‘Thebeautyofdystopiaisthatitletsusvicariouslyexperiencefutureworlds butwestill have the power to change our own’ author Ally Condie
Immediately there is reference to NineteenEightyFourGeorge Orwell’s seminal novel describing a dystopia but he is not quite originator of dystopian literature. The word literally means ‘bad place’ and finds its origins in Ancient Greek: δυσ, ‘bad, hard’ and τόπος, ‘place, landscape’. In the Greek world τόπος could also be a place of catharsis as in the Aristotelian definition of purgation of the psyche.
Our cover image is based on Fritz Lang’s 1927 German silent movieMetropolis . Definitively, a dystopian-genre film often placed as the first ever dystopian science-fiction epic. The movie is based on a 1925 novel of the same name by the German writer, Thea von Harbou. However, Lang was prophetic in so much of his imagery: the demagogue dictator, the submissive masses; oppression of people through fear and surveillance.
Early examples of dystopian literature must include Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver's Travels(1726) which remains both political, allegorical and is the main inspiration in literature for Orwell who wrote passionate in praise of Swift. Oliver Bolokitten’s A sojourn in theCity of Amalgamation(1935) is another example with the genre coming into its own with H.G. Wells’ TimeMachine(1895). Early modernist writers evolved their narratives with more familiar tropes associated with the genre as in Zevgeny Zamyatin’s We(1921) and Aldous Huxley’s BraveNew World(1932). The genre thrives and is always 'disguised' in the twenty-first century as Sci-Fi or 'improbable' totalitarian societies. However, readers of the genre instantly recognise the targeted dystopia. It would be fair to say that man and machines or man versus machines are now integral to our perception of a dystopian reality. So why dystopian as a theme? In truth we began putting this issue together after returning to some semblance of our creative writing class routine that existed pre-pandemic. Issue 18 is our first summer edition in over two years and
we were inspired by a necessity to explore how other artists expressed themselves after cataclysmic-world changing events. Inside this issue our cover artist gives a brief overview on the visual artists’ response to a dystopian reality. While our music commentator explored ‘Grunge’ as alternative rock and the sub-culture it created. Other articles include updates on Prison Arts Foundation (PAF) recent activities, their collaboration with the Northern Ireland Probation Board and a further collaborative project with the Irish Prison Service. We have our regular features: Nature Watch, Poetry Pages, book reviews and an update on the Listowel winners, 2022.
Thank you to our Governor Gary Milling for the continual support and encouragement, to PAF, patrons of Time In magazine and the commitment of PAF’s staff and Board of Governors. Appreciation is extended to the prison staff at Magilligan, the Librarian Andrea and NWRC staff for support during the production of this issue, and importantly thanks to all prisoners for their commitment, writings, proofreading skills and creativity.
In conclusion, what strikes us about dystopian literature is the exploration of how close it is to our socio-economic and political realities. As well how we view ourselves and our roles in where society is rapidly going towards. Naturally, narratives are the individual author’s imaginative reflection of the anticipated outcomes. Art and literature all too often gets it right in terms of futurism. However, as world changing events continue to occur more and more, topics will be explored using this genre. This is evident not just in modern day art, literature, film but also in video games. There are artists and writers who meet the challenge as inspiring and innovative. Dystopian art, music, literature and film are very much here to stay.
Pamela Mary Brown
Writer-in-Residence HMP Magilligan
Limited Edition Thetitle of Prison Arts Foundation’s (PAF) Art exhibition held in the Crumlin Road Goal, 31 March 2022. The exhibition returned to the former Victorian prison after a two-year absence because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on public gatherings. The exhibition contained the multi-discipline creative works by prisoners from Maghaberry, Magilligan, Hydebank Wood College and Women’s Prison, as well as works created by ex-offenders based in community settings.
ART DISCIPLINES
The creation of the artworks was supported by PAF’s Artist-in -Residence programmes which represents a comprehensive spectrum of disciplines: including painting, abstract art, ceramics, mosaics, pop art, sketch-
es, still life art, modelling, collage, wash, portraits, mixed media, macramé, designs, books from the braille hub, as well as poetry chapbooks and creative writing from the Writers’ Group in HMP Magilligan. The array of art forms are indicative of the diversity of talent and skill base of the PAF artists and students.
COLLABORATIVE PROCESS
Once know as Europe’s Alcatraz, the A listed building seemed the appropriate setting where a number of cells were used to display artworks by Stephen Geer and Bobby Matheson. Tom Shortt, Arts Officer with the Irish Prison Service also displayed works from a number of Irish prisons. The collaborative process and building of new relationships are an important part of the shared experience.
DEDICATED ADVOCATE
PAF’s Chairman, Oliver Brannigan is a dedicated advocate of the arts in prison and believes that ‘very often there is little recognition or support for those operating within the criminal justice system.’ Oliver explained that all who attended the exhibition provided ‘encouragement and endorsement’ adding that PAF ‘is dedicated to the objective of ensuring that everyone, in the care of the system, who wishes to or can be persuaded has the opportunity to be involved in the pursuit of one or more of its [PAF’s] many disciplines.’ Oliver further highlighted the words of American Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Ellen Goodman: ‘I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people who are convinced they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who strug-
gle to make one small difference after another.’ Oliver’s conviction is that ‘one small difference will amount to something substantial for the benefit of all’ and this is integral to PAF’s ethos.
TALENT AND POTENTIAL
Speaking at PAF’s annual showcase event, Executive Director, Fred Caulfield said: ‘Through engagement in artistic activities our students create works of value, for display and public exhibition. Each year, PAF stage an exhibition of work in locations such as arts venues and galleries, community spaces, public buildings and prison environments. We do this to showcase the talent and potential, of both serving prisoners and those who are involved with the criminal justice system, in the hope that audiences view each artist as an individual, allowing them to see their emotions through sculpture, paint, music and spoken word, often causing the recon-
sideration of their negative stereotypes ’
ATTENDANCE
PAF’s coordinator, Adele Campbell added that ‘This year the ‘Limited Edition’ exhibition in Crumlin Road Gaol was attended by approximately 150 individuals, including people from organisations working within the criminal justice system, our funders and supporters, as well as the artists, their family and friends.’
REAL ATMOSPHERE
Tom Shortt overseeing arts engagement for 13 prisons within the Irish Prison Service commented: ‘It is well worth doing these events as a lot of good things flow from the occasion. It was really important to have Stephen Greer at the event to talk about his work and bring it alive for people. Paddy Nash’s singing added some real atmosphere, and it was great to see how it
was a positive occasion for families and friends.’
COMMENTS
Other visitor comments from the exhibition included: ‘Great to see artwork of personal excellence.’ ‘Wonderful as usual.’ ‘Fab – such talent.’ ‘Amazing! Well done to all involved.’ ‘Stunning artwork! We are so impressed.’ ‘Fantastic exhibition – some amazing artwork!’ ‘Wow! So inspired by all of the different mediums/methods used in their art! Fabulous!’ ‘Amazing and inspiring. Please put the exhibition on for longer next time!’ ‘Truly BEAUTIFUL, thank you.’ >>PMB
All In Magazine
The creation of the first cross-border prison magazine AllInwas realised in May 2022 after many productive months with creative collaboration between the Irish Prison Service and Prison Arts Foundation (PAF).
EDITORIAL
BOARD
An editorial board established in November 2021 included Fred Caulfield, Allison Moore, Adele Campbell, Pamela Brown (team PAF), Tom Short (Arts officer for the Irish Prison Service), Shauna Gilligan (Portlaosie) and Geoff Power (Midlands).
ETHOS
The ethos was in keeping with TimeIn magazine: ‘byprisoners, for prisoners ’ featuring artwork and creative writing by people in custody within prisons in all of Ireland. A poster and information sheet was distributed to the prisons calling for a variety of artwork and creative writing. AllInmagazine aspires to serve as an outlet for alternative forms of writing and to complement the poetry and short stories featured in the Listowel competition and the Koestler Arts Awards.
CHALLENGE
When content was submitted by prison writers and artists, the editorial board faced a challenging task not least due to the quality and quantity of the work received. Ultimately, the work was selected on merit but selection was further based on themedcategories such as education, music, the prison experience, prison programmes, flash fiction, artwork showcased and featuring the Listowel 2022 winners in all writing categories. Furthermore, AllInrecognises diversity, ethnic minorities, the travelling
community, cultural issues, male, female, and LGBTQIA+ prisoners.
COMMUNICATION
Co-editor, Tom Shortt commented that ‘It’s a cross border, co-operative effort, bringing the work of prison artists and writers to an audience that will appreciate their creativity.’ Pamela Brown said in her editorial that ‘A magazine that circulates through an institution is an integral dynamic for communication, for understanding and for affirmation. It is a pleasure and honour to work with the editorial board in selecting the content and devising the layout.’
PAF’s Executive Director, Fred Caulfield commented that the involvement of both organisations ‘was ground-breaking’ and further explained that the commitment to the project ‘was very constructive, if not
exciting, and a project we hope to repeat for many years to come.’
COLLABORATIVE WORK
All In offers sincere thanks to everyone who played a part in the creation of the magazine and who gave generously of their time and insights in shaping the content. The creation of this collaborative work would not have been possible without the tireless support of Prison Arts Foundation, The Irish Prison Service, and the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Sincere appreciation was extended to the many teachers and prison educators who supported their students during the submissions process. Thanks to graphic designer Eva Wason for the poster and magazine cover. All In magazine gives special thanks to the project innovators and the Editorial Board. >>PMB
Barnardo’s Family Visits
Iwrite this on the day after my family visit with Barnardo’s, and wish to share with all fellow prisoners of the joy, the comfort and fun that I experienced with my daughter.
WAITING
As I woke the morning of the visit time seem to stand still with the nerves in my gut. 10am was the time it started and at 8:30am we were open. As I waited for the phone call to get off the landing, I was as excited as I’ve ever been in jail. I arrived down to get my search, the first thing I noticed was the officers were wearing their normal clothes. Search completed and I’m told to bring my tobacco in with me. I proceeded to the visit room and in there also were all the boys I’d completed the Barnardo’s course with, full of excitement, nerves and glee. Straight away I was offered a coffee and a nibble from the finger buffet that had been provided for us. Within five minutes our families arrived, kids busting through the door with a charge towards their dads.
THE PARK
My daughter, a ball of joy, ran with her arms spread to be lifted and I grabbed her and squeezed. First thing she asked me was ‘Daddy when do we go to the park’. The jail has a park adjacent to the visits and used when weather permits. We head off to ask and get my daughter a
drink. 5 minutes, we were told. My daughter heads to the toys and we discover the cupboard with the arts and crafts, so with glitter all over us we headed to get cleaned in the toilets and we hear the call for the park, like a coil spring my daughter’s gone.
RELAXED
As we go outside I was highly impressed with the park: picnic benches, wooden gazebo with bean bags and swings, slides, etc. I see all the other dads with their kids and families, I straight away see the relaxed version of everyone. We could have been anywhere in the world except for a jail, that was the vibe of the day. After plenty of fun with the kids we get the call for hot food, something the jail arranged for lunch. As the kids delve into see what’s on offer I get five minutes with my daughter, just me and her, and that five
minutes I’llcherish forever.
GOODBYES
As the wind down period begins and with stomachs full, it’s not long until the time comes to say our goodbyes, and while we wait to get our photos that we have had taken throughout the day we all give our hugs and kisses. Dreading to see them go but content with the day we have just had. A somewhat emotional feeling fills the room. As our families leave and we watch them go we are all filled with glee and emotion but what a day it was.
AGREEMENT
The dads of the day agree, ‘That was something else, hopefully it’s not too long to the next one.’
THE PROGRAMME
I would highly recommend the Barnardo’s programme, which is a 3 week course made up of 4 sessions a week, and the visit at the end of it. It’s good to sharpen up your parenting skills and get the advice to all the answers us dads struggle to give our kids about prison. To get your name on the waiting list, all you need to do is leave a request with your class officer, to speak to the family officer. To any of your fellow prisoners that get to experience the family day I hope you and your family have as a fantastic a day as I had with mine. >>JE
CONNECT Newsletter
“It takes collaboration across a community to develop better skills for better lives.” — Jose Angel Gurria
The Prison Arts Foundation (PAF) Creative Writing group at HMP Magilligan were integral in supporting the creation of CONNECT newsletter. The content having been written by offenders on probation in Northern Ireland. The launch took place in the Long Gallery in Stormont on the 2 March 2022. The newsletter was designed to provide people going through the probation process with information, personal testimonies and support.
MASTHEAD DESIGN
Our TIMEINmagazine cover designer and artist RMcA devised the CONNECT masthead as well as supporting the input of content and newsletter layout. The new initiative from the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) was a collaborative project with PAF.
POSITIVE PLATFORM
Executive Director of PAF Fred Caulfield said: “It is always important to support a project that gives a voice to people who are often marginalised in society. Here at PAF we know how much TIME IN magazine means to prisoners, and that they create the content is paramount to believing that your voice is validated using a positive platform. We were committed to supporting PBNI in their endeavour to create this medium of expression also.”
SAFER COMMUNITIES
Amanda Stewart, chief executive of PBNI (PBNI/PA) said: “People who have lived experience have a lot to contribute to
helping us create a system that can reduce the number of victims of crime and make communities safer.”
SERVICE USERS
Discussing the content, Gillian Montgomery, PBNI director of operations, added “We get to hear what works, and importantly what doesn’t work, in terms of supporting someone on their desistance and rehabilitative journey. The Connect newsletter is one example, and a great example, of putting the concept of service user involvement into practice.”
SHARING EXPERIENCE
Gillian further added that, “In this CONNECT Newsletter, we’re sharing experiences, advice, ideas and stories to help one another. We hope to publish a newsletter every year and would love to hear from you. If you have any stories, experiences or ideas that you want to share, or have any art, poems, quotes or recipes that you think others might enjoy, please get in touch either with your Probation Officer, Probation Service Officer or Community Service Officer or via…”
ServiceUser@probation-ni.gov.uk
The arts and older prisoners
The demographic of older people in the population consistently increases; likewise this is apparent within our criminal justice system. Prison Arts Foundation (PAF) endeavour to increase opportunities for older prisoners to engage with the arts as we believe creativity plays a role in promoting individual and community health and wellbeing. Thanks to funding from Arts Council Northern Ireland (ACNI) and their Arts and Older People Programme we were able to achieve this through a new creative art residency, addressing social issues such as poverty, isolation and loneliness, as well as promoting positive mental health for older prisoners in HMP Maghaberry.
TOO MANY BIRTHDAYS
The group called themselves TMB (Too Many Birthdays!) and during the sessions collated images from places, poetry, stories and songs. These images were transferred onto mosaic and attached to plywood boards to make a series of 7 ceramic wall panels, each representing a county, city or townland in Northern Ireland. All panels had a personal meaning to a club member. The resulting panels and some smaller ‘Nesting Bird’ artworks were exhibited at both the in R-Space Gallery in Lisburn and at PAF’s annual art exhibition in the Crumlin Road Gaol, March 2022. The panels will further be distributed to hostels & centres throughout Northern Ireland later in the year.
PROJECT EVALUATION
Evaluating the project has helped PAF strengthen our evi-
dence in relation to the personal and social benefits of arts participation in later years. It is clear that older prisoners can provide valuable resources, and their desire to give back to the local community through the project and utilising artworks demonstrates the importance of their ongoing participation. It is intended that this project will clearly show how the arts help address issues relevant to older people, and to inform future practice and funding applications.
PROJECT IMPACT
Finally, the impact of the project from a TMB club member’s point of view:
“This class is a real benefit to me, anti-anxiety in the class keepsmefromharmingmyself andfeelingdown. Ilooksoforwardtocominghereandalso theclassissorelaxed,atpresentI’mattrialandifconvicted Iwillspendtherestofmylife here. Withthisclassthereisa ray of light in my life, almost
forgettingwhereIam,alsothe teacher is very good with us. AtfirstcominghereIwasworriedincaseIwasnogoodat theclass,buttheteachermade me feel so comfortable and I wasabletodothingswithclay IthoughtIcouldneverdo. I am sothankful forthe helpI receivehereinclass;Istillfeel humaninthisplaceofsorrow andbrokenness.” >>AC
Listowel Winners 2022
Listowel Writers’ Week is Ireland’s oldest literary and arts festival, where writers, artists and poets get together in a stunning heritage town in County Kerry. The festival aims to ‘promote the writing of all genres and create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible audience.’ True to their inclusivity ethos, prison writing competition categories were established in 1982.
The writing competition is a fixed calendar event for the writers’ diary here in Magilligan,
encouraged by the competition categories that cater for the beginner to the more accomplished writer. The submission process is supported by the Irish prison Service and their arts officer Tom Shortt. The competition is further supported by the Northern Ireland Prison Service who contribute to the prize fund.
The writers’ group in Magilligan consistently perform well, and 2022 is no different despite lockdowns and fewer creative writing sessions among other challenges. First prize in the
Short Story Intermediate category was won by a writer at Magilligan, as well as the third prize Short Story Getting Started. Other winners included third place in the Poetry Advanced category and Highly Commended in Short Story Advanced category. Here is the Short Story Getting Started and the Poetry Advanced winners....
Nightclub Judges: third Prize ShortStory getting
The night was moving on into the early hours, two door men stood outside the nightclub and all they could hear was a vague beat from the music behind the doors. They stood looking at their hot breath forming a fog in front of them. Big Frank finally spoke.
‘We’re not as busy as we usually are on a Friday night, are we Bob?’
‘No mate we’re not but at least this crowd is actually drinking alcohol.’
‘What you mean mate?’ Frank asked.
‘Well, Frank think about it, last Friday night the place was pumping and full to the neck but yet our intake was very low.’
Bob paused for second and looked up at Frank.
‘Now Frank, why do you think that is?’
Frank looked up towards the stars and finally said…
‘Because they were all…’
‘Because they were all on drugs, exactly,’ Bob interrupts his friend. ‘Yes, the only thing them peeps were spending their money on was those damn ecstasy tablets. That’s why we’ve to be careful about who we let in, do ye know what I mean.’ Bob said.
‘Yes, I think so, but at the same time Bob you can’t really judge a book by its cover, can you?’
‘Who can’t,’ Bob said angrily. Frank looked at him. ‘What way are you getting on tonight?’
‘Sorry,’ Bob said. ‘It’s just I’m sick of those dealers coming in and selling their drugs right under our noses, like they own the place.’
‘Aye, but no need to take it personal, it happens everywhere Bob mate.’ Frank put his arm around his friend’s heavy shoulders, getting him in a headlock and knuckled his bald head.
‘Like here you wouldn’t like it if someone looked at you and
said look at that fat wee mean looking guy, I’m not letting him in here. He looks like a drug dealer.’
They both giggled as Bob tried to get out of his friends headlock. Once he broke free and a better mood broke free at same time.
Dan walked up the Dublin Road in Belfast and it was freezing. It was a winter’s night and like all young men he didn’t wear a coat. He was wearing a checked shirt, jeans and his brand new Caterpillar boots. He’d finished a late work shift at 1am and thought at the last minute he would have a night out. He walked towards his destination seeing the nightclub he wanted to go to, and he saw the two bouncers. The club was open and he thought of the good time that laid ahead. He felt a spring in his step.
‘Frank look at this guy walking up, perfect example, I don’t like
the look of him.’
‘Ach Bob, what were we just talking about?’
‘Aye, but look even what he is wearing, those boots are against our dress code anyway.’
Bob said.
‘We’ve let loads of people in wearing boots, you just don’t like the look of him, admit it.’
‘Ok fine, I admit it,’ Bob said. ‘It’s coming up to near 1am, and he doesn’t even look like he’s had a drink and he’s walking like Linford Christy, he’s on drugs. I’m not letting him in.’
‘Well I am.’ Frank said.
‘No you’re not, now look, I’m making the plays, back the plays I make.’
Frank looked up to the stars again. For God’s sake, he thought his friend was being shallow.
‘Hello lads,’ the young man said as he stood in front of the bouncers, realising they looked pissed and hoping they didn’t take their mood out on him.
‘Not tonight mate,’ Frank said bitterly, as he didn’t want to knock someone back on their appearance alone.
Dan knew his assessment was right, this bouncer was going to take his problem out on him.
Dan took a deep breath.
‘I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why not mate?’
‘It’s those boots mate, dress code,’ Frank lied.
‘That’s rubbish mate, I’ve got in here before with boots on and I bet lots of people in there have boots on, be honest, you’re in a bad mood and you’re taking it out on me.’
Frank give Bob a dirty look, gesturing him to step in as this was Bob’s decision. Frank would usually just have said ‘piss off before
you get slapped’ but felt he couldn’t as he could see the wee lad’s point of view.
‘I’m not dressed up enough, and now I’m going to have to go home all because you’re in a foul mood. All I wanted was to have
“Be honest, you’re in a bad mood and you’re taking it out on me.”
a drink after a long and late shift,’ Dan ranted on.
To make matters worse a group of five people stepped up towards the bouncers looking to get into the club. Straight away Frank could see that the two lads were wearing boots. Frank looked over to Bob as he let the five people go inside. Frank felt bad knowing this young lad had also seen this and could feel his frustration. As he turned Dan was shaking his head in disappointment.
‘To hell with you,’ Dan said and
he looked the bouncer straight in the eye.
Frank watched the young man walk away. He realized that the young lad was sober and thought even more strongly that his mate was in the wrong.
‘Never judge a book by its cover,’ Frank said to Bob as he saw him grinning. Frank felt disappointment and hatred. He had never felt this before and towards his friend, not just because he could see how shallow his friend was but because he seemed to enjoy the young lad’s frustration. It was like he was enjoying the power trip which just seemed sad to Frank.
‘Why is this funny to you Bob?’
‘Screw him he’s just a junkie.’
‘No he isn’t, did you even look at him? He wasn’t high, he was sober.’
‘Funny time to start drinking if you ask me.’
‘Well if you had paid attention to what he was saying
you would know that he had worked a late shift and just wanted a drink,’ Frank said angrily. Frank looked at Bob waiting for a response. Bob stared at the ground. He could sense Frank was not happy with him, if there was one thing he knew about Frank it was that Frank hated bullies. Bob realized that is what Frank thought he was doing.
‘Look mate I wasn’t trying to give anyone a hard time just for the sake of it, it’s like I said, I’m just sick of drug dealers running about like they own the place, you know I have my reasons,’ Bob said quietly as he looked at the ground.
Frank looked at Bob. He noticed a hint of sadness in his voice. He remembered the stories Bob would tell about his daughter and how she got hooked on drugs and all the troubles it brought to his family.
‘It’s ok, sorry for getting angry Bob mate.’
‘Too be honest, I was more angry at the fact he thought it was me who wouldn’t let him in. I thought you would have at least been the one to tell him, seeing as it was you that didn’t want him in.’
‘Sorry, you’re right, I should have stepped in sorry mate,’ Bob said.
‘It’s ok, look from now on let’s not judge for the sake of judging.’
‘Ok sounds good.’
‘Good,’ Frank said, giving his friend a playful dig on his arm.
where that would be open. Cold and angry he told himself I’m not letting that old bigotruinmynight . It wasn’t long before he realized the only other bar he would have a chance to get into would be a club up past the bouncer he didn’t want to have to look at again. Dan decided to walk back. As he was walking past the two bouncers he saw them looking at him. Dan stared at the bouncer, wondering why he was looking at him so intently. Is he trying to get a reaction out of me?
‘Bob look there’s that lad from earlier, he probably can’t find anywhere open.’ Frank said. Bob looked at his friend and could see he was annoyed. Bob decided he would make up for his bad decision.
‘Frank shouted over to him, tell him he can come in, blame me if you want.’
‘Yo mucker,’ Frank shouted to the lad. ‘Come on in if you want, I spoke to management, you can come in, there’s no problem.’
Dan stopped in his tracks, puzzled for a second, not quite sure what to make of the situation as Frank stood there staring at him. Frank felt good about himself as he had felt bad and now he could make it right.
‘To hell with you, go to hell,’ Dan shouted, and continued walking. He thought the bouncers wanted to beat him up or some other trick.
Bob look at each other and then burst out into a fit of laughter. The laughter exploded even more when Frank spoke.
‘He’s a bloody junkie.’
Even though Frank felt a bit embarrassed he didn’t care anymore, as at least his friendship with Bob was still in a good place, and Bob could see his point of view which would save their friendship which was vital for their job. >>WV
Third Prize PoetryAdvanced Listowel 2022
Searching for a clue, a guide, a direction
Contemplating A word A way
Accepting a beginning Hoping to find expression
Here in my cell
Fifteen years and eleven months completed
A life sentence carried with sobriety
An all-encompassing acceptance of reality
Dan walked about town trying to think of some-
Frank froze for a second not quite sure if he believed what he heard. Frank contemplated what had just happened. He began to feel embarrassed. He could already feel Bob staring at him before he turned around. Frank and
I walk, surviving in this Pool of helplessness And broken hearts
There is an abyss of sorrow
Everyday nearer to the clifftops… >>PM
NWRC education Courses available in Magilligan
The NWRC at Magilligan offer Qualifications in many areas of study, including accreditations at Entry Level, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. For more information please request a course handbook:
ART & DESIGN
BARBERING
CARPENTRY
CREATIVE WRITING
EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
ENGLISH (LITERACY ESSENTIAL SKILLS)
ESOL (ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES)
FOOD SAFETY & NUTRITION
CSR CARD
HORTICULTURE
ICT SYSTEMS SUPPORT
ICT (ICT ESSENTIAL SKILLS)
JOINERY
MATHS (NUMERACY ESSENTIAL SKILLS)
PAINTING AND DECORATING
PLASTERING
TILING
WELDING
Education AnIndividualTestimony
Education has provided me with focus, a sense of achievement, and the tools to prepare myself for a life away from crime. I believe education should be one of the main, if not the main focus, in the prison rehabilitation system. Education is essential for prisoners who want to turn their backs on crime and want to become a productive member of society again.
COURSES
When I first started looking at the education provided here, I found that it quickly opened doors to more education, with the likes of Open University
(OU), and other courses. I have completed several NWRC courses myself now which have given me a sense of achievement, and given me goals to strive for. However, there should be more opportunities to achieve higher education, other than OU, like GCSEs or A levels, and also a particular interest of mine, sports and fitness programmes, especially given that the majority of the prison population are interested in these subjects. OU takes some time to complete, and there could be more options for short-term prisoners.
NEW SKILLS
The workshops here are another good way to acquire the tools needed to be successful, getting a trade behind you means you could potentially walk out of the prison and into a job that you are knowledgeable about and interested in.
BUILDING CONFIDENCE
Education should be pushed further, but as it stands the system here is easy enough to access, and I find through my own experiences, that the teachers put a lot of effort into individual student progress, as well as building confidence in their actual ability to learn. >>PH
Wuthering Heights
Character language Place
the character Joseph, and the servants’ deep dark dialect, the language considered difficult to read. Charlotte Brontë, pseudonym Currer Bell, noted that the author was local to the Yorkshire Moors and acknowledged faults in what appeared a ‘rude and strange production’.
AUTHENTIC VOICE
Emily Brontë portrayed the authentic voice and dialects in Wuthering Heights . The voice of any character, intrinsic to their turn of phrase and likewise how a reader accepts them as genuine. Few of the characters are likeable yet this ‘authenticity’ through character flaws somehow draws the reader into a violent world.
NARRATORS
Lockwood and Nelly (nanny) are the principal narrators. Lockwood, a Londoner having rented Thrushcross Cottage, found in Heathcliff a man who preferred isolation. Lockwood noted Heathcliff’s ‘black eyes withdrawn so suspiciously under their brows’, suggesting a
iour Mr Earnshaw whose son Hindley hates him because he believes Heathcliff will steal his birth right. His sister Catherine is besotted with Heathcliff. Life goes on, the children grow up and masters change. After the passing of his father Hindley becomes a tyrant who abuses his wife, and she dies after bearing a son called Hareton.
HEATHCLIFF AND CATHY
Catherine, noted as a great catch for the Linton family, has a heart to heart with Nelly and confesses her love for Heathcliff, the cuckoo child, and her dilemma being engaged to Edgar Linton. Heathcliff is eavesdropping nearby, but disaster ensues as Catherine says she could never marry Heathcliff as they would end up beggars.
REVENGE MISSION
Heathcliff leaves and Catherine fulfilled her obligation and marries Edgar. Nelly goes to work for Catherine, ordered to leave Wuthering Heights by Hindley. Heathcliff returns soon after
tween Heathcliff and Cathy. who laments to Heathcliff that she would be twenty years in the grave before they will meet forever. A few days later she gives birth to a girl who she calls Cathy, Catherine then dies.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Heathcliff continues to settle the score and the younger generation take centre stage. Heathcliff becomes principal master of both properties. Heathcliff eventually dies. The young lovers Hareton and the young 21 year old Cathy are to be married that coming New Year’s Day.
LOVE AND HATE
A story of love and hate, through characters and their connections. Fear and ignorance breed violence while Emily Brontë’s handling of dialects makes the story intense and believable. The story of Heathcliff and Cathy reveals the dark side of love and obsession. It shows how love can become a destructive force. Both characters destroy each other as well as those around them. Powerful writing indeed. >>PM
20 books to read before you get out of jail
When I was first sentenced I knew I’d need a distraction. An already big reader I decided one way I would get through 6 years in custody was reading. I’ve read a load of books from nonfiction and true crime but the best books are the ones I’d recommend. Some are not stand alone novels but are a book series. A lot have stood the test of time, they are classics in American literature and from around the world. Some written over 100 years ago. I read a list called 100 books to read before you die and converted it to my list: 20 books to read before you get out of jail.
1. The Great Gatsby (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald: An American classic. A story about a man trying to get the attention of the woman he loves.
2. Catcher in the Rye (1951), J. D. Salinger: Another American classic. A young man’s grief and descent into isolation.
3. Grey Bastards (The Lot Lands) (2015), Jonathan French: Fantasy that is a mix of Sons of Anarchy and World of Warcraft.
4. To Kill a Mocking Bird (1960), Harper Lee: One of the American classics. Racism and law set in Deep South of USA.
5. Grapes of Wrath (1939), John Steinbeck: A family of farmers and their migration across the USA and the hardships they stoically endure.
6. Of Mice and Men (1937), John Steinbeck: A story about two unlikely friends who get work as farm hands.
7. The Count of Monte Christo (1884-1886 serialised), Alexandre Dumas: Revenge and justice for a man set up by a jealous friend, following his escape from prison and his return as a fake but incredibly wealthy count.
8. The Three Musketeers (1844), Alexandre Dumas: A young man
meets three friends who help him achieve his dream of becoming a soldier in 17th century France.
9. Crime and Punishment (1866), Fyodor Dostoyevsky: The inner torments of an impoverished ex-student who forms a murderous plan to steal from a notorious pawnbroker.
10. Pulp (1994), Charles Bukowski: Detective novel about a sleazy Private Investigator hired to find the mysterious red sparrow.
11. A Song of Ice and Fire (1996), George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones series): The books go into more detail than the TV series, describing the heroes and villains of Westeros.
12. Of Human Bondage (1915), Somerset Maugham: Classic novel about a young boy with a club foot who loses his father and is made an orphan.
13. The Outsider (1942), Albert Camus: A socially awkward man on trial not just for murder but because he refuses to fit in.
14. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971), Hunter S. Thompson: Hunter S. Thompson’s book turned into a movie with Johnny Depp follows the renowned journalist to Las Vegas for racing in the desert. His gonzo style
journalism shines with drug use and adventures making a lasting impression
15. The Rum Diary (1998 [19591962]), Hunter S. Thompson: A twisted love story involving resentment, deceit and violent alcoholism among the staff of an American newspaper.
16. Metamorphosis (1915) Franz Kafka: Short stories were the weird and wonderful mind of Kafka finds people turned into cockroaches or their crimes tattooed over their body.
17. Animal Farm (1945), George Orwell: Orwell’s novel based on his critique of the 1917 revolution in Russia and the communist take over.
18. 1984 (1949), George Orwell: Set in a fascist dictatorship were the population are always reminded big brother is watching
19. The Shack (2007), William P. Young: Forgiveness and love, whether religious or not you will find values and morals principles being tested and changed.
20. The Dublin Trilogy (2016) Caimh McDonnell: Hilarious trilogy set in the familiar surroundings of Dublin beginning with ‘A Man with One of those Faces’ it’s full of laugh out loud moments and action. >>PC
Book Review: George Orwell Animal Farm
What an absolute cracker of a book.
The basic story is of a farm called Manor Farm that is run by a man named Mr Jones. The animals on the farm feel aggrieved by their treatment and feel they would do better on their own, so decide a revolution is in order.
POLITICAL INNUENDO
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
how things tend to go back full circle when all are not equal and all are not upfront and honest even in a revolution.
ASK QUESTIONS
The story starts with the animals all agreeing on the best way forward but it soon becomes clear that the more intelligent animals, namely the pigs, have a different agenda. Flirting with political innuendos this book leads you on a journey through how self-appointed highly intelligent people can manipulate others into doing things that they actually come to believe is right through not questioning authority.
BIGGER PICTURE
This book really opens your eyes to the bigger picture in life and how important it is to question things and seek the relevant answers to any concerns you have, whether it be politics, work situations or life in general, etc. And it is as relevant today if not more so as when this book was published in 1947.
COERCIVE CONTROL
When reading this book you will see the most obvious examples of coercive control, do as I
simply genius. The ending of the book is a real eye opener on
I would highly recommend this book to everyone and especially those in society that have important and relevant questions about authoritarian figures and their decision making in life. I personally feel that it is better to ask questions and become more educated than to reside in the darkness and to flirt with
George Orwell is watching you!
Mindfulness
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a state of peace within the body, and the mind. I’ve learned from personal experiences how very helpful it is for the mind and body to become at one with each other, and just be right in the moment and not stuck in my head.
AUTOPILOT
It is easy for us human beings to just go into autopilot, from when we get out of bed in the mornings our brains are so used to doing the same old sort of things every day, and this is why we stop noticing the world around us. It’s very easy to lose touch with our minds and body and how they are feeling and what our brains are really thinking about because we end up living in our heads all the time.
When you’re living in your head all-day, worrying about your thoughts, it’s so easy to forget that our thoughts are driving our emotion and in return our behaviours. It’s a very important tool for the human body and mind to be fit to sit or lay down and do some mindfulness for 10-20 or even 30 minutes, even once or twice a week can be very helpful.
FEELING GROUNDED
A way to achieve mindfulness is to sit upright in your chair, with
both hands flat on your thighs or lay down on the floor or on a mat with both palms flat on the ground. This means you can feel the earth beneath your body and feel grounded. Close your eyes and bring yourself back to the present moment. Focus on your breathing, in through your nose and out through your mouth and every second or third breath take a big deep breath in, and a big deep breath back out, and just repeat this for a minute or two until you feel your body begin to relax.
FIGHT FOR PEACE
I really felt the power of mindfulness when I started a training course about two years ago called FightforPeace(Fight for Myself) which involved kickboxing but then at the end of the training session my mentor told us to get the mat out and lay on them with the palms of our hands flat on the floor and just focus on our breathing for a few minutes to get our heartbeat under control. This is when I heard about the five senses for the first time, see, feel, hear, smell and taste and so the five senses come into play with everything mindfulness and all the techniques involved.
TYPES OF MINDFULNESS
Some people will find mindful-
ness and meditation really very difficult, and some people will find it very easy. Mindfulness is one of those things that you do really have to stick at for at least two to four times to see if it works for you. There are many different types of mindfulness and meditation styles out there, not all will be for everyone. If you don’t find them helpful, then (the three-minute breathing space) skill should help you to take check of your thoughts and feelings in that moment.
RELAX YOUR BODY
Sit down on your chair and just relax your body while taking big deep breaths in and out for 30 seconds, then spend the first minute to check in on yourself and ask “how am I doing right now?” And while you’re doing this keep taking nice long breaths in and out to relax your body and mind. Then spend the second minute just focusing on your breathing, nice deep breaths in then out and don’t try and change its rhythm. Feel how your body is feeling in the moment. Spend the last minute just taking nice big deep breaths in and out and really think and feel how the breath is affecting your body in a positive way, all for only three short minutes of your time to just calm the mind and body and to be only in the here and now and relaxed! >>CM
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” Thich Nhat Hang
Hippocampus (from the Greek ‘híppos’ meaning horse and ‘kámpos’ meaning ‘sea monster or ‘sea animal’) are more commonly known as seahorses. They have a head which resembles a horse, have extremely good eyesight with independent moving eyes and a prehensile tail that they use to grip seagrass in strong currents to stop them drifting away and to hold onto a female during mating.
Seahorses have flesh covered bony plates instead of scales and can change colour to deter predators or attract a mate. They range in size from that of a bean to over a foot in length.
Seahorses mainly eat small shellfish such as shrimp and other small crustaceans and can eat between (30-50) times a day with small ‘fry’ or baby seahorses eating over 3000 pieces of food in a single day.
The male seahorse is the only creature where the male has a reversed pregnancy. The female transfers her eggs to the male’s pouch where he self-fertilizes before giving birth to between (50-1500) fry depending on the size of the seahorse itself.
There are around 54 different species of seahorse although the exact number is unknown as scientists struggle to identify seahorses because individuals of the same species can vary greatly in appearance. New species continue to be found on a regular bases.
These wonderful creatures are under constant threat from pollution and costal developments, but the top threat for seahorses is overfishing. Commercial fishing vessels scoop up millions of seahorses a year as bycatch. There is also the targeted fishing of seahorses to supply tourist demand for dried trinkets and souvenirs and an unregulated traditionalmedicine market in Asia.
For many seahorses their species is sparse, and scientist believe the vast majority are threatened with some populations of a once thriving species are in rapid decline. Protecting the seahorses will require protecting their shallow water habitats from pollutions and destructive developments, enforcing harsher commercial fishing laws aimed at stemming the bycatch problem, and reducing demand for these animals as trinkets and supposed medical supplies for the Asian market. >>AF
Information Services
Support services are available for all in custody and their families. Speak to your Class Officer or the Family Support teamforfurtherinformation.
alcohol abuse.
AD:EPT work across the 3 prisons in NI and have vast experience helping people in custody. All AD:EPT workers are trained professionals who offer a sensitive and confidential service.
If you would like help and support with a drug or alcohol problem there are several ways you can contact AD:EPT :
● Ask an officer on the landing to arrange an appointment.
● Ask your medical officer or probation officer to refer you or at your resettlement meeting.
● Ask at your Induction/Core Harm reduction meeting.
Church Services
The spiritual needs of inmates are catered for in prison as well as on the outside.
The main denominations have chaplaincies but others are also accommodated. You can contact a chaplain by asking your class officer to phone the office and leave a message. You can also have a request put on the computer system or you may speak to a chaplain at the Sunday Service and make appropriate arrangements. Roman Catholic, Combined and Free Presbyterian services are held on Saturdays and Sundays. Check notice boards on wings for relevant times.
Foyleview services are on Wednesday (Free Presbyterian) and Thursday (Roman Catholic and Combined) from 4 – 4.30 p.m.
Cruse Bereavement
When someone dies we can feel a host of emotions including being abandoned, angry, guilty, shocked and sad. The death could have happened recently or a long time ago. Talking about how you feel when someone has died can help.
Cruse Bereavement Care are volunteers from the community and do not work for the prison service. Cruse will offer you a weekly hour-long session with a volunteer.
When you meet you can talk as much or as little as you want and the volunteer will listen and provide support.
All you need to do is to fill in a Cruse referral form, or ask your Class officer to contact Cruse. An appointment will be made to do an assessment, after which you will be allocated a volunteer who will see you each week on the same day.
If someone close to you has died, you can feel sad or upset. Cruse Bereavement Care is here to help.
Turning Pages
Shannon Trust is a reading programme specifically designed for adults who struggle with reading.
It’s a peer led, confidential, one to one programme that can be worked through at the pace of the learner in short bursts of 20 minutes a session, with completion certificates earned at the end of each manual.
If you are interested in improving your reading or becoming a Mentor, there are several ways to get involved in the programme:
● Ask an officer on the landing to arrange an appointment.
● Ask an existing Shannon Trust Mentor or Learner to refer you.
● Fill in a sign up sheet available on the wings.
Samaritans
Listeners
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to offer support to inmates who are having a difficult time. The service is available to everyone regardless of their age, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. To make a request ask an officer on the landing. The scheme is independent of the prison authorities and completely CONFIDENTIAL.
Flash Fiction: Life Wounds
“Look at what you’ve gone and done now, you worthless piece of ….”
“I’m sorry! I don’t know how this happened… I…I just…can’t remember,” said Nate frantically, trying to piece together the fragments of his memories hopelessly. “It doesn’t make sense… it’s not possible” he said, trying to reassure himself as much as the other male figure towering in front of him. Maybe Nate would have more luck with the latter because that dull, heavy feeling that felt like it was physically dragging this stomach down towards his feet was anything but reassuring.
The two men were quite similar in many ways. Both were just under six feet tall, and were well put together with broad shoulders and strong arms, and both were in their early thirties, although to look at Nate you would be forgiven for thinking he was older. He looked it and he certainly felt it. A life-time of worries seemed to weigh heavy on him. His thick brown hair was messed and clung to his head with stale sweat. The dense shadow of the stubble on his face, and dark rings around his eyes seemed to show to the rest of the world how he was feeling on the inside.
The other man staring back at him lacked these burdens, and Nate hated him for that. He seemed more carefree, standing straighter than Nate with a confidence that could easily be mistaken as arrogance. He and Nate first met when Nate was a teenager, and for as long as he could remember Nate could never live up to his expectations, although he tried in everything that he done, but always coming up short. In the earlier years he never told Nate explicitly, but the occasional stray look, the unintentional flicker of a judging smile, or the slight emphasis on a particular word made it all but clear to Nate his opinion of him.
As time went on, the dynamic between the two men tipped against Nate. The judgment intensified to the point that Nate could almost anticipate how the other would react. They both seemed to share this inexplicable, unnatural physic link. Nate found it almost impossible to lie to him, because he always seemed to be able to sense the truth of the matter. Nate always felt violated by his intrusions into his life but was afraid to tell him
how he felt. Nate hated that he simply didn’t cut him out of his life. Surely, if he just ignored him he would go away. The fact of the matter was however Nate didn’t ever want to disappoint him.
“Tell me what you did, Nate” said the cold voice knowingly, “and don’t lie to me…”
“I…. I’m telling you. I don’t…. I mean I can’t… remember. Please…” sobbed Nate.
“Look at the state of yourself. What are you going to tell everyone? Look!” Like an obedient child being scolded, Nate looked down at himself. All he could see was blood, and he still couldn’t understand where it had all come from. As his teary eyes followed the splashes of blood on his trousers, up to his hands that had dried blood on them he seen it for what seemed like the first time. Long, thin wounds tracing up his arms. His eyes followed them like he was reading the words on a page, albeit a page of information that he could not even begin to fathom. It was strange, he could see them but he couldn’t feel them. In fact he couldn’t feel anything. “I… I don’t understand. Who did… how…I mean…” stammered Nate, his speech as broken as his memory, as broken as he was.
“You know exactly who is responsible” was the unforgiving reply.
“No, you’re wrong… it wasn’t …” and as they very words left his mouth he traced the wounds with his fingers, all the while flashes of what happened just hours before began to play out in Nate’s mind. Suddenly he could remember the cold sting of the razor blade, like a surgeon meticulously excising an abscess, or like in the days of old, excising a demon. He remembered the warm, sticky trickle running down his arm. He looked at the man standing before him and he knew that he knew. Just like always.
“That’s right, you know who’s responsible for this”.
“Yes” answered Nate, there was nothing more that he could say, the guilt was clawing at his throat and he couldn’t form any other words. He felt like a prisoner to his own emotions. He struggles to
try and remember why he did it.
“It doesn’t matter why, the damage is done. Everyone will be talking about you now. Maybe that’swhat you wanted. Do you want the attention?”
Without waiting for a reply from Nate he carried on speaking, standing face to face with him, both their eyes locked intensely on each other. “They’re going to think you’re crazy or something. They won’t want to bother with you. They’re all going to walk away from you.”
“No it’s not like that” interrupted Nate, “they don’t have to know….”
“But they will, they can see it for themselves just like I can…”
Self-Harm
Self-harm is a massive issue among prisoners, and I personally feel that it is a symptom of a much wider mental health crisis. Self-harm in NI is more common in young men aged 20-24, and it is on the increase, a rise that reflects the increase in mental health conditions, with one in five adults with a mental health illness.
TREATED DISMISSIVELY
Self-harm is often treated dismissively by others, and it is easy to forget the overwhelming distress that has led someone to harming themselves. While “cutting” is the thing that first springs to mind, it can take many different forms such as scratching, burning and self-hitting as well as drug overdoses. There are many different reasons why a person may self-harm, and one of the big causes is hopelessness and despair. We are in a challenging environment where many of our problems are amplified by our lack of control over them, and our emotions are heightened. Despite many public campaigns, self-harm is still a taboo subject and many people are
“But you’re different. They won’t know, they didn’t the last time….”
“You mean the last time when you said it would never happen again?”
“Stop, please, I’m begging you. I told you I didn’t mean for this to happen. I promise it won’t happen again… it just won’t.”
With that, Nate ran his arms under the running tap, watching the red stream disappear down the plug hole. “No one can ever know” he said in a quiet voice to himself. Finally he took one last look at himself in the mirror, wishing above all else that he could tell the man staring back at him that it was all his fault.
>>DO’N
still afraid to talk about it openly and many people who do selfharm hide this out of shame or guilt.
NEED TO CHANGE
We need to change how we deal with it. This is not a problem that can be solved solely by healthcare or by the prison system. People who self-harm need to know that there are people around them who care. We aren’t afraid to ask someone with a broken leg if it is painful, so why should be afraid to ask someone “how’s your head?” By being able to talk about it openly and being non-judgemental will reduce the stigma around it, and will hopefully allow people who are struggling to open up and talk about their feelings.
>>DO’N
NI.DIRECT.GOV.UK
If you're self-harming, you should see your GP for help. If you're at risk of self-harm or feeling anxious, you can telephone Lifeline. The helpline is confidential, free and open 24 hours every day. It is available anytime every day. Telephone 0808 808 8000
Sources:
BBC News. 2022. NIprisons:Services for at-risk inmates over-stretched, reviewfinds . [online]
Mayo Clinic. 2022. Self-injury/cuttingSymptomsandcauses . [online] Publichealth.hscni.net. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.publicheal th.hscni.net/sites/default/files/202203/NIRSH%20Regional%20Summary% 20Report%202019.20.pdf.
Old Codgers
Honest Jim
When I was a young man I never thought about old age. Few young people did. Old age was so far away it didn’t need thinking about. There was even a realistic chance we would die long before old age caught up with us. Whenever I saw an old age pensioner sitting in the park feeding the ducks, or throwing breadcrumbs to pigeons in the street, I just thought that was what bored old people did to while away the time.
PRUNING THE ROSES
It never entered my head that sitting on a canal bank feeding the swans could ever be enjoyable. Or pruning the roses. Or even having roses to prune. When I was in my teens the only thing people wanted to
cultivate were marijuana plants. I thought the most excitement any old codger ever got was to sit in a pub drinking beer, and talking about horse racing. Or maybe to stand in a queue at the post office, slagging off the youth of today. It wasn’t that I didn’t respect the elderly exactly. I just never thought the day would come when I would become an old codger myself.
"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm."
- Henry David Thoreau
THE YEARS PASS BY
But slowly, almost imperceptibly, the years passed by. I returned from living in London to my native Ireland due to a num-
ber of reasons, mainly failing health. After battling Dublin city council’s homeless office for years I finally got a lovely council bungalow flat a couple of years ago and its divine. I’ve got squirrels in the trees in my garden and awake each morning to a dawn chorus of birdsong echoing across the trees and shrubs that surround me on three sides. Sometimes I throw some bread and watch the pigeons, crows, magpies and gulls fight over it. There are foxes living somewhere in the communal gardens I share with others and the amount of times I’ve watched these beautiful animals is in the dozens. My flat is also home to several spiders. Spiders kill flies so that’s ok with me.
SITTING IN THE LIBRARY
My lungs are failing. I’m half blind in one eye due to cataracts and glaucoma. I’m waiting for an operating. My lung disease is so bad I need a wheelchair now just to get to the shops. Against all odds I’ve survived to live into the onset of approaching of old age; I’m almost 61. And now I’m finding pleasure in the things I used to laugh at when I was young. Like standing in my doorway drinking tea in the morning and watching birds fight over the breadcrumbs. Or sitting in the library for an hour to read the papers. Or riding my wheelchair down to the shops to say hello to my neighbours.
TWO FOXES
A few weeks back I was awakened from my beauty sleep by a yelping sound. Opening my eyes, I saw through my patio door that there were two foxes playing in my garden, not three yards from where I lay in my darkened bedroom. A vixen playing with her almost fully grown cub? They were jumping against each other playfully and standing on hind legs only. They were bumping into each other’s chest with their front paws, as if boxing kangaroos.
A BIGGER FOX
I watched in fascination and as I began to sit up they noticed my movement through the plate glass door even though my flat was in complete darkness. After stopping and watching me warily for a minute they turned and walked quickly away. I checked the time; it was 5:38 in the morning. I lay back down with an enchanted smile on my face but the show wasn’t over. A couple of minutes later a bigger fox (the daddy?) walked slowly past my door, and then back again. This was the first time I’d seen all three
foxes at the same time. I’d been told there were a family of three but had only ever saw two together before.
LOOKING AT THE STARS
The times I’ve just stood in my garden in the dark staring at the heavens. The majesty of the night absolutely captivates me. With a cup of tea for company, or maybe the occasional cold beer, I am mesmerised just looking at the stars. So it’s time I faced facts. Old age is catching me up. I’ve already started to think like an old codger and now I’m even acting like one.
STEPFORD WIVES
I’m certainly living in the right place too. The area of Dublin where I live is absolutely full of old codgers. You can hardly cross the street without being run over by battery powered wheelchair. There’s a huge estate around me, including the mini estate where I live. Only people over 55 can get housed here and many residents are also disabled or chronically ill. There are other blocks of flats on the greater estate which are
similar and a nursing home as well. Everywhere you look there are battery-powered wheelchairs, scooters, electric buggies, walkers, Zimmer frames, crutched and more. I’ve never seen so many elderly or disabled people in one area in my life, it’s idyllic, but it’s a bit like the movie “The Stepford Wives”. Only here its old codgers instead of wives. Honestly, they’re absolutely everywhere.
WEEKLY MEETING
So it is high time I faced reality. I’m getting old and I may as well get used to it. Perhaps someone should form a support group for people like myself who only recently started to grow old, like the support groups for those addicted to gambling, or those fighting chronic kleptomania. We could arrange weekly meeting in the library or the local community hall. Then, with all the chairs in a circle in the centre of the room, I could stand up in front of a crowd of people and proudly declare “my name is Jim … and I’m an old codger”
Bigger than theBeatles
Nirvana is one of my favourite bands, not only because of their unique sound that brought grunge to the to the forefront of the music scene. Nirvana changed how people dressed, how they acted, and ultimately set trends that reverberate through music today. Nirvana changed how a generation of people thought, and in my mind are like a grunge Beatles . John Lennon said The Beatles were bigger than Jesus, well Nirvana was bigger than TheBeatles!
UNIQUE SOUND
At the time of Nirvana’s takeover of pop music, music was dominated by Classic Rock, Alternative Rock, Britpop, and metal were the main genres people were listening to. Bands like Guns‘N’Roses,Metallica,Oasis , and Blur. Blur’s lead singer Damon Albarn eventually formed The Gorillaz, who seem to be influenced by Nirvana in the dystopian feel of their comedic cartoons, and at the same time as bringing you an eclectic unique sound, is aesthetically interesting, telling a story through their albums with each band member having a cartoon avatar. The sound of their music could be described as Indie, but you can definitely hear the influence of Nirvana’s “I don’t care what anyone says, this is my music” ethos. Nirvana themselves seem to be influenced by the likes of Green River , Pearl Jam, Soundgarden , and Mother
INDIVIDUAL TRAITS
Nirvana’s lead singer, and in most people’s opinions the driving force behind Nirvana , Kurt Cobain, was a very talented musician. Compared to the likes of Jimi Hendrix, he wasn’t considered to be an amazing guitarist or in fact an amazing vocalist,
but he had his own way of playing the guitar. These individual traits set Kurt apart from anyone else at the time. His message was that his music was for him, and the band. Kurt Cobain wasn’t trying to impress anyone, he was simply expressing his troubled life, which he indeed had.
ADDICTION
Kurt had bad drug addictions, and heroin held him like a vice. It is said that he made a few drug dealers a lot of money.
Kurt had a very troubled childhood, and music was the thing that helped him escape. He used to sit with headphones on an amp, playing the electric guitar to himself, and playing to the bands he was influenced by, early rock, classic, metal, and a whole range of music. He developed his unique sound over time through his adaptations of his favourite bands, and through all the other people he played with. Kurt unfortunately met
a horrific end. He took his own life, and to die at your own hand is a terrible fate for any man. Kurt could no longer cope with his drug problem which was fuelled by his success, and the money he made.
MAJOR INFLUENCE
Nirvanastarted in Seattle, and took over the world with their music. Their attitude towards life, and outspoken condemnation of the Government, and society’s flaws, influenced a whole generation of people. How they dressed became a whole new fashion trend, how they spoke, everything about them was very influential, again almost like The Beatles takeover of America. Though this conflicted with their beliefs or rather lack of beliefs in society. Nirvana’s attitude was that pop music was a way of people losing their identity, and just going with the crowd, rather than judging artists on their actual music. They dressed in baggy jeans, Kurt’s famous chequered shirts. They had holes in their clothes, and generally weren’t interested in fashion, which they then ended up being a major influence in. People starting buying clothes making them look used, and old. It wasn’t long before Ralph Lauren, and other fancy chic clothing designers starting making £100 shirts in the
fashion of old, ill fitting, shirts and jeans with holes in them. Nirvana hated this trend that started because it was totally against what they stood for.
TOP OF THE POPS
When they were asked to be the main event at Topof the Pops25th November 1991. Nirvana’s whole idea was to go against the grain, and Top of thePopswas the epitome of all Nirvana despised. Nirvana being Nirvana, decided to go on but only to put the middle finger up. Top of the Pops required all acts to sing over prerecorded tracks, and when Nirvana was to perform “Smells Like Teenage Spirit” they made in my opinion their best perfor-
mance ever. Kurt held the microphone really close to his mouth, and mumbled the words in slow exaggerated speech, and at one stage his singing resembled Kermit the frog. Almost like Kermit Cobain! The rest of the band at the time mimicked playing their instruments in seemingly impossible ways with the guitar behind their back, swinging it around between their legs, and at one point literally not even holding the guitar, all while the prerecorded track played along the background. Dave Grohl, Nirvana’s drummer “played” the drums in the same fashion, playing invisible drums in the air, eventually just throwing the drumsticks away. This showed Top of the Pops for what it was. FAKE!
SNIPPET OF BRILLIANCE
This was part of Nirvana’s humour, and shows how little they cared about the pop music bosses approval or opinion. There is a lot more I could say about Nirvana, but this is just a snippet of their brilliance, and a demonstration of all the base things they believed in.
Bigger than TheBeatles! >>PH
Four Lads Who Shook the World, Albert Dock, Liverpool
Cobain signature guitar was a 1965 Fender Jaguar
Let’s start with what DYSTOPIA means- ”an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant and is totalitarian or despotic” Well many people now say we ARE living in Dystopian times! After all, we are the most surveilled nation on the planet!
ORWELLIAN
George Orwell would be classed as the leading dystopian name, so much so that sometimes the name ‘dystopian’ is often replaced by ‘Orwellian’! His famous book ‘1984’ inspired a generation of dystopian art and literature, and is the biggest selling dystopian novel today.
You can now see the type of content I’m talking about, and you can make your own assumptions about what is, and what’s not dystopian but it co-
vers a broad range of art, music, films and books.
CINEMA
Dystopian movies you’ve probably seen or heard of would be BladeRunner , MadMax , Warof theWorlds , TheMatrix , AClockworkOrange , etc., so you can see the type of content they involve.
DYSTOPIAN ART
My own list of dystopian artists would be Zdzislaw Beksinski, who paints really gruesome pieces, also Simon Stalenhag who is a more modern artist, and his art amazes me– mostly about decaying robots and spacecraft. Then I could even mention Banksy’s ‘Dismal land’ project or such artists as Francis Bacon or even Damien Hirst–again make your own assumptions as it is a great topic to discover and analyze.
BOOKS
Books to read would obviously be 1984 , TheHandmaid’sTale , V for Vendetta , Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World . Have a look for yourself and see what I mean and I guarantee you’ll be amazed!
DYSTOPIAN TIMES
As for our Society at the minute, I would agree we ARE living in dystopian times– threats of Thermonuclear war and the authoritarian state in which we are snooped on constantly by ‘Big brother’ and the state of the planet all adds up to ‘dystopia’ would you be of the same opinion? It seems amazing to me that George Orwell published 1984 in the year 1949 and most of what he wrote about is now transpiring… he basically predicted the future! >>R
Haiku is a form of literature, or poetry that depicts a certain moment or describes an intense emotional feeling experienced at a specific time. Haiku traditionally follows a 5-7-5 structure over three lines of writing: 5 syllables in the first and third line and 7 syllables in the second line.
ORIGIN
Haiku originates from Japan as far back as the 9th century with so called masters of the art of haiku. Some of the most renowned haiku poets describe it as a form of meditation. Such as Matsuo Basho, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa and Masaoka Shiki who are called “the great four” of haiku. I took a look at some translated poems created by the ‘great four’ and soon realised that there was no rhyme and a slight lack of rhythm, but also learned that they are a form of meditation to be spo-
ken on the exhale of a single breath. I took a deeper look into the art of haiku and decided to write a few to see how it goes.
OPEN AND HONEST
Personally, I think it’s a great way of expressing yourself and being able to be completely honest and open without fear of criticism. A way to unload what burdens trouble your mind if you will. If considering writing haiku or any form of poetry I find it best to write from the heart and be completely transparent and honest as readers can sense if its forced or exaggerated to an extreme, I’m not saying it’s no good to elaborate but within reason.
EXAMPLES
Here’s a few examples of haiku from the four masters (when translated from Japanese to English the syllables can sometime vary)
MatsuoBasho:
An old silent pond… A frog jumps into the pond Splash! Silence again
YosaBuson:
A summer river being crossed How pleasing With sandals in my hand
KobayasiIssa:
O snail
Climb Mount Fuji, But slowly, slowly!
MasaokaShiki:
The summer river: Although there is a bridge, my horse Goes through water
A FEW EXAMPLES OF HAIKU
I WROTE MYSELF:
Those who lack substance Claim that they can move mountains Yet struggle with stones ***
Only when crippled by war can we begin to Rebuild what was lost ***
As the wingless bees Navigates their final steps To death row they walk ***
How can we repair? With tampered understanding, What was once deemed wrong?
>>AF
Dark Blue into Light
Blue are the eyes of a man full of sadness
Who longs for the days he can conquer the badness
Blue are the eyes of a man full of grief
For his mum that was stolen by an unseen thief
Blue are the eyes of a man that is full of torture
From the loss of his kids and the death of his mother
Blue are the eyes of a man who hates who he is
Who wants to be a role model to his four kids
Blue are the eyes of a man that hides all the pain
That ponders and weeps at all the lost gains
Blue are the eyes of a man that hides an ugly side
Who is willing to do things to appease his pride
share
Blue are the eyes of a successful man
Who is yet to arrive but will do what he can
Cold Awareness
Mix cold air in a place that’s austere
Call it prison cause no matter what you hear
It’s a sobering existence seeing life so clear
For all we feel is pain and unshakable fears
People using words like throwing spears
I’m searching for my soul and finding no trace of it here. >>JE
longed to create
Blue are the eyes of an addict in recovery
Who is ready for life, and his path of discovery. >>JE
ODE to Nature
Consult the editor in nature
It dwells within each living soul
Dark silent nights in the snowstorm Flecks of snow rest in your mind
You walk on slowly, entombed in the snowfall Everyone gone it seems
You travel on foot and the world is at peace
The only footsteps are yours: so spiritual, so real. >>PM
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Phone : 028 90247872
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Winning Poem, Men’s Mental Health Week
Creative Arts Competition, Magilligan 2022
Locked Away
The day that I left you was my worst day by far
So many regrets Of that stupid car
Prison Arts Foundation (PAF) is a registered charity that seeks to provide access to the arts for people who have offended in Northern Ireland. Our mission is to inspire creativity and encourage personal and social change in offenders within the criminal justice system, through the arts.
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While inside the horse-box, inside of the truck
My life disappeared I ran out of luck
When I arrived in Foyle House and got handed five ‘fegs’ I banged my head off the wall And I squeezed on my legs
It was two days later when I heard your voice
And that’s when I realised I had no other choice
Thoughts of self-harming and throwing the rope
Disappeared in and instant And then I had hope
You gave me a purpose and strength for the fight
And that’s what kept me
Breathing right through that night
I looked to the moon and the reflection was bright And I thought to myself
