Light and Shadow Salon presents 100 Books: A Vigil

A marathon reading of John Bently's "100 Books".

Doors open at 7pm, reading will start promptly at 8pm.

ENTRY FREE BUT DONATIONS ENCOURAGED!

"100 Poems" consists of 100 variations of the same poem, each separated by the preceding one by just one differing word. It is a celebration of the power and commitment of released words, an elegy to the song, the poem, the poet, the singer, the gardener. It is a reminder that no matter how ferocious the tyranny, there are some things that cannot be erased, burned, suppressed, enslaved, imprisoned or silenced.

Here is the project in John's words:

"I made this book, "Liver & Lights No 23: 100 books" in the mid 1990's as a personal response to various then recent acts of state tyranny against writers and other people who had criticised a government in some way...The Nigerian Ken Saro Wiwa had just been executed, among others. The project started life as a 100 word poem made in a 100 versions, with each version changed by one word, but somehow still retaining its meaning. I set the poems in 100 different hand made books. I felt this somehow reflected my feeling that you can kill the singers but never the song, once sung" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2bpZ2-SD_g).

100 readers will gather at the Horse Hospital to read one version of the poem each.

This is NOT a protest, or an attempt at changing people's minds, or even articulating points of view- it is a COLLECTIVE ACT, a prayer, a blessing, a communion, a release... because we wholeheartedly believe in the power of magic acts, releasing positive intention, and gathering strength in the commitment to small, everyday moments of grace.

Beyond this, of course, is engaged battle, protest on the streets, in the courts, in parliament, in schools, at work, and so on. Resistance will be our daily commitment. Please join us.

Featuring the voices and/or bodies of, to mention a few:

John Bently Sukhdev Sandu Mikey Kirkpatrick Jo Roberts Gareth Evans Marcia Farquhar Tanya Peixoto Iain Sinclair Eleanor Crook Kathryn Barush Chiara Ambrosio Julius Beltrame Cathy Ward Natalie D'Aberloff  And many many more... All the way to 100.