Poet Attacked by Christian Fundamentalists - reading cancelled! Join the protest
The latest work from patrick jones, South Wales poet and playwright, suffered attack last night when Waterstones Managing Director, Gerry Johnson, stepped in to cancel the book launch at the Cardiff branch of Waterstones in the face of threats of protest from Stephen Green and Christian Voice.
Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, said today: "...the fact is, we were prepared to go and do something, and it is that which I believe caused Almighty God to take our prayers seriously and perform a miracle [cancelling the book launch] .'
“This is a sparkling, energetic poetry collection that engages with serious issues including domestic abuse of men, oppression of women, ecological disaster and much more,” says Jan Fortune-Wood, commissioning editor at Cinnamon Press. “A few of the poems deal with patrick’s strong views on religion, particularly the way in which it is often associated with military conflict, the subjugation of women or movements that exclude the ‘outsider’. These are issues that art should rightly be pushing to the forefront of debate in a liberal society and there are people of faith who are concerned with such issues as well as humanists and secularists.”
Jan adds, “Debate is not served by caving in to extremists, who do not even represent the majority of Christians, let alone the values of a civil, liberal society, but proceed by threat and intimidation. We deplore Waterstones’ decision to cancel at the eleventh hour and do not accept it was the right decision. Whilst we would not want Waterstones’ staff to come under threat, we believe Waterstones should have called the police, not capitulated to such pressure. We hope that people will show their support by writing to Waterstones and by buying the book to demonstrate that bigotry cannot prevent free speech and artistic integrity.”Emails in support of the book are pouring in to the press and to patrick jones. There is a dedicated website to support the book and for free speech in the arts www.darknessiswherethestarsare.co.uk
You can send protest emails to the MD of Waterstones (who stepped in to cancel the launch) at gerry.johnson@waterstones.com Cinnamon Press Blog
There is a YouTube campaign
Patrick will be reading at the Melville theatre, Abergavenny on November 14 th and at Y Ddraig Goch Cafe, Eastgate Street, Caernarfon, LL55 1AG (opposite Weatherspoons pub) on November 21st 7.30 p.m.The book site and cinnamon press’s website will also carry information about other readings to be organised to promote this important book.
The book is on sale from www.cinnamonpress.com
"About darkness is where the stars are: Domestic abuse against men is such a taboo subject ...men who are suffering from it are embarrassed to broach it, causing them to feel isolated and ultimately causing them to remain in their same vulnerable position. Patrick’s poetry does anything but. It’s harrowing, compelling and psychologically acute... juxtaposing the cruelty of domestic abuse against the pleasure of a new relationship, a technique which thoroughly engaged me as a reader and left me feeling utterly hopeful, despite the distressing subject matter: The theme is fascinating because of its virtual invisibility, and it is handled adeptly with skill and sophistication. The poems give the reader an insight into the painful effects of domestic abuse without having to resort to malice or sentimentality.Elsewhere, Patrick addresses the way children are taught at school. In a poem entitled valley comprehensive he asks, ‘shouldn’t education be about teaching children how, not what to think?’ The Iraq war, nationalism and Elsewhere the countryside alliance come under scrutiny, material we have come to expect from a poet so rooted in Welsh socialism. But there are also a few surprises. man kind, dedicated to Waris Dirie (former Chanel model and humanitarian worker born into a nomadic tribe in Somalia, who aged five, had her genitals hacked away and vagina sewn up by her mother and another local woman), condemns female genital mutilation for cultural and religion reasons.”
Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, said today: "...the fact is, we were prepared to go and do something, and it is that which I believe caused Almighty God to take our prayers seriously and perform a miracle [cancelling the book launch] .'
“This is a sparkling, energetic poetry collection that engages with serious issues including domestic abuse of men, oppression of women, ecological disaster and much more,” says Jan Fortune-Wood, commissioning editor at Cinnamon Press. “A few of the poems deal with patrick’s strong views on religion, particularly the way in which it is often associated with military conflict, the subjugation of women or movements that exclude the ‘outsider’. These are issues that art should rightly be pushing to the forefront of debate in a liberal society and there are people of faith who are concerned with such issues as well as humanists and secularists.”
Jan adds, “Debate is not served by caving in to extremists, who do not even represent the majority of Christians, let alone the values of a civil, liberal society, but proceed by threat and intimidation. We deplore Waterstones’ decision to cancel at the eleventh hour and do not accept it was the right decision. Whilst we would not want Waterstones’ staff to come under threat, we believe Waterstones should have called the police, not capitulated to such pressure. We hope that people will show their support by writing to Waterstones and by buying the book to demonstrate that bigotry cannot prevent free speech and artistic integrity.”Emails in support of the book are pouring in to the press and to patrick jones. There is a dedicated website to support the book and for free speech in the arts www.darknessiswherethestarsare.co.uk
You can send protest emails to the MD of Waterstones (who stepped in to cancel the launch) at gerry.johnson@waterstones.com Cinnamon Press Blog
There is a YouTube campaign
Patrick will be reading at the Melville theatre, Abergavenny on November 14 th and at Y Ddraig Goch Cafe, Eastgate Street, Caernarfon, LL55 1AG (opposite Weatherspoons pub) on November 21st 7.30 p.m.The book site and cinnamon press’s website will also carry information about other readings to be organised to promote this important book.
The book is on sale from www.cinnamonpress.com
"About darkness is where the stars are: Domestic abuse against men is such a taboo subject ...men who are suffering from it are embarrassed to broach it, causing them to feel isolated and ultimately causing them to remain in their same vulnerable position. Patrick’s poetry does anything but. It’s harrowing, compelling and psychologically acute... juxtaposing the cruelty of domestic abuse against the pleasure of a new relationship, a technique which thoroughly engaged me as a reader and left me feeling utterly hopeful, despite the distressing subject matter: The theme is fascinating because of its virtual invisibility, and it is handled adeptly with skill and sophistication. The poems give the reader an insight into the painful effects of domestic abuse without having to resort to malice or sentimentality.Elsewhere, Patrick addresses the way children are taught at school. In a poem entitled valley comprehensive he asks, ‘shouldn’t education be about teaching children how, not what to think?’ The Iraq war, nationalism and Elsewhere the countryside alliance come under scrutiny, material we have come to expect from a poet so rooted in Welsh socialism. But there are also a few surprises. man kind, dedicated to Waris Dirie (former Chanel model and humanitarian worker born into a nomadic tribe in Somalia, who aged five, had her genitals hacked away and vagina sewn up by her mother and another local woman), condemns female genital mutilation for cultural and religion reasons.”
Rachel Trezise“very strong stuff”
Harold Pinter“Thoughtful, provocative and challenging, these poems engage and enrage.”
Peter Tatchellpatrick jones is a poet and playwright, born in Tredegar, 1965. He studied at Swansea University and the University of Tennessee, travelled widely in America and was a member of the Open Mic Poets in Chicago. Patrick has worked as creative writing worker with the mentally ill and recovering drug addicts and with the highly successful Write for Cynon scheme. He has also worked closely with Manic Street Preachers; his The Guerilla Tapestry (revpress, 1995) was accompanied by a musical soundtrack composed by James Dean Bradfield. Patrick tutors Blackwood Miners Institute Young Writers’ Group and teaches adult literacy. His poetry has been performed on BBC Wales. Guerilla Tapestry was performed live at the opening of the Welsh Assembly at the Voices of a Nation concert, 1999.
About patrick jones
