Listening to a Pogrom on the Radio

by Michael Rosen

Overview

'Poetry can stick up for the weak' according to Michael Rosen, or it can 'mock the mighty'; it can 'glorify our rulers or it can dissect them. You choose.' In these powerful new poems Rosen is clear about his own choices. Listening to a Pogrom on the Radio is a book about anti-Semitism, racism, Fascism and war, Trump, le Pen, and the Tory assaults on the NHS and education - the stupid and the sinister, the ridiculous and the revolting. In his first collection for grown-ups since Don't Mention the Children (2015), Michael Rosen confirms his reputation as the heir to Jacques Prévert, Ivor Cutler and Adrian Mitchell. 'Few poets writing today can move so effortlessly between the voice of seriousness and the voice of the child in Hans Christian Andersen's story who asks why the emperor is not wearing any clothes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780995767522
Publisher:	Smokestack Books
Publication date:	12/31/2017
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Michael Rosen was born in North London in 1946. After university he worked for the BBC on Play School and Schools TV. He has written and edited over 140 books, including Mind Your Own Business, Wouldn't You Like to Know, Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy, You Tell Me, No Breathing in Class and Quick Let's Get Out of Here. You Can't Catch Me! won the Signal Poetry Award. We're Going on a Bear Hunt, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, won the Smarties Prize. He currently presents Radio Four's long-running Word of Mouth. His most recent book is The Disappearance of Emile Zola: Love, Literature and the Dreyfus Case. He is a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, was Children's Laureate from 2007-9 and is Professor of Children's Literature at Goldsmith's University of London.

Table of Contents

The Dentist and the Toe 11

Look Right 12

Sign 13

Christmas Cake 14

Spam 15

Storage 16

Suitcase 17

Sour Milk 19

Chulent 21

Prunes 23

Because My Parents Were Communists 25

Who was a Communist? 26

People Run 30

The Migrants in Me 31

Migration 33

I Was Listening to a Pogrom on the Radio Today 34

Concerns about Immigration 35

Lists 37

Le Front National 38

The National Front 39

Immigrants 40

There's One! 41

Refugee Problem Solved 42

Blame 43

Security Alert 44

322 45

Migrant Poetry 46

Poetry is for Everyone 47

Brian 49

At 16 My Son Left School 51

Alice under the Floorboards 52

Times Tables 73

Vulgar 74

Subject Knowledge 75

The Expected Level 76

Success 77

Comprehension 78

Children Writing 79

How to Guarantee Teacher Shortages 80

The PISA Tables 81

Let's Franchise Schools! 82

Listen up 83

Unemployment Figures 84

Chairs 85

A Great Global Trading Nation 86

A Strong Economy 87

Buy it, Want it, Need it 88

Bad People 90

Inequality 91

Integration and Opportunity 92

The Coronation 93

Royal News 94

We All Need Doctors 95

The Jeremy Hunt Book of Wisdom 96

What Can You Do? 100

Leader-talk 101

Corbyn Wins Leadership Vote 103

Corbyn and Cauliflower Man 104

For Jeremy Corbyn 106

How Corbyn Lost Oldham 107

Threat 109

Unknown MP Resigns from Obscure Committee 111

Reluctant 112

Backbench Labour MP 113

Flagship 114

Agendas 115

Mainstream 116

The Polltergeist 117

Brexit Day 118

Hours and Hours 119

Why Doesn't the Sunday Times Rich List Lead to a Political Revolution? 120

Everyone Else 122

The Liberal Elite 123

We Hate Elites 124

Money 125

C'mon Everybody 126

Wealth Creators 128

Message from a Helpful Rich Person 130

Greece: Stand by for Elder Statesmen with Stuffed Wallets… 131

Trust Me 132

Song of Trump 133

Trump Tower 134

Solutions 135

Events 137

Sporting Nationalisms 139

An Incredible Discovery 140

Back in the Room with Blair 141

Letter to My MP 142

Why We Should Go to War 143

Dangerous 147

Response to the War Party 148

The Civilian 149

Marxist Horoscope 150

Listening to My Mother 151

For Eddie 152