Kevin couldn’t read but read my story.
Posted by: Dennis McIntosh
6 January 2009
Since ‘Beaten by a Blow’ has been published one of the unexpected follow-on’s has been a steady stream of letters and emails from characters in the book and readers that had worked, or knew people. My father has received most of the phone calls because i’ve been oversees. Kevin Fisher, the blond headed young man in the photo, only had the memory of my parent’s house to go by in tracking me down. He googled earth and found my parent’s house and consequently found their phone number. Kevin was illiterate when i knew him some thirty years ago and on our re aquantence he informed that he was never able to learn to read or write and asked if i could send him my story on a PDF. He had an on screen reader and read the story in nine hours. Kevin was a gun rousie and went on to shear for many years. Kevin’s uncle, David Morgan, who was one of the shearer’s at Warrigal Creek also made contact. David is attempting to organise a reunion. I am hoping Kevin and David will be at the Richmond library when i speak later in January. It would be great to have some live characters from the book talk and add to the experiences. cheers Dennis
January 8, 2009 at 10:28 am
Hi David how are you going? Yes, Kevin made an impression on me thirty years ago. And time has not diminished my admiration for him. Hence his prominence in the narrative at Warrigal Creek. He was a gun rousie, as you know (you taught him), and later became a skilled shearer. Thanks for naming his learning difficulty, i wasn’t sure why he couldn’t read. Although i suspected it was Dyslexia, i didn’t want to say something that was incorrect. However, you are not quite right. Eleven years ago i set out to write my daughter’s life story. She had had a brain injury and it appeared a few months after she was born that she may never read, write, walk or talk. Adding to her illness She was heavily medicated through her early years, which can be disabling in itself. Later she underwent many years of brain co ordination exercises and she eventually made it to university and became a teacher. A teacher of children with learning difficulties. When i realized she had ‘made it’i felt an urge to explain what happened to her and the circumstances around the time of her birth. So i wrote her life story. What i found was i couldn’t spell and the story had no full stops, capitals or commas. Not only couldn’t i spell i had no grammatical skills at all. I set out to learn how to write and that took me on a seven year journey which culminated in my Masters Degree at Melbourne university. While working in the English department at Melbourne, after many years of study and numerous night school courses in grammar, i realized i still couldn’t automate my learning. i still make homophone mistakes and i still can’t remember my double letters in spelling. And i am still not sure about where the comma goes. but i did write a story and i did get it published because as Kevin has shown with his life and as my daughter taught me in her life a problem is only something we work around not something that stops us. To suggest that i am floating around with the literary elites is a misconception. Do you think after many years in shearing sheds, then i spent a further seven years digging tunnels,that going to university was easy? Hope to see you at Richmond library David. Cheers Dennis
January 7, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Dennis, You along with all of us that find reading so simple and the inability is because they haven’t tried or never been “taught”. Kevin is Dyslectic (Google it) He has had all the support and help from a very literate family and friends. Kevin has a history of his life experiences in combatting others perceptions that there is someway that he could learn to read and write like we do. (I included myself of this, in the past). Dennis you understand the importance to demonstrate to yourself and to others you are at least an equal to your mates (and if possible with a better tally or quality).The Shed culture is(or was?) the most truly “Australian” mateship available,that endures for ones lifetime. That is the sincere opinion of this senior Pom that still needs to revisit the Sheds. Kevin does not need me to brag him up. Google Earth in finding you is just an extension of the old “mud map” way we gave directions. Will watch your BLOG with interest.
January 7, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Hi Amanda, well the next lot of adventures weren’t so testosterone filled. Wasn’t sure anyone would read the blog, and glad you liked the book. Cheers Dennis.
Hi Lisa, i thought Kevin did learn to read. i was a little surprised to find out he had not been able to learn. And i am really hoping they make the library reading, i think it would be great. Cheers Dennis
January 7, 2009 at 11:00 am
Dennis, loved your book, very raw and testosterone filled. Very graphic…could smell the sheep shit in my nostrils…euwww.
Can’t wait to hear many more tales of your adventures.
January 7, 2009 at 10:33 am
Kevin sounds ingenious, using google earth to track you down. I would never have thought of that. Having live characters from the book at an author talk would certainly spice things up a bit!