Obituary for Trevor Reeves by Dr Michael O’Leary

Dunedin poet and publisher Trevor Reeves died a few days ago in Dunedin after a long illness. Reeves was a major player in NZ literary publishing in the 1970s, this can be seen by his publication list below. In more modern times he was neglected as the juggernaut of public funded university presses has taken over the high ground of publishing. Yet, without people like Reeves who considered publishing poetry in particular a necessity to the culture of NZ it is doubtful whether recent publishing would exist. 

 Just looking at his publication line-up shows the type of publisher he was. He was also a poet himself, which gave him further authority to have his ideas expressed. And this is the reason I wrote my thesis, published by Steele Roberts in 2007 as a book, so that people like Reeves could have their say in a literary culture which was fast becoming forgetful of those who had gone before as they begin to die off. So, I salute Trevor Reeves for his contribution and hand the floor over to him –

Publisher: Caveman Press. Trevor Reeves a poet and a printer who has worked tirelessly for many political as well as literary causes over more than thirty years. Presently he is involved in on-line publication on the internet, the highlight of which is an international literary review entitled Southern Ocean Review which Reeves edits. It also appears in a hard-copy edition. 

Author	Title	Date	Type & No. of copies
BAXTER, James K.	Ode to Auckland             and Other Poems	1972	Poetry             (2000)
BAXTER, James K.	Letter to Peter Olds	1972	Poetry               (100)
BEYER, Tony	Jesus Hobo	1971	Poetry               (350)
BEYER, Tony	The Meat	1974	Poetry               (150)
BILLING, Graham	The Primal Therapy        of Tom Purslane	1980	Novel,             (1000)
BILLING, Graham	Changing Countries	1980	Poetry               (400)
BROOKS, Jocelyn	Ill Conceived	1981	Law and            (700) abortion practice in New Zealand
CARON, Elsa, et al.	Fri Alert	1974	Politics            (3000)
EDMOND, Murray	Entering the Eye	1973	Poetry               (400)
ENSING, Riemke, ed.	Private Gardens	1977	An anthology   (1250)        of New Zealand women poets
FOX, William L.	Trial Separation	1972	Poetry               (400)
GARDNER, Ray	The Drug Book	1978	A drug               (600) addict’s story
JOHNSON, Ingrid	The Paper Midwife	1974	Home birth      (2000)
JOHNSON, Louis	Onion	1972	Poetry               (150)
KEMP, Jan	Against the Softness of Women	1973	Poetry               (400)
LASENBY, Jack	Power	1972	Poetry               (150)
LIST, Dennis	Pathways into the Brain	1973	Poetry               (400)
LONEY, Alan	The Bare Remembrance	1971	Poetry               (300)
LONG, D.S.	Borrow Pit	1971	Poetry               (350)
MCALPINE, Rachel	Stay at the Dinner Party	1977	Poetry               (500)
MCALPINE, Rachel	Lament for Ariadne	1974	Poetry               (500)

MELLING, Gerald	Open Schoolhouse	1980	Environments  (1000)    for children in N.Z.
MELLING, Gerald	Joyful Architecture	1980	The genius       (1250)          of New Zealand’s     Ian Athfield
MITCALFE, Barry	Migrant	1975	Poetry               (400)
MITCHELL, David	Pipe Dreams in Ponsonby	1975	Poetry, 2nd ed.  (400)     1st ed. published by Stephen Chan, 1971
MORRISSEY, Michael	Make Love in All the Rooms	1978	Poetry               (400)
NOAKES, John	Life in N.Z.	1979	N.Z. Listener   (2000) quotes & cartoons
O’BRIEN, Karen	Woman’s Work	1981	Women at work (1000)
OLDS, Peter	Lady Moss Revived	1972	Poetry               (150)
OLDS, Peter	4 V8 Poems	1972	Poetry               (150)
OLDS, Peter	Freeway	1974	Poetry               (450)
OLDS, Peter	Beethoven’s Guitar	1980	Poetry               (500)
OLDS, Peter	Doctor’s Rock	1976	Poetry               (500)
PATTERSON, Alistair	Cities and Strangers	1975	Poetry               (500)
REEVES, Trevor	Stones	1971	Poetry               (600)
REEVES, Trevor	Unemployment in the 1980’s	1983	Politics              (200)
REEVES, Trevor	Apple Salt	1975	Poetry               (500)
ROWE, Rosamond Agnes	Feet Upon a Rock	1981	Autobiography   (3000)
SMITH, Hal	Divided We Stand	1981	Poetry             (3000)
SMITH, Lindsay	Skyhook	1971	Poetry               (350)
SOUTHAM, Barry	Mixed Singles	1981	Short stories      (500)
SOUTHAM, Barry	The People Dance	1982	Poetry               (500)
TUWHARE, Hone	Something Nothing	1974	Poetry             (1000)
TUWHARE, Hone	Come Rain, Hail	1973	Poetry             (2000)
TUWHARE, Hone	Sap-wood and Milk	1972	Poetry             (3500)
WANTLING, William	San Quentin’s Stranger	1973	Poetry               (800)
WANTLING, William	Obscene                         and Other Poems	1972	Poetry               (150)
WRIGHT, Judith	The Fourth Quarter	1976	Poetry               (400)