Devon's most "splendidly eccentric poet" Colin Shaddick unleashed his creativity in a new book of poetry we would like to recommend!In 'Isn't Sex Noisy' Colin presents his first collection of thirty-one songs, forty-four poems, seven haiku and a sample of his humorous illustrations, with a wry smile and a jaunty whistle of content.
All are sharply observed works that often reflect a difficult, but interesting life. The voices that howl at us from the pages are full of passion and often laced with an extremely large spoonful of humour and wit.
"People often ask me what inspires me. It's a difficult question, but I think it's the minutiae in life that attracts me. The odd things we all do, or experience: everyday mishaps that often get overlooked. My good friend, Ken Sprague: internationally known as The Peoples Artist, always encouraged me to look at life from a different angle. 'Everyone is a special kind of artist,' he would say. I owe a great deal to Ken. I started taking my poetry more seriously about 10 years ago, after I suddenly approached a few of life's more painful twists and turns; without brakes! I suppose I looked on writing as a kind of safety valve: a productive way to keep my sanity and let off steam at the same time. Song writing was something I thought I could try too. Then, the poetry and song writing appeared to be walking hand-in-hand. My poems started to be published in small magazines, and out of the blue, BBC Radio 4 invited me on the Ramblings show, with Clare Balding, featuring my haiku!"
Isn't Sex Noisy is a very playful and extremely well produced collection of works. It takes the reader on a virtual roller coaster ride from humour to pathos, with many stops in between.
Get more information about the book and get it signed by the author here: http://www.inclusifolk.com/news/
"In search of the English Eccentric", published by John Murray this Summer (2008).The English eccentric is under threat. In our increasingly homogenised society, these celebrated parts of our national identity are anomalies that may soon no longer fit. Or so it seems. On his entertaining and thought-provoking quest to discover the most eccentric English person alive today, Henry Hemming unearths a surprisingly large array of playfully outspoken, original and inspiring characters. He asks what it is to be an eccentric. Is it simply to thrive on creativity and non-conformity, and where does this incarnation of Englishness stem from? Hemming concludes that this tribe is, in fact, in rude health, as essential as ever to the English national identity, only they are no longer to be found where you’d expect them to be.
Featuring interviews with Dame Vivienne Westwood, the Marquess of Bath, Pete Doherty, the modern-day reincarnation of King Arthur, the Leopard Man of Skye, Sebastian Horsley, Chris Eubank, Captain Beany and Brian Haw among others.
“A lovely, heartfelt paean to English eccentrics by a member of the tribe. A funny, timely and moving encounter with a dying breed.”
...............Jon Ronson
“Hilarious”
.................Daily Mail
“an intelligent and encouraging piece of writing”
........ times literary supplement
“Hemming is a kindly collector and a champion of people who live as they see fit.” - metro
“an entertaining quest to understand our national identity”
...thelondonpaper
“plastered quarters of the velvet-pantalooned Marquess of Bath, to the drafty Yorkshire sheep pen of modern “witch” Sue Woodcock and the Battersea-based atelier of Vivienne Westwood, Hemming discovers a type of person who remains indeterminable by sex, class or creed”
.....................Vogue
“Hemming scours the land to discover that its beloved oddballs are alive and well … it still takes all sorts to make an England — and thank goodness for that”
...................Tatler
“An exciting and thoughtful exploration into eccentricity, which turns into an investigation of what it means to be English.”
..............Gay Times
“A highly entertaining quest”
.............Traveller
“A good crop of eccentrics”
......Western Daily Press