Here’s the first review of Helen’s Story from Matthew Fryer. He likes it!
“Rosanne Rabinowitz paints the otherworldly moments with vivid strokes and effortlessly transports us between Victorian and contemporary London. She captures the character and nuances of both periods and proves herself a great evocator in the Machen tradition.”
I love that word ‘evocator’. I take it as an extreme compliment. Thank you, Mr Fryer.
Matt does suggest that ‘purists may bristle’. But that’s not such a bad thing, is it?
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” George Orwell, 1984
A page from Feminaxe, produced by some ‘dykes of Brixton’ in 1987. A fight with the police on Downing Street during a march against Clause 28 inspired the revised Clash lyrics
Since Margaret Thatcher’s death and her £millions taxpayer-subsidised funeral, this quote from Orwell came to mind many times. The political spectacle that followed revolved around much more than the death of a ‘frail old lady’, who just happens to be a leading architect of British neo-liberalism. Thatcher’s heirs in government dominated the airways and spent our tax money to celebrate a toxic heritage of austerity and repression and bolster their own regime.
I also remembered a book I read many years ago, Social Amnesia by Russell Jacoby. Social amnesia describes collective forgetting: “memory driven out of mind by the social and economic dynamic of this society”. Jacoby was writing about the US in the 20th century, but we have just seen an attempt by the UK state to impose its own version of collective amnesia in relation to the Thatcher legacy.
However, people weren’t having it! Those of us who had lived through the Thatcher years brought out the old banners and placards. At the celebratory street party in Brixton I chatted with a couple of dykes who sported very fetching and well-preserved ‘Stop Clause 28’ t-shirts, and I met an old friend who’d done time for the Poll Tax riots. I also bumped into younger friends who were active in protests against tuition fees and now face a future of bad working conditions, low wages and insecurity – or unemployment and forced unpaid labour under workfare schemes. Though these people weren’t around when Thatcher ruled, they live with the consequences.
From Bad Attitude: Poll Tax rioting and romance
In effect, we have just experienced a struggle over defining a past that has a massive effect on our future. History is not just for academics and officials to witter on about, but it is something we live with every day. And often, history is really made in the streets. The mass parties and confrontations, the jokes and the ‘wear red’ initiativewere indeed part of a refusal of social amnesia and present-day austerity. The ‘death parties’ were also a remembrance of the victims of Thatcherite policies - our dead and injured - and a celebration of our own survival. They were a tongue-in-cheek warning that the ‘enemy within’ will continue to erupt and disrupt.
Meanwhile, we had the laughable farce of the BBC virtually banning a 70-year old children’s song, “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead”. But the BBC ding-dong embargo also illustrates the power music wields for invoking social remembrance of the past, and inspiring action for the future. Media buzzed with favourites, including a list of “21 angry songs about Margaret Thatcher”.
So here’s my own personal playlist. The proverbial ‘Hatred and Bile’ has certainly given us the best tunes. But many of these songs aren’t about Thatcher herself, but invoke memories of life in the world she ruled. Some reflect the era’s hedonistic side. Not all of them were favourites at the time. I wasn’t a big Frankie Goes to Hollywood or Boy George fan back then, but their songs make me smile now. And not all the music actually comes from the 80s – one ditty dates back to the 17th century.
I’m also missing some essential songs – for example, I couldn’t find any videos for Poison Girls’ “Feeling the Pinch”. I also searched for anything by the Happy End; they were local to my patch in Vauxhall and I often went to their gigs. No luck there – but some Happy Enders later formed the Communards so we’ll hear from them instead.
As a writer I strive to rend the state-imposed shroud of social amnesia. So let’s pick up our pens or boot up those laptops and continue to rip it to shreds – while listening and dancing to some excellent songs. And after we’ve tramped that dirt down, let’s move on to bring life to this Ghost Town…
Songs against social amnesia
Many of us remember Clause 28, a provision banning the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality and ‘the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’ with public funds, which could affect school curriculum, books available in libraries… you name it. Thatcher was blatantly homophobic . The video opens with a ‘statement’ from Mrs T: “The aim of this government is to make everyone as miserable as possible.” No change there…
I was a punk, reggae, ska and folk music lover and avoided anything glitzy or pop. But this got more than a few Thatcherite jocks in a strop at the time, and it’s hilarious to watch now.
This is another old song that sounds great now. Its joyousness stands out against a grey landscape.
Slinky jazz with surreal lyrics of love and rebellion. A better world is coming, so they say…
“You’ve never had it so good / The favourite phrase of those who’ve always had it better…” Paraphrases a similar line from Marat/Sadeas well as the Tory slogan of the day.
Back then the Pogues weren’t just for St Patrick’s Day. This song’s off their first album, and still a favourite… I was pleased to find this live version from The Tube. As you’d expect, it’s got a lot of period atmosphere. However, since it’s on TV the swear words are censored, which loses the flavour. But you can find an uncensored version off the album if you go to the YouTube page.
I still might have the cassette for this somewhere, an album called Vehixo Disco. I used to dance wildly to this song, under the influence…
At that bit towards the end of this song I sometimes thought the singer was shouting at the bass player to play faster (give that I was a bass player myself), but I suspect he was really shouting “bastards”.
And it won’t be the same in Fitzwilliam again…
This song is on target given new revelations about the case of Blair Peach, an activist killed by the police during demonstrations in Southall in 1977. In this live performance, LKJ changes ‘England’ to ‘Europe’: ‘Is Europe becoming a fascist state? The answer lies at your own gate, and in your hands lies your own fate’.
“It was in April 1981…”
On the heels of the ‘great insurrection’ we move on to New Model Army with “Spirit of the Falklands”: “The natives are getting restless tonight sir, they need some distraction… We can give them that.”
The best song to follow “Spirit of the Falklands” is this:
And if we’re playing NMA greats, we can’t leave out “Vengeance”.
“We all get together and a-thinking ahead, wake up everybody no more sleeping in your bed… We come in combination… to mash up the nation – Another one bites the dust!”
After Smiley’s death a couple of years ago in a police raid, this song is especially poignant.
Don’t push me I’m close to the edge…
Kill, kill the police bill…
Stand down, Margaret…
A darker take from UB40 with “Madame Medusa”.
And here’s a gloomy but somehow uplifting song from the Mob: “Idle plans for the idle rich, knitting the economy not dropping a stitch, destroying everything that doesn’t quite fit, waiting for the witch hunt…”
This song came along well after the 80s. In fact, I only heard it for the first time two weeks ago. But it’s catchy, danceable and angry, and it has to be played!
A song dedicated to the ‘enemy within’, though it predated the phrase by four or five years. It was actually inspired by the “Persons Unknown” trial in 1979, where six anarchists were accused of conspiracy to cause (non-existent) explosions with “persons unknown”.
I’ve played and sang this song many times, featuring different words and locations throughout the years – including a drunken karaoke version at a fundraiser for the MayDay 2000 actions. But I suspect most people would rather hear the original by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.
“The gentry must come down and the poor shall wear the crown…” This is going really retro… to Gerald Winstanley and the Diggers in 1649!
And finally, ending with some optimistic if gritty anarcho-punk. “It’s your world too you can do what you want.” Awww bless – but it’s good to know it wasn’t all doom and gloom back then.
Freedom is located at Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High St – the nearest tube is Aldgate East. The offer will also be available through Freedom’s website. Copies are limited, so get in there fast!
Good news: mega-cold really seems to be gone, except for a mild cough. Bad news: now that I’ve stopped knocking back the Night Nurse, insomnia has returned. Good news: while tossing and turning last night, a story idea for a Machen tribute anthology has finally gelled after months of faffing and dead ends. Bad news: the deadline is on Saturday.
Last week’s not-so-hot news: PS told me that the release of Helen’s Story had been delayed due to printing issues. Good news: it is OUT. I missed the postie when my copies were delivered, but I have proof here from my friend Sumit, who received his copy. So here is Helen, in real physical book-like form.
And now for some more potential good news: several writers/publishers are putting our heads together for a joint launch event in June. Watch this space!
Moving on to the larger picture… can we find any good news there? Later today I’ll head over to Eileen House at the Elephant for a meeting of the new South London Claimants Union. I’ll be sharing some info about self-employment and working tax credits – and the growing carbuncle of ‘in-work conditionality’ that we must lance and disinfect before it bursts and covers us with ConDem slime!
I’ve heard that the first meeting of this new claimants’ group was very lively and positive, so this is indeed some good news in the face of the extremely shite news we’re being subjected to.
Eibonvale Press editor David Rix has now released the table of contents for new anthology Rustblind and Silverbright. This includes a story by me and Mat Joiner, “The Turning Track”. I’m proud to be among a great group of writers that includes Andrew Hook, Nina Allan, Rhys Hughes, Allen Ashley, Joel Lane and Aliya Whiteley.
Eibonvale is an independent UK publisher that produces “beautiful and lovingly-designed editions of excellent writing in modern horror, magic realism and the surreal”.
“The Turning Track” was my first collaboration on a story. It was a great experience, and we have some more joint outings in the pipeline. I’ll be posting some more thoughts about the process and benefits of collaborative writing in the very near future.
Given that this blog is called “Writings and Rantings”,
it’s time to get a good rant in before someone complains to Trades Descriptions. And it’s not long before something suitably rant-provoking turns up, furnished by those lovely folks at the Department for Works and Pensions.
Many writers work in precarious trades, in addition to the most precarious trade of writing. They may receive top-up benefits like working tax credits or housing benefit to supplement their work income. Workers in all sectors of employment are in a similar position as they face uncertainty and lower pay, a situation aggravated by outsourcing and privatised contracts. The government has been boasting that unemployment has gone down, but its figures have been distorted by a) people on workfare not counted as unemployed b) people on DWP sanctions who have no income at all and c) people who have taken up self-employment, part-time and short-term jobs.
And it’s this last group who will be most affected by the forthcoming attack on top-ups. Previously, these benefits were based solely on income, with no need to visit the job centre and jump through hoops. But with the institution of Universal Credit (aka Universal Stitch-Up), the government intends to impose ‘in-work conditionality’ by 2015.
And here’s Lord ‘Fraud’ Freud launching a ‘call for ideas’:
“The fact that those in work will come under the ambit of the JobCentre Plus for the first time as a result of universal credit gives the government radical new opportunities.”
Profiteering, time-wasting, life-sapping
Having learned their lessons from New Labour in the spin of framing retrogressive steps as ‘radical’, the ConDems aren’t content with their attempts to grind down unemployed and disabled people. They now want to extend workfare and ‘conditionality’ – a euphemism for profiteering, time-wasting, potentially life-sapping harassment – to working claimants when Universal Credit kicks in.
There are already warning trickles of the flood of lies that will burst forth from the Shite Mail and others, dedicated to consigning those previously known as the ‘working poor’ to the ranks of alleged scrounger-dom. However, the government is also well aware that the standard divisive rhetoric about benefits robbing The Taxpayer will be more difficult to direct against people who are actually working and paying taxes. The architects of austerity are so boldly going where no poverty profiteer has gone before.
At the sharp end
Therefore, the DWP and workfare thinktank Policy Exchange are asking for suggestions on how to widen the range of their nets to self-employed, part-time and low-paid workers. In a document with the catchy title of “Extending labour market interventions to in-work claimants – call for ideas”, the DWP requests feedback from “employers, behavioural economists, social psychologists, think tanks, welfare to work providers, academics, charities, application designers and those at the sharp end of delivering existing services”. Of course, this call-out doesn’t include those at ‘the sharp end’ of DWP schemes.
The document goes on to ask: “What ideas could we trial to best support people in work, in receipt of Universal Credit… to take positive steps to achieve financial independence, both in the Tax Credit system and when Universal Credit is introduced?”
This seems to acknowledge that UC, particularly for working claimants, will be a longer time coming. But will the government look at steps to impose conditionality within the current working tax credit system? This doesn’t appear plausible, given that the current job descriptions of HMRC employees do not include enforcing job-search conditions. But this does need watching. If UC continues to founder, then IDS, Lord Fraud and co may indeed turn to messing with tax credits. There have already been sweeps on monitoring the 30-hour rule.
Deeply dodgy
The DWP document goes on to push the discredited Universal Jobmatch website: “Automatic job matching means the system works 24/7 to find jobs that fit with people’s skills set or supplement their existing employment so their CV is working for them even whilst they sleep…” So, when working claimants aren’t working, they should be divulging their private data on this deeply dodgy website.
And it adds: “Universal Jobmatch also provides information on individuals’ job search activity, including their CV and application history.” Universal Jobmatch is not compulsory now, however, And even if signing up is made compulsory in the future, claimants will still be able to refuse the DWP access to their account, and refuse cookies that will enable snoopers to follow their activity. Anti-tracking sofware will foil snoopers too. Meanwhile, those who are already getting pressure to sign up for Universal Jobmatch can find more information here and here.
The DWP call for ideas will run until 25 March 2013. It asks that people submit ideas to: uc.newapproaches@dwp.gsi.gov.uk Though the Policy Exchange call for ideas has officially closed, it invited comments ‘on a personal basis’ for Matthew Oakley at matthew.oakley@policyexchange.org.uk
So Mr Oakley may continue to be open to more informal comments at this email address.
Suggestions, they want? We’ll give them suggestions. Let ’em have it!
Before breaking out the old Gang of Four again (love’ll get you like a case of anthrax, remember…?) I tried to find some songs about polyamory before going to work this morning.
Not a lot of those songs around, though. I found myself harking back to that old Crosby standard, “Triad”, which is even older than the “Love Like Anthrax”.
I’m most familiar with the Jefferson Airplane version of “Triad”. It had been one of my least favourite songs on the Crown of Creation album (I preferred the title tune with those lyrics nicked from John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids), but it’s grown on me over the years.
Some sensible sentiments from Dave Rovics:
And here’s “New River Train”, a very jolly song from Raffi:
