Phillip Hall

Everyone knows the story about how God created the world in six days. But often we have failed to recognize its significance. We think the creation story is merely background material for what comes later in Scripture. But God's work of creation is more than a mere record of how God fabricated the physical universe. Instead, it's a pattern for God's overarching work in all things, namely, that God is taking that which is dead and turning it into life. Life out of Death guides you through a thirty-day journey of Genesis 1, where authors Thomas Keiser and Phillip Hall demonstrate how the Genesis 1 creation account applies to everyday life.

Everyone knows the story about how God created the world in six days. But often we have failed to recognize its significance. We think the creation story is merely background material for what comes later in Scripture. But God's work of creation is more than a mere record of how God fabricated the physical universe. Instead, it's a pattern for God's overarching work in all things, namely, that God is taking that which is dead and turning it into life. Life out of Death guides you through a thirty-day journey of Genesis 1, where authors Thomas Keiser and Phillip Hall demonstrate how the Genesis 1 creation account applies to everyday life.

Throughout his forties and fifties Phillip found himself on a sticky wicket: the grief for his baby son and younger brothers, suicide attempts, self-harming, the premature termination of his career, and the failure of religious belief to explain or console. In and out of psychiatric care, he has been treated for PTSD, severe depression and social anxiety. There are consolations: family, companion greyhounds, Sunshine, the Western Bulldogs and Australian Football, books, the fine and performing arts but, for Phillip, this remains a time of loss and despair. This is, therefore, a collection of lamentations, achingly focused on what it is to live with poor mental health, but it is also a defiant celebration of survival and the redeeming power of familial love, sport and the arts.

"Phillip Hall's "Fume" is a hymn and a love song for Borroloola on the Gulf of Carpentaria, and for the Yanyuwa, Mara, Gudanji & Garrawa peoples. One poem at time, Hall undertakes the crucial work of decolonising his own gaze as he walks through 'Indigenous space', led by and learning from its custodians. These intricately worked and deeply felt poems come from a place of humility, gratitude, respect and love, as well as sorrow for what has been lost and for the harrowing realities that remain. This is not a 'singing of', much less 'singing at', but a 'singing with' his Borroloola family, with their full permission and support."--Melinda Smith ***"Phillip Hall is family to Blackfullas ... a champion who writes like truth ... he sees Country like me, like a lot of Blackfullas - seeing the minute, and seeing the inferences."--Paul Collis, winner of the 2016 David Unaipon Award ***"Phillip Hall, you loved our kids and worked very hard, always smiling and planning a camp. You respected Culture and listened. So we care for you very much. You are our friend and poetry mentor - thank you."--Jeanette Yawanjibirna Charlie, Yanyuwa Language Teacher, Borroloola