new book "darkness is where the stars are" info

17/09/08

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Leading Welsh poet & playwright, patrick jones launches new collection at Waterstones Book Store, The Hayes, Cardiff, November 12th 2008 7pm

"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 bullying, religious fundamentalism and 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 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


patrick 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 .He has also worked closely with Manic Street Preachers; his The Guerilla Tapestry (revpress, 1995) was accompanied by a musical soundscape composed by James Dean Bradfield. who also created soundtracks for three of his plays Revelation, The war is dead long live the war and Unprotected Sex. His poetry has been performed on BBC Wales and Channel 4. Guerilla Tapestry was performed live at the opening of the Welsh Assembly at the Voices of a Nation concert, 1999.

www.cinnamonpress.com

Tyˆ Meirion , Glan yr afon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3SU
01766 832112
mike@cinnamonpress.com



Poetry
ISBN: 978-1-905614-50-9
£7.99 pbk
80 pp
November 2008


“very strong stuff”
Harold Pinter



“Thoughtful, provocative and challenging, these poems engage and enrage.”
Peter Tatchell