darkness is where the stars are by patrick jones

UK £7.99 Europe £8.99 rest of world £9.50

Extract (Download)

Domestic abuse against men is such a taboo subject …men who are suffering from it are embarrassed to broach it, causing them to feel isolated and ultimately causing them to remain in their same vulnerable position. Patrick’s poetry does anything but.

It’s harrowing, compelling and psychologically acute…  juxtaposing the cruelty of domestic abuse against the pleasure of a new relationship, a technique which thoroughly engaged me as a reader and left me feeling utterly hopeful, despite the distressing subject matter: The theme is fascinating because of its virtual invisibility, and it is handled adeptly with skill and sophistication. The poems give the reader an insight into the painful effects of domestic abuse without having to resort to malice or sentimentality.

Praise for darkness is where the stars are

Very strong stuff

Harold Pinter

Elsewhere, Patrick addresses the way children are taught at school. In a poem entitled valley comprehensive he asks, ‘shouldn’t education be about teaching children how, not what to think?’ The Iraq war, nationalism and Elsewhere the countryside alliance come under scrutiny, material we have come to expect from a poet so rooted in Welsh socialism. But there are also a few surprises. man kind, dedicated to Waris Dirie (former Chanel model and humanitarian worker born into a nomadic tribe in Somalia, who aged five, had her genitals hacked away and vagina sewn up by her mother and another local woman), condemns female genital mutilation for cultural and religion reasons.

Rachel Trezise

patrick jones is a poet and playwright, born in Tredegar, 1965. He studied at Swansea University and the University of Tennessee, travelled widely in America and was a member of the Open Mic Poets in Chicago. Patrick has worked as creative writing worker with the mentally ill and recovering drug addicts and with the highly successful Write for Cynon scheme. He has also worked closely with Manic Street Preachers; his The Guerilla Tapestry (revpress, 1995) was accompanied by a musical soundtrack composed by James Dean Bradfield. Patrick tutors Blackwood Miners Institute Young Writers’ Group and teaches adult literacy. His poetry has been performed on BBC Wales. Guerilla Tapestry was performed live at the opening of the Welsh Assembly at the Voices of a Nation concert, 1999.