This essay introduces the life, work and overseas travels of Alfred
George (A G) Stephens (1865-1933), Australia's most influential
fin-de-siècle literary critic and journalist. Some might reasonably argue that he
was the most significant literary critic in Australian history, mounting
his attacks and defenses from his famous "Red Page" in Sydney's
popular Bulletin. Those columns made and destroyed literary careers
around the turn of the twentieth century and later. His other published
works included introductions to Australian literature, edited volumes of
verse, both his and those of other writers, and a travelogue, entitled A Queenslander's Travel-Notes, published upon his return from
overseas in 1894. Taken together, his writings address some
fundamental questions asked by Australians and others circa 1900: what
constitutes a national literature? to what degrees is that literature influenced
by race, a sense of place, and interaction with other people and
their literature? what did the Australians and their literature
share with other Commonwealth societies, such as Canada, and with
the United States?
It may be argued with reasonable confidence that A G Stephens (1865-1933)
was Australia's most influential literary critic, both during and after his
lifetime. Perhaps he remains so even to this day. Personally and
professionally, he knew, read and commented on nearly every
important Australian author and poet around the turn of the twentieth century, often from his
perch as editor of the famous "Red Page" of Sydney's popular Bulletin for ten years starting in
1896. Readers could consider his comments about Marcus Clarke,
Henry Lawson, C J Brennan, Joseph Furphy, and, among many others, John
Shaw Neilson. That dialogue continued with Stephens' Bookfellow magazine and later interviews and essays, right up to his death in the
early 1930s. Scholars have reasonably paid more attention to the Bulletin period, but Stephens'
contributions to Australian culture during the uncertain epoch between the World Wars
need not be ignored or downplayed. Additionally, while a majority of his
criticism concerned men and women of letters, a not inconsiderable amount was
also directed towards painting and painters, among whom was Norman Lindsay,
and towards social questions, including sex and education.
Stephens was an early champion of Lawson, "An Australian Poet," but also of much more (Lee,
2002).
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