Ship of Fools press Exhibition: The Cannibal Club by Farrell and Sheppard

 The Cannibal Club has not been reprinted since 1987, and is a piece of surreal Victoriana, based, in part, around the heroic and diabolic figure of Richard Francis Burton. 'The Cannibal Club' was a dining club where bohemians could pretend they were eating human flesh. We are hoping to get this book back into print soon.

Visit the hub post to take you to all the posts concerning the Ship of Fools exhibition here. 

'Now, Burton, Tell me; how do you feel when you have killed a man?' 'Oh, quite jolly, Doctor! How do you?'

That woman's holding a gentleman's kidney wiper on the back of her hand! (That's not a quote from the text.)

Ship of Fools press Exhibition: The Smallest Poetry Festival in the World tee-shirt

 

This post from the exhibition and features a tee-shirt! The one designed by Patricia from a design by Stephen Sheppard for the 'Smallest Poetry Festival in the World'. They were produced in a limited edition and sold at the event (which was documented in the exhibition).

Q: What was The Smallest Poetry Festival in the World?
A: Legendary.

 Visit the hub post to take you to all the posts concerning the Ship of Fools exhibition here. 

Ship of Fools press Exhibition: Images related to performances of Schrage Musik

Here are some images of a backdrop that Patricia Farrell made for the semi-dramatised performance of my long poem Schrage Musik back in the 1980s (see here for the full text: it's also part of Twentieth Century Blues).

Other images of the Ship of Fools exhibition may be accessed here at the hub post (links). Visit that hub post to take you to all the posts concerning the Ship of Fools exhibition here. 

Detail

Invitation to performance of Schrage Musik

Collage made by PF for performance (note Pearl looking at soap: a detail of my poem 'The Matrerialisation of Soap 1947', which we performed as a coda to 'Schrage Musik'.

Ship of Fools press Exhibition: Mesopotamia

Some pages from Mesopotamia, 1987. Due for re-publication. (Text is part of Twentieth Century Blues and also in History or Sleep.)

Mesopotamia was written in 1985 and first published with images, the photocopymontages of Patrica Farrell, one of our many Ship of Fools collaborative publications. The text used found images and my great uncle’s contact prints from the First World War that were too faint for Patricia to collage into her images, but other photographs were used (we shared some, but not all) for both image and text, but they possess a relative autonomy in the final product. The prose text, though, is extremely collaged:

One step backwards, and you’re gone, waking to a dream of dawn, over which wild cat’s eyes, carved into the arm of the chair, close her head. She turns away to reveal a veined neck, set between the cool brass. No, that was somebody trying to locate the morning – my chest covered with flies – a history of sensation on the streets. You’re here because that same courtyard, or so I fancied, was the studied flight of stairs until I can take only one sentence at a time. The peep show stilled at the word halting.

Visit the hub post to take you to all the posts concerning the Ship of Fools exhibition here. 

A print made by Patricia re-using some of the images and words from the booklet.

Ship of Fools press Exhibition Edge Hill 2017: Hub post (links) and Introduction

Rack showing some pamphlets

Over the next few weeks I'm going to post photos, some good quality, some less so, all OK, to give you an idea of what the Ship of Fools exhibition at Edge Hill University as part of the Sheppard Symposium (see here for more on that) was like. This shall also serve as a hub post to the other posts and operate as a list of Ship of Fools publications. (See here.)

Patricia Farrell and I are currently assembling a book that celebrates what we have done and what we have achieved. See the descriptive text (also below). The exhibition threw up quite a few publications we'd forgotten about, like the 'Links In Ink' glimpsed in the second photo below. (The exhibition included a few publications that we didn't publish ourselves, like Patricia's Four Musicians of Bremen which you can also see below.)

Other posts are:

Two earlier announcements for the exhibition whilst it was still showing here and here.
On 'Mesopotamia' (1985/7): here.
Images related to performances of 'Schrage Musik' (1986) here.
The tee-shirt from the Smallest Poetry Festival in the World 1994, here. 
See The Cannibal Club (1987) here. Victorian capers.
Fucking Time (1992) here. Poems about the Earl of Rochester. (See the glass cabinet below too.)
Logos on Kimonos (1992) here. It's a cyberpunk piece, also 'Empty Diary 2055'!
Some smaller pamphlets, but also Pages in its inital (print) incarnation, oh ... and Miles Davis, here.
Icarus - Having Fallen here. Our take on Brueghel.
Jungle Nights in Pimlico! here. Footnote to The Lores. 
The Book of British Soil (1995): screen-print from. Here. A big 'Liverpool' gap in production until:
The Blickensderfer Punch (2002) see here.
 Looking Thru' A Hole in the Wall (2010ish) Poems about Berlin/ images from Berlin. This publication is still in pint. Follow the link from the post HERE.
Fandango Loops (2014 or 5) see here.This publication is still available! (Follow link from the post)

This exhibition of the exhibition (sorry about the greyness of the photos: some of the locations were a bit dark) ends with a checklist of the main publications from Ship of Fools: here. 

One of the glass cases

Rack: Inks in Ink  one of the indexes to Twentieth Century Blues (one of many ephemeral publications from Ship of Fools that never reached a catalogue)

Introductory text to the exhibition

We loved having to have this!

Reading at the Sheppard Symposium: Patricia Farrell

Here is the last available video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Patricia Farrell reading explosive new (and rude) works! (She should be reading more of these sonnets at Gramophone Raygun soon). See a hub links to celebrations of Patricia's work and more of the work itself: here.

SOON more of Patricia reading in Liverpool:

Gramophone Raygun number 6
A night of experimental poetry and sonic art with performances from Mark Leahy/Benjamin D. Duvall, Patricia Farrell and James Davies.
Thursday, April 27 at 8 PM – 11 PM
Everyman Bistro, Liverpool

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Unfortunately, readings by Allen Fisher and Steve Boyland/Jo Blowers didn't record well. Video messages from Ian McMillan, Charles Bernstein and Chris McCabe were also played. Only one is currently available: here's a link to Charles' message about 'aesthetic justice' recorded in Liverpool after the Storm and Golden Sky reading in September 2017:  https://media.sas.upenn.edu/app/public/watch.php?file_id=210403

Reading at the Sheppard Symposium: Scott Thurston

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Scott Thurston, I n part picking up on the slowest collaboration in history, our 'Turns'. By offering a new part he is inviting me in some future year to respond! Enjoy it now! It's great!

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

 

Reading at the Sheppard Symposium: Natasha Borton (with Rhys Trimble)

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Natasha Borton reading her own work, and a collaboration with Rhys Trimble that involved fragments of the afternoon's procedures.

 

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

 

Reading at the Sheppard Symposium: Antony Rowland

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Antony reading his shaped concrete prose (on the screen at the back) and a poem about pies and Sheffield station (a scenario half-derived from Larkin and half from Real Life!).

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

 

Reading from the Sheppard Symposium: Steven Waling

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’sSteven Waling proving that Manchester can accommodate fictional poets as well as any.

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Reading from the Sheppard Symposium: Tom Jenks

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Tom Jenks reading - more 'egg-nog derive'. 

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Reading from the Sheppard Symposium: Rhys Trimble

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Rhys Trimble performing works tipped from his plastic bag of manuscripts and books (not all his own) improvising a kind of Cento from its parts. 

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Reading from the Sheppard Symposium: James Byrne

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s James Byrne. Let's pause: James was the instigator and guiding light of the Symposium (although he had a hard-working committee to realise his 'vision') and I am eternally thankful for his support on this (and other occasions). Here he reads his fine 'twentieth century' poem and also an account of he and I encountering Van Valckenborch in a Liverpool pub. 

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Reading from the Sheppard Symposium: Zoe Skoulding

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Zoe Skoulding reading a poem based on the names of the French Revolutionary calendar.

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Reading from the Sheppard Symposium: Andrew Taylor

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Andrew Taylor reading the two 'Soup' poems he wrote for me and some other non-soup-related pieces.

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Reading from the Sheppard Symposium: Brendan Quinn and Bill Bulloch

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’sa collaboration between two Edge Hill writers, the excellent Brendan Quinn and the excellent Bill Bulloch. They were commissioned to write this piece for the occasion.

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Reading from the Sheppard Symposium: Joanne Ashcroft

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Joanne Ashcroft reading her way through the avant-garde alphabet.  

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html

Readings from the Sheppard Symposium: Robert Hampson

Here is another video from the Sheppard Symposium evening reading. It’s Robert Hampson reading his take on Shakespeare's Sonnets.

My own reading from ‘Break Out’ and the work in progress ‘Hap: Understudies of Thomas Wyatt’s Petrarch’ (I don't know what it sounded like to hear the Roberts BOTH responding to our greatest sonneteers!)  may be viewed here: 

Robert Sheppard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3q0OrMZcU

and here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-post-robert-sheppard-symposium.html

Links to all the other readings from that evening may be read at the second of those links too.

Read about the Sheppard Symposium itself here:

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-robert-sheppard-symposium-my.html