Artist
and editor of poetry Emily Johns of Hearing Eye publications based
in London gave a talk on the current art and poetry scenario in
England at Spiny Babbler premises, recently.
She
talked about the small press and political activism through art
and literature. Hearing Eye was established in the early 1980s by
John Retry, his wife, and daughter (Emily). It organized poetry
readings, held once every week, and then began publishing pamphlets
and books of poetry, she said. "Hearing Eye published poets
such as John Heath Stubbs.
Richard
McKane, AC Jacobs, and Bill Sherman. Some of the newer poets were
able to land in publishing contracts with larger publication houses
of England and the United States." Hearing Eye grew rapidly
in importance and "is supported by the city and art council
which provide the organization with reading space and some printing
money. We also make some money by selling the books we publish."
Ms
Johns, besides being involved with Hearing Eye and teaching at university,
has been holding exhibitions in galleries as well as open-air exhibition
on issues related to nuclear arms, militarism, and other topics
related to the human-kind such as homeless-ness. In December 1999,
she helped "weave a web across the British Foreign Minister's
front gate of hundreds of copies of a drawing of malnourished Iraqi
children to protest sanctions that are hurting innocent poor Iraqi
women and children."
She
also practices on live and temporary art and highlighted underground
poetry – "poetry published as posters and pasted on trains
and buses so that everybody would have access to fine poems."
She suggested that Nepali poets could also take this approach to
get their poems out to the general public. Founder of Spiny Babbler,
Pallav Ranjan introduced the poet to an audience of poets and artists.
This was stated in its press release today. |