Speaking Truth to Power: ‘Boat’ reinvents notion of human possibility
Published on Journal News.net, by Sonja James, Feb 6, 2014.
Christopher Merrill’s “Boat” is an extraordinary and complex collection of dissident poetry.
Merrill’s gift lies in the laser-like precision with which he dissects memory, love, politics and faith. The poems assume forms as diverse as traditional narrative and prose poems as well as translations. His human rights message is simple and direct. Our highest ethical imperative as human beings is to question injustice and the abuse of power no matter where it occurs … //
… poem-reviews …
… Speaking truth to power is precisely what Merrill does in this marvelous collection. Whether criticizing the United States or Cuba, translating political poets or questioning and redefining the parameters of religious faith, Merrill is on the side of democracy. Merrill’s “Boat” is the voice of dissidence in the service of humanity. These are poems that question authority as they reinvent the notion of human possibility.
Sonja James is the author of “Baiting the Hook” (the Bunny & the Crocodile Press, 1999), “Children of the Moon” (Argonne House Press, 2004), and “Calling Old Ghosts to Supper” (Finishing Line Press, 2013).
Poets are invited to submit recent books for review consideration. Contact Sonja James at sonjajames@earthlink.net.
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Links on Speaking Truth to Power: Find it
on Urban Dictionary: A phrase coined by the Quakers during in the mid-1950s. It was a call for the United States to stand firm against fascism and other forms of totalitarianism; it is a phrase that seems to unnerve political right, with reason.
The founders of United States risked their lives in order to speak truth to power, that of King George. It was and is considered courageous, although is more commonly scorned today …;
on Quaker.org;
which is related with the American Friends Service Committee AFSC, also on en.wikipedia with it’s External Links;
Mentionned also:
on Ray McGovern’s Bio: Ray McGovern leads the “Speaking Truth to Power” section of Tell the Word, an expression of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington …;
on Carolyn Baker.net;
on Curriculum RFKventer;
on Santa Clara University;
on Independent.co.uk;
on The Guardian;
on amazon;
A Nasty Law, 3.20 min, on Vimeo.com – Lyrics, voice, guitar & drawings, by Alan Magee, Feb 1, 2014: The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012 contains a provision legalizing indefinite military detention of any person without charge or trial. Since no charges need to be made, the law allows for detention of individuals based on suspicion alone.
Update 09.44 h MEZ: German Television does first Edward Snowden Interview (ENGLISH), 30.28 min;
German Television Channel NDR does an exclusive interview with Edward Snowden. Uploaded on LiveLeak (cause German Television thinks the rest of the world isn’t intereseted in Edward Snowden), by ARD_Stinkt, Jan-27-2014.