier in my life. There are people here I like immensely.... I'm 40 – I feel very grown up." He worked as a freelance writer and art critic while working on his novels and poetry. While he continued to write for the rest of his life publishing success evaded him. His last published book, The Joys of Possession appeared in 1967.
Eva Kollsman became a lifelong patron and supporter of Mathews and theirs was an intensely intimate relationship. He moved within hers and her husband's circles in New York and Los Angeles. She donated his papers to the National Library of Australia following his death and established a trust to support research into Australian writers.
'Church Sunday' (1950)
'Puppet Love' (1950)
'Sing for St Ned' (1951)
'The Love of Gautama' Radio Play (1952)
'The Boomerang and the Bantam' (1953)
'The Medea of Euripides' Radio play (1954)
'We Find the Bunyip' First produced 1955; published in Khaki, Bush and Bigotry (1968).
'The Bones of my Toe' First produced 1957; unpublished.
'Lonely without You' (1957)
'The Life of the Party' First produced 1958; finalist in the 1957 London Observer International Play Competition, published in Plays of the '50s (2004).
'A Spring Song' First produced 1958; published (1961 & 1985).
Short Story Collections
A Bohemian Affair: Short Stories (1961)
The Time of the Peacock: Stories (1965)
Novel
The Joys of Possession (1967)
Poetry Collections
With Cypress Pine (1951) Highly Commended in Grace Levin Prize.
Song and Dance (1956)
South of the Equator (1961)
Moonsong and Other Poems (1962)
Prose
Charles Blackman's Paintings (1965)
Collection
Tense Little Lives: Uncollected Prose of Ray Mathew (2007) Published posthumously.
A description of the collection is available here: http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms8264
Childhood and Education
Mathew lived in Leichardt and BondiBondi
Bondi could refer to:-Places in Australia:* Bondi Beach, New South Wales, a beach and suburb in Sydney, Australia* Bondi Junction, New South Wales, a suburb and commercial centre in Sydney, Australia* Bondi, New South Wales, a suburb in Sydney, Australia...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
during his childhood, attending Sydney Boys High School. He attended Sydney Teachers College from 1947 to 1949.
Teaching and Work in Australia
Between 1949 and 1951 Mathew taught at small country schools in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
where he was often the only teacher. His experience as a lone and lonely teacher is expressed in his most well-known play A Spring Song which was first performed in 1958.
During the 1950s Mathew also worked in shops, moved furniture, gave school broadcasts and adult education lectures, wrote literary reviews for the Sydney Morning Herald as a freelance journalist, worked for the CSIRO as an accounts officer 1952-1954 and was a tutor and lecturer at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
1955-1960.
Leaving Australia
Mathew left Australia for Italy in 1960. After some time there he moved to London where he lived until 1968 when he went to New York and met the inventor, Paul KollsmanPaul Kollsman
Paul Kollsman was an American inventor. He invented barometers and instruments for instrument flight in airplanes....
and his wife Eva. His British lover, Tony Hippisley, had committed suicide the year before. The Kollsmans, and especially Eva, assisted Mathew through their literary connections.
Mathew remained in New York for the rest of his life. In 1969, he wrote in a letter to his Australian artist friend, Pixie O'Harris
Pixie O'Harris
Pixie O'Harris MBE , was a Welsh-born Australian artist, newspaper, magazine and book illustrator, author, broadcaster, caricaturist and cartoonist, designer of book plates, sheet music covers and stationery, and children's hospital ward fairy-style mural painter...
, "I have probably not been happier in my life. There are people here I like immensely.... I'm 40 – I feel very grown up." He worked as a freelance writer and art critic while working on his novels and poetry. While he continued to write for the rest of his life publishing success evaded him. His last published book, The Joys of Possession appeared in 1967.
Eva Kollsman became a lifelong patron and supporter of Mathews and theirs was an intensely intimate relationship. He moved within hers and her husband's circles in New York and Los Angeles. She donated his papers to the National Library of Australia following his death and established a trust to support research into Australian writers.
List of Works
Plays'Church Sunday' (1950)
'Puppet Love' (1950)
'Sing for St Ned' (1951)
'The Love of Gautama' Radio Play (1952)
'The Boomerang and the Bantam' (1953)
'The Medea of Euripides' Radio play (1954)
'We Find the Bunyip' First produced 1955; published in Khaki, Bush and Bigotry (1968).
'The Bones of my Toe' First produced 1957; unpublished.
'Lonely without You' (1957)
'The Life of the Party' First produced 1958; finalist in the 1957 London Observer International Play Competition, published in Plays of the '50s (2004).
'A Spring Song' First produced 1958; published (1961 & 1985).
Short Story Collections
A Bohemian Affair: Short Stories (1961)
The Time of the Peacock: Stories (1965)
Novel
The Joys of Possession (1967)
Poetry Collections
With Cypress Pine (1951) Highly Commended in Grace Levin Prize.
Song and Dance (1956)
South of the Equator (1961)
Moonsong and Other Poems (1962)
Prose
Charles Blackman's Paintings (1965)
Collection
Tense Little Lives: Uncollected Prose of Ray Mathew (2007) Published posthumously.
Papers
The National Library of Australia holds Ray Mathews papers. They were donated by Eve Kollsman.A description of the collection is available here: http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms8264