The Perfect Democracy
David Thomas Henry Wright
Chris Arnold
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government
through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
The first rule in opera is the first rule in life: see to everything yourself.
Nellie Melba, Melodies and Memories
The best hope for Australia is the ballot box and an educated electorate.
John Monash, letter to C. Barclay Smith
The women are very desirous, as also are many married men, of their being placed on absolutely equal terms with the men, leaving it to be a matter of the survival of the fittest.
Edith Cowan, Bill - Woman's Legal Status. Second Reading.
…neither side had a grasp of the language necessary for a proper understanding between them.
David Unaipon, My Life Story
In the case of an emergency, the best plan, where it can be safely done, is to will everything to the wife or nearest relative, and leave a separate letter asking her to carry out wishes in detail.
John Flynn, The Bushman's Companion
the tell me I am for life wich the The Governor told me I was but for 7 years wich Grives me very much to think of it but I will watch every oppertunity to get away in too or 3 years [sic]
Mary Reibey, letter to 'Dear aunt'
I have grown past hate and bitterness,
I see the world as one;
But though I can no longer hate,
My son is still my son.
Mary Gilmore, Nationality
So, the bank has bust its boiler! And in six or seven year
It will pay me all my money back--of course!
But the horse will perish waiting while the grass is germinating,
And I reckon I'll be something like the horse.
'Banjo' Paterson, Reconstruction
Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements.
Elizabeth II, quoted in London's Daily Mail
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The Perfect Democracy
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Written by David Thomas Henry Wright David Thomas Henry Wright won the 2018 Queensland Literary Awards' QUT Digital Literature Prize and 2019 Robert Coover Award for a work of Electronic Literature (2nd prize).

He has been shortlisted for multiple national and international literary prizes, and published in various academic/creative journals.

He has a PhD (Comparative Literature) from Murdoch University and a Masters (Creative Writing) from The University of Edinburgh, and taught Creative Writing at China's top university, Tsinghua.

He is currently co-editor of The Digital Review and Associate Professor (Comparative Literature) at Nagoya University.

Developed by Chris Arnold Chris is a poet and software engineer living on Whadjuk Noongar country in Perth, Western Australia. At the time of writing, he's completing a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Western Australia.

© 2021 X David Thomas Henry Wright, Chris Arnold. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher of this work.

Permission to use Australian coin images has been granted by the Royal Australian Mint. Reproduction of Australian note images is in accordance with the Reserve Bank of Australia guidelines.