Not The Oxford Literary Festival 2012 (by sarah)

On March 30th I headed to Oxford to read some of my up coming collection Political Converse. Earlier that day I died my hair what was supposed to be purple - it came out not but that didn't matter. I had a weekend then week then month of readings and workshops, it was time to get rid of the four inch roots plus I was nervous and this sort of thing helps me cope and actually go and perform.

Then there was the issue that due to scare mongering there was no fuel to be had so we had which set up a panic but was quickly solved and we were on our way.

We arrived in plenty of time and then spent an hour trying to find somewhere to park - we didn't use the park and ride as our experience with it have not been good and as I'm still struggling with walking we need to be somewhere relatively near the event.

But we arrived in time to catch the end of an interesting session on self publishing and small indie presses. Including a talk from Dennis Hamley who I remembered from my school days! Though this didn't stop me saying that if he ever met my dad and drink was involved - they would never stop discussing the war (as in WWII).

We then had some fantastic music.

And no I don't remember anyones names 🙁 And that goes for the poets too!

This guy had been involved in the UnCut protests and got himself arrested for being in a shop and reading poetry which is menacing behaviour - if I understood it correctly.

This guy is an ex-solider and has PTSD - his poetry was powerful and I also found out that Westminster is trying to make it illegal to help the homeless to get rid of the problem before the Olympics which makes me sick. I shall be looking into that one a bit more - the guy is involved with various charities.

Dan Holloway the organiser and runner of Eight Cuts Gallery.

I'd bought a posse:

And then sang my Shit Creek I was very nervous and struggled to get my voice out - Alaric said it was just quiet at the beginning but I still did it 🙂 I then read my poetry.

More Poets:

The whole thing was run in the loveliest book shop in the world (that I have found so far). The Albion Beatnik in Oxford - it is almost what me and Alaric wanted to ran our Salaric Emporium (books, gifts, tea, think), back in my uni days.

The night ended on a high with much laughter and deep thought. People left to put poetry to the public - stringing it on fences and what nots. We left to grab a veggie kebab and drive back to Gloucestershire.

p.s. my set was similar but not the same as I read at the Art Tournament No Hoax on the Sunday which Alaric videoed.

Sound quality is naff sorry about that!

The Five Commandments of Sarah (by sarah)

My five commandments (in response to the author Anne Rice's question on Facebook)

1. Love all including yourself
2. cause the least possible harm
3. think for yourself
4. listen to others but make up your own mind
5. Do not be wasteful

What I found interesting was that many people just rehashed the biblical code with no thought as to the base concepts. I do not like the 10 commandments mainly due to them reguarding me as possession of my husband/family. But there was some under laying concepts there thickly overlain by the culture of the time. My 5 have no divine providence they are just the result of me thinking how I would like to live my life and how I think others should too.

The fifth is really part of the second in the same way that making up your own mind is thinking for yourself. Taking responsibility for your own actions I could have slipped in there but erroniously felt it was part of the thinking for yourself - though in hindsight it would make a good fifth.

World Book Day (by sarah)

Jean's school are having their World Book Day celebrations today and this year Jean decided to go as a dinosaur from Harry and His Bucket of Dinosaurs. She loves these books - we met the author last year at Wychwood Festival and she got a signed copy of one of his more recent books - they are really aimed for an older age group than her but she wanted it as a Daddy read (ie Daddy reads it to her when it's bed time!). My friend Ulrike then got her the book she is currently holding for Christmas 🙂

Jean loves books and she loves stories - including making them up - this morning we had a game of what was going to happen to her eggs whilst she was at dinosaur book day - she was taking in the book Cera and Her Bucket of Humans.

But it has come to my attention that other parents may not appreciate World Book Day - they think it is a hassel and just more work for them. I find this incredibly sad and wonder if they feel the same about all dress up days or weather it is just because they don't see the point of books.

We love books so it is unsuprising that Jean loves books but what has astonished me is that she now has an academic age of 8 and a half and a reading age that is higher. I have worked with her on literacy skills and stuff at home as I wanted to give her a good foundation if she turned out to be dyslexic like me.

But there is still a lot of illitracy and stuff in this country and I just wondered looking at peoples reactions weather the schools need to try and include the parents a bit more in World Book Day - unfortunatly that would probably be seen as the schools just being too demanding on time again. This is a double problem as even those parents that do want to be involved will actually be too busy. The normal work regime most families have leaves little time for the fun stuff that is seen as 'optional' or as a pouncy extra rich kids get.

It is all very well for people to say things like they should read instead of watching TV but alot of people are exhorsted when they come in from work and the TV is a relax time - the other issue being what if the parents themselves are not exactly literate?

We are a first world country and yet I come across teens who just scrap by. I'm not sure what the solution is nor weather McDonalds attempt at looking good by putting books in Happy Meals was a good thing or not. The kids seemed happy as it came with a handpuppet.

I think encouraging people into the libraries would be a good thing - but the libraries need to advatise outside of themselves and offer events similar to the litretary festivals where they have people dressed up as the characters and things - but this all takes money and one thing the libraries do not have is money. They are currently an endangered species and if they go then the kids that do use them are going to be even more screwed than usual. And increase in illiteracy means an increase in crime and an increase in poverty gaps which causes an increase in crime.

I do think the libraries are corner stones to solving this issues which is one of the reasons that I am trying so hard to provide books for Jean's school library.

NHS SOS (by sarah)

The NHS is in distress
As politicians make it an even bigger mess
Sneaking in private sector competition
Erosion of the health service is their mission
Drs who say, 'hang on a mo!'
Are told they will have to go
Such cost cutting measures
Will kill this most auspicous of national treasures
Lets hope the politicians stop
Before this nation is left to rot

No Wage Slave (by sarah)

I have been seeing some highly disturbing news reports lately about people being forced to work or having their benefits cut - the issue being that they are not actually being offered jobs but are being put on work experience in places like Tesco and Poundland. Then it turns out that the changes currently being made to things means that disabled people including the terminally ill could be forced to work and not just the eight weeks of unpaid work 'normal' job seekers are given.

Neither of these situations is good - they are basically slavery. I could have probably swallowed the job seekers working on community projects and charity shops as I don't think gaps in CV's or in the pattern of doing a job is a good thing unless absolutely needed but big chain stores? Come on!

Worse this will be reducing the amount of people they are actually paying to do the work! Anyway this along with a few other things has inspired another angry political poem by me which I am now going to inflict on you.

No Wage Slave
Bayed go down the commercial drain
Human rights u-bend
Send wraith of pain
Terminally ill aint catching
Government snatching
Chiold's under the poverty line
Finned for not being on time
Crime swine on the rise
Cries in the night of destitution
Prostitution of limb and maw
Leaving lives stretched and raw
Time sinking backwards
Reeling
Hear the keening
Ghosts that fought for freedom
In and out of this United Kingdom
Sever hand that feeds jowled
Gluttonous banker
Ignored by Political

But who steps to the fore
Who gives the ROAR!
Stop think!
This policy stinks

Don't blame the other
For running for cover
Your hand's are stained no better
And suicide teens don't get much deader
Youth terror
Masked error
As this economic storm is weathered

Sink swim
desperation cling
Shame filled
Pill killed

Work for no wage
The government say

I say
Stand up and be counted
Attrition is mounting

Write that damn letter to your MP
Do it electronically
Again I remind you of
They Work For You and My Society

Cos the word be mightier than the turd
Scream and rant
21st C slavery should be banned
Think you can't change that with words
At least try
Please tell me you didn't just ask why?

There will be audio versions at some point on Monday - baby currently keeps churping over any I attempt at the moment.

I feel this disgusting and is putting those most vulnerable members of our society at risk of being used. It is a highly dangerous step backwards.