I feel honoured to be reading with poets Jacqueline Saphra and Jill Abram on November 26th at this afternoon event at the Museum of London in Docklands. It is not an easy time to be celebrating our Jewish heritage, but it seems important to remember and to share what it means to us and to extend our humanity. The museum is currently holding an exhibition in celebration of the Jewish contribution to the Carnaby Street fashion industry in the 60s. https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/whats-on/fashion-city-poetry-and-music-museum?id=341608 This exhibition is also part of my own heritage. So many migrant Jews were involved in the rag trade. My grandma was a dressmaker and my father (like his father) was a ladies tailor and cutter. He trained in the thirties at one of the top London fashion houses Molyneux, where he made a suit for Marlene Deitrich. He moved to Southport in 1939, as tailor and cutter at Marshall & Snelgrove's department store. Later
In my work as a psychotherapist, I was familiar with ways trauma impacts those who have suffered abuse or discrimination. It can affect both psychological and physical health with chronic conditions. The person's sense of trust is often impaired, along with the ability to discriminate between what is real and what is a psychological projection of trauma. Survivors often experience being let down, compounding mistrust and making it harder to accept help. The unconscious tends to draw us towards the familiar, despite conscious efforts to change. We unwittingly keep being attracted to those who appear benevolent, but who end up repeating the abuse. Even with awareness, I too found myself repeatedly falling into relationship traps and compounding the trauma. Amongst complex and often overwhelming feelings, it is hardly surprising that some survivors carry reservoirs of unexpressed rage. At the time of abuse it may have been impossible or dangerous to protest, so it is bottled up. Frus
Tuesday's reading in Tunbridge Wells was very well received indeed by a lively and responsive audience. There were lovely open mics from members and I made some interesting connections with poets there. So a big thank you to Dave, Veronica, Jess, Mara and all the committee for giving me such a warm welcome. It was also being live streamed to members in USA & Australia. What an honour. When I read my poem about waitressing at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, what were the chances of discovering that both the chairman and an audience member saw a show I appeared in there back in 1975? Memories were cdertainly stirred. It was an all female pre-punk cabaret, The Sadista Sisters, with Jude Alderson, Teresa Dabreux, Linda Marlow, Jackie Taylor. (I'm the one in a blonde wig). My next port of call will be Southanpton on March 9th. See previous blog for details.
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