#MeToo movement leads to women's poetry anthology
A wave of anger and solidarity among women worldwide that began with the Hollywood revelations about film producer Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual harassment and assaults have led to an anthology of poetry, to be launched on International Women’s Day.
The anthology is titled #MeToo, the two-word hashtag that was used on social media to spread the word and share experiences about the extent of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace. It is edited by poet Deborah Alma, with a foreword by MP Jess Phillips.
Deborah Alma, aka The Emergency Poet, said: “This book came straight out of a long thread on my Facebook page. I asked women friends of mine to add their name on the thread if they hadn’t experienced any form of sexual harassment in their lives and I was surprised to find that of the 200 women that started to share some of their stories , two or three could say that it had never happened to them. My surprise was not that there were so few, but that there were any women at all.
“Someone suggested we collect these stories … I am very proud of this book, proud of the poets for sharing and for putting their names to their words. It is a painful and difficult read a great deal of the time, I get that. But taken slowly, I hope that the reader will hear its rallying cry of anger and impatience. We have had enough. The final section of the book deals with a coming back to the light; they are poems of recovery and strength out of some very dark places.”
She added: “All of the artwork for the book, the cover and internal illustrations, the poems, the editing and publishing work has been donated. It has been a wonderful collective enterprise.”
The anthology contains the work of 80 women poets. All proceeds of the book, which will cost £10, will go to Women’s Aid UK. It will be launched on 8 March, International Women’s Day, at Waterstone’s in Tottenham Court Road, London, and at the Stanza poetry festival in St Andrews. It is published by Fair Acre Press.
Claire Leavey
Tue 30th Jan 2018 12:47
MC Newberry:
"comment of Saturday 27th January - to which I will add "no matter what the medium or means utilised to advance a cause, complaint or argument." " - where is the cause, complaint or argument here? This is a book review. A review of a book which you have not yet read. The book contains poems of personal testimony from women who have been attacked in a variety of different ways. There is, indeed, an account featuring a female perpetrator. Many of these accounts are from childhood or from within toxic marriages. If you consider that these thoughtfully curated witness statements are being 'utilised to advance a cause, complaint or argument', then please also consider that they are being so utilised by the first-hand victims of the various attacks. These women are engaged in expressing and sharing - many for the first time - their deep and difficult trauma.
"Enlightenment is not a one way street when discussing contentious issues" - please do point me towards this alleged enlightenment because I think this discussion is in increasing need of some. And what, I would question, is even remotely contentious about the fact that women are routinely disrespected and interfered with by people ranging from relations to acquaintances to strangers?
"Over many years I've dealt with all the sorts of behaviour
complained of, including false accusations by women
against men, up to and including rape, and I'd have got
nowhere if I'd assumed a single minded belief in dealing
with any of them." - If any volume concentrating on allegations by men about distressing/appalling behaviour by women was put in the public domain, I'd be using the same approach that seems so offensive to you here!" - I very much look forward to reading the book you doubtless plan to edit around this experience, then. You will of course publish (as here) at your own expense, and thanks to a range of professional services donated free by the horde of fellow-survivors you will no doubt have little trouble rallying in such a worthwhile cause. You will of course be donating all profits to the masculine equivalent of Women's Aid, the charity benefiting from #MeToo. I have no doubt that you are already a supporter of the excellent organisation CALM. If not, you can find out how you can assist them here: https://www.thecalmzone.net/about-calm/what-is-calm/
I look forward very much to reading the reviews. Perhaps, though, not the comments.