A storm has been brewing in the Assembly for a few weeks now.
Patrick Jones, a rather experimental poet who's the brother of a Manic Street Preacher band member, was set to read from his new book at Waterstones in Cardiff- but when Christians heard about the event (allegedly from Jones himself), the protests began. Waterstones canceled the reading, and freedom of speech questions began shooting up.
Two AMs invited Jones to come read at the Assembly, which he is set to do today. Now, I've read some of his work. In general, it's not my type of poetry- angry lists, accusations, angst... He's the type of person who feeds off controversy. But he sometimes catches a really beautiful word flow in the midst of his childish rants. Jones has said he's not attacking Christians, but when he speaks of lewd acts with Biblical figures, he's inviting the wrath of God's followers.
Patrick Jones, a rather experimental poet who's the brother of a Manic Street Preacher band member, was set to read from his new book at Waterstones in Cardiff- but when Christians heard about the event (allegedly from Jones himself), the protests began. Waterstones canceled the reading, and freedom of speech questions began shooting up.
Two AMs invited Jones to come read at the Assembly, which he is set to do today. Now, I've read some of his work. In general, it's not my type of poetry- angry lists, accusations, angst... He's the type of person who feeds off controversy. But he sometimes catches a really beautiful word flow in the midst of his childish rants. Jones has said he's not attacking Christians, but when he speaks of lewd acts with Biblical figures, he's inviting the wrath of God's followers.
Soon after posters went up for the Assembly reading, AMs began protesting relentlessly. Lone voices, at first; independent letters to newspapers. Soon, an email went out saying we needed tickets to get to the reading.All this controversy acted as great publicity for Jones.
Well, at 11:30 today I began hearing beautiful hymns wafting through my window. There, wedged between the Millennium Centre and the Assembly, were about 300 people singing, some waving flags. In between the hymns, a man on a ladder lifted his Bible and spoke to the crowd or they all bowed their heads in prayer.
This is the sort of thing I expect to see at home, in the middle of the Bible belt. But to see people I work with every day in the midst of this group was astonishing. Three Plaid AMs were down there, one was singing away. I didn't even know they were religious, let alone upset about Jones.So, is the Assembly right to host a poetry reading by a poet who enjoys incensing people? I'm not attending his reading because I don't want to support someone who goes to such lengths for publicity stunts. I like some of his poetry, and I don't oppose him being allowed to speak. I also think the group of Christians were overreacting and that they only gave Jones a bigger spotlight.
But, boy, were their voices beautiful.
Here's the BBC story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7777157.stm
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