Events

Erotic Communities

Erotic Communities

Antony’s Award

Antony Lampert’s talk on Tuesday 20th November was fascinating. He talked in detail about the very real threats to life and harm to vulnerable individuals, particularly children, which result when religious prejudice takes precedence over medical duty, spelling out how frequently this prejudice is to do with sex or the control of it. There was less about historic witches than we advertised but, hopefully, we were forgiven because he described more than enough of modern witchcraft and superstition to fill the gap. He ended on a humorous note by producing his ‘Award’ from the ‘Erotic Community’, shown here to replace the poor witch shown previously. Many thanks to Antony.

Uncategorized

What is Lost

What is Lost

A witch burning

The third YouCaxton lecture is scheduled for 7.00 pm Tuesday 20th November at the YouCaxton Shop in Bishop’s Castle. Dr. Anthony Lempert, Chair of the U.K.  Secular Medical Forum, will be discussing what is lost to medical practice through the influence of religion and he will consider how religious belief distorts current accepted attitudes to medical care. His talk draws on some of the many narratives of secular thought and opinion – the stories of blasphemers, witches, heretics, infidels and apostates – which have been lost or minimised in popular discourse, and relates this back to our own time and to the influence of religion in society.

Events

Tracey Emin and her bed

Tracey Emin and her bed

Philip Woolley

Philip Woolley’s talk on Tuesday  2nd October on Tracey Emin and her bed and on conceptual art in general set off more hares than there were greyhounds to catch them: the spitting bile of traditional craft artists versus the slippery guile of the conceptualists with Philip’s informed voice to referee the discussion once the talk was over. He looked at the phenomenon of museum art and at the rise of the Young Brits, young no longer, pulling in ideas of gender and romanticism along the way. He was a cat among pigeons with silvery beards (mainly). A thoroughly enjoyable evening.

The next talk, ‘What is Lost’, broadly about the influence of religion on medical practice and how Dr Lempert arrived at his opinions through the experience of his  family during the Holocaust and through other influences, will be by Dr. Anthony Lempert, chair of the Secular Medical Forum. It should be equally challenging and interesting. Literature and debate as sublimated cage boxing – discuss. More to follow.

books

Herman Homunculus Workbook Series

Beat the Bullies

Herman Homunculs front cover

We’re very pleased to be involved in the publication of the Herman Homunculus Workbook Series, a clever and useful series of children’s books by Dr. Lynda Shaw, a specialist psychologist. The series is designed to help young people understand how their mental and physical well being is affected by their experiences.

Beat The Bullies Use Your Brain is the first book in the series and will be available shortly. It looks at how children can overcome the agony of bullying in the playground, using a fictional format and ‘brain box’ questions to reinforce its message.

The young reader embarks on a remarkable journey through the brain, encountering neurons and synapses and learning something of the complexities which make us feel sad or happy – a journey of self-discovery. Dr.  Shaw’s intention in writing these books is to help children, their parents and teachers to recognise and cope with problems such as bullying before the problems develop into isolation and dangerous lowering of self esteem and self worth.

books

Bressbee the Ice king

Bressbee the Ice king

Rebecca Walter’s novel Bressbee the Ice King is being launched at a stables in North Shropshire, 21 September. Rebecca came to us at the last minute having been let down by her printer and we managed to turn the book around in the space of two weeks (we were not involved in editorial or design). This makes us unpleasantly proud of our own efficiency but, smugness notwithstanding, Bob will be attending the launch and will read a short passage to the assembled multitude.

Events

Shrewsbury Market

Shrewsbury Market

In line with our recent policy of combining literature with fruit and veg, Wednesdays from 17 September, Bob Fowke will be in attendance at the Pengwern Bookshop in Shrewsbury’s indoor market. Pengwern is an independent bookshop, Pengwern being the Brythonic name for a Romano-Caltic settlement somewhere on the site of central Shrewsbury and possibly a haunt of King Arthur. It probably meant ‘the hill of alders’. The name has nothing in particular to do with Penguin Books, although Susan Caroline, the proprietor, does sell some of them.

Do drop by, Bob will be happy to discuss your project.

books

Myth and Memory

Myth and Memory

The poet Nigel Sustins will be launching his latest books Myth and Memory, an ambitious series of poems on historical themes around the South Shropshire hills, on Tuesday 25 September at 6.30 at the YouCaxton shop 23 High Street, Bishop’s Castle.  Come and hear Nigel read one or  two of his poems and partake of a glass of wine if you are able.

Events

Tracey Emin

Tracey and her bed

The second YouCaxton literary lecture is scheduled for 6.30 pm Tuesday 2nd October at the YouCaxton Shop in Bishop’s Castle – except it’s not quite literary. Abstract artist and art historian, Phillip Woolley, will be expounding on the subject of  ‘Tracey Emin and her bed’, Phillip will be looking at the development of conceptual art in its social and historical context using Tracey’s bed as a leitmotif. He will discuss the process by which the art of the Britpop artists developed and how their work became so lucrative for a small number of them.