Bloggers for Hope

STATUS QUO

Re-listening to sixties' protest songs
recalling fledgling dreams.
We thought then if folk would only hear
the world's ways would change
in a revolution of peace and love.

Our mono records revolve on turntables
engineered for stereophonic sound.
Deafened by and deaf to heavy metal
we wonder how much our sons
will do to change their parents' world.

Gerald England

I wrote this poem in 1984. It was published in Folio (UK, 1986) and Sacrifice The Common Sense (USA, 1991). It is included in my collection Stealing Kisses (New Hope International, 1992). In 1997 it appeared on the internet in an ezine or website called Grape probably now defunct.

Things have moved on not just from the sixties to the eighties but from the eighties to the noughties. The poem shows its age. Stereos have been superceeded by CD players which are being superceeded by Mp3 players.

So what has prompted me to publish the poem again? It was a post by Fancy Sweden urging me to support Bloggers Unite - Humans right - Bloggers for Hope. It reminded me how youthful hope and enthusiasm still remains even though age has brought us pragmatic cynicism. Part of my response to her was

Yes there ARE things we can do to help in spite of the problems and yes highlighting these things is important, but however many bloggers post a banner on their blog, that of itself will do nothing to change the hearts of those who need to change.

Sharing understanding has to be a useful thing and blogging across the world does much to aid that amongst individuals.

Just displaying a banner does nothing and possibly deludes some people into thinking they've done something when they haven't.

She didn't dismiss me as a party-pooper or a hypocrite but understood.

So I've made this post, nonetheless, and provided the link. Will joining Blogger's Unite really make any difference, or just give you a warm glow of having done something when in reality you've done nothing.

Reader, decide for yourself.

Acumen #60

The latest issue of Acumen is #60.

As usual the magazine is packed to the ginnels with poetry, articles, letters and reviews.

The articles include a well-researched essay by Mark Victory on poetry in bookshops. It isn't just the usual moan about the lack of interest shown, although the kind of response I got in the 70s along the lines of

"I'm fed up of people asking me if we have any poetry; We don't stock it; There's no demand."

is not entirely absent. There is some hope in Mark's expose which I won't try to summarise here.

What I especially enjoyed in this issue was the interview with Penelope Shuttle. It is very enlightening and although much of it is centred on her relationship with her late partner, Peter Redgrove, there is other insight too. In something of an aside about political poetry, she comes up with this marvellous quote:

poets use language as a weapon of truth, whereas our political rulers in or out of office use it as a weapon of untruth.

I also applaud her answer to the question

What in your opinion helps poets keep their writing fresh, evolving and vital?

Spending as much time reading other poets (contemporary, from earlier eras, and in translation) as they do writing their own poetry. Nourish the roots of your own work by steeping your imagination in the poetry you read.

Acumen
6 The Mount, Higher Furzeham, Brixham, TQ5 8QY, UK
ISSN 0964-0304
£4.50 [$10 USA]
Subscription: 3 issues £12.50 (UK) [£16 Europe or USA sterling; $45 surface $50airmail USA]
visit the website of Acumen

Read reviews of earlier issues.

Photographer's rights

When taking photographs for Hyde DP, I'm always somewhat diffident about photographing people, even in public places. Actually I needn't be, although that doesn't stop some people giving me rather quizzical looks and I've had people passing by remarking "I hope you weren't taking a photo of me", though usually because they thought it would be unflattering rather than them feeling I had some sinister motive.

Simon Taylor has raised a parliamentary petition about photographer's rights.

He writes

There are a number of moves promoting the requirement of 'ID' cards to allow photographers to operate in a public place.

It is a fundamental right of a UK citizen to use a camera in a public place, indeed there is no right to privacy when in a public place.

These moves have developed from paranoia and only promote suspicion towards genuine people following their hobby or profession.

His full article can read on http://www.phooto.co.uk/rights.shtml and the petition accessed at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Photography/

A PDF file "A Short Guide to Photographer's Rights in the UK" can be downloaded from http://www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr.php

There is a very interesting set of comments at a page on the Lochwinnoch Village Forum; last word going to the photographer who remarks

For clarification I should point out that under UK law, there are no restrictions on taking photographs in a public place or on photography of individuals, whether they are adults or minors. There is no right to privacy in a public place, although photographers are of course subject to the usual libel laws in the same way as any other citizen and should observe them. Equipment or film may not be confiscated, or images deleted by any person or officer unless a warrant for such action is issued. Any attempt without a warrant is considered assault under UK law.