Monday 26 September 2011

ARTICLE JUST OUT IN PRIDE AND EQUALITY MAGAZINE [Print and Online]


ARTICLE JUST OUT IN PRIDE AND EQUALITY MAGAZINE [Print and Online]

Teresa Ewers
Editor-in-Chief
Pride & Equality magazine

THE NAKED TRUTH
Chris Madoch

Never shying away from what he really thinks, writer Chris Madoch presents his latest book of poetry titled Rumours from the Balcony. Madoch takes some time out to answer questions for P&E.

What is your inspiration for these poems?

The genesis of a gay man, life, sex and particularly relationships- dusting the cobwebs from the many ghosts in all my many cupboards. I was married to a woman for 13yrs. I have 3 daughters and nine grandchildren- two are already at university; the youngest is toddling. I tried not to get married but gay men hid in straight marriages then [1970's]. I told my beautiful wife that I was gay but it did not deter her- she wanted my children, those were her words. We were together for 13 years, riding the enormous waves of the strange sea of a relationship we had created. I was monogomous for the ten years of our agreed time together. She wasn't. It was stormy and passionate- we were both so creative. She was an actress, a very good actress. The last three years were mental, cruel and we finally seperated. A year after the seperation I met the half-hawaiian guy I have been with ever since- a 27yr partnership. We are obviously soul-mates. The poems in the book, or 'words used in creative expression' as I prefer to label them, were forged in the factory of mixed emotions of this history and the subsequent fall-out. After a long period of being homophobic my ex-wife finally found love with a transgender man-to-a-woman and had to admit to being a lesbian. The very well educated empath that I am is still exploring an understanding of the transgender phenomenon. I am in the last draft stage of a novel which addresses the subject- 'Living With Lesley Dying For Fame.'
Another scource of inspiration has been social networking; I have a large footprint on the internet where I am known as 'The Queer Messiah'- the constant message is unqualified freedom of speech and no censorship. I believe that driving anything underground makes it criminally viable and sexual activity should be freed from this stigma. There are no taboos in my writing- it is intentionally excoriatingly honest, dangerous and beautiful and if it shocks I am not the least surprised. It is art- people need to learn to live with it. If their sensibilities are affronted then good- they need to adjust and get over themselves. And of course I constantly draw inspiration from being a gay man and enjoying gay sex. My partner happily describes himself as half-caste so I am additionally involved with racial issues. I am a Welsh bear, with ginger hair and freckles, but I swear that I have been slowly morphing into a man of colour for two decades.
The fact is, I did not select the works for Rumours From The Balcony; they were collected by the CEO of Fibonacce Press in the USA [They used to be the feted Lumen Press] but at the last minute the Texan investors underwriting the book took issue with the content and dropped it. Within fourteen days it was picked up by my current English publisher. Fibonacce had access to all of my poetry. The content was deliberately chosen to make a sensational launch of the new press in New York. Life's unpredictable twists and turns continue to fascinate me- that is not altogether odd since I also have had an idiosychratic spiritual faith for most of my life, being an experienced healer and psychic and a scholar of the world's religions, none of which I have the misfortune to belong to. The freedom that I enjoy is true and not at all cozy- it can be quite scary. But at least I have the strength of mind to believe that I am free and not at all farmed by anything tainted by bigotry and prejudice.

The title "Rumours from the Balcony", what made you take on that title?

Some years previously I had written a playscript [a collection of monologues] called 'Rumours From The Balcony'- all the action set in California; three interiors and balconies in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and San Diego. A gay man is a major domo to an ageing starlet who wants him to assist her in her suicide. I was intrigued by the climate and the way people could eat and chatter on their balconies- so very non British. On my mind too, was the power of the balcony in both religion and politics- the Papal public addresses and various state announcements. The play has not been performed or published and my then American publishers wanted the title for the book so I agreed. The idea that a vine may spread from balcony to balcony carrying viral sensations remains appropriate- it mirrors social networking. Indeed my major balcony is Facebook where I have a fanpage 'Chris Madoch Art'- it is much trafficked.

Two of your poems stood out to me, "Bare Bits of Self" and "Arse Farci". Can we hear the story behind those pieces of art?

Mmm this is such a toughie. Few artists respond happily to questions like these because the works are done and they've long moved on; primarily it is the reader's response to the pieces that matters. BUT I can help a little bit- 'Arse Farci' is blatantly sexual in its biographical admissions, whilst remaining somewhat musical and cleverly hinged. The title means stuffed arse [ass] and reminds me of the dish oefs farci [eggs stuffed with curry] which is itself quite erotic to look at and has the crossover smell of something taboo. Eggs reside inside a woman. The Victorians adored such things with some 'sexual' relish. Gay men are ALWAYS associated with arse fucking or stuffing but we know that it is not a pre-requisite of being gay that you have to indulge in such things. However, the predeliction for the ignorant soundbite hungry public to assume this is pretty typical. My response to them is- go stuff yourself. Indeed, do a little research into anal sex and you quickly discover that all genders are at it in various ways, sometimes as a means of contraception where, for example, the 'faith' forbids the use of the pill or condoms. Habitually Caribbean men who are notoriously homophobic will use anal sex with their women because they have an innate dislike of the vagina. You go figure. The piece 'Bare Bits of Self' is shockingly confessional. Nothing more to be said- well, it hits the 'included deluded' smack on the head. Gay people and black people will always be excluded in some way. I don't think I could ever remind people enough of that fact. I am not in the least appeased by acts of social change that are intended to quell the welling of a questioning underclass. My father was a coal-miner in South Wales UK. He had visible shards of coal lodged in the veins of his weathered hands.

This issue of Pride & Equality is the Sex issue. To stay with theme, your works are strong with sexual innuendos. How do you not go overboard and is Dan part of the thought process?

I have already alluded to the love of my life being a man of colour- I am immensely proud of him, his heritage and what he has achieved in this life. For good measure he is extraordinarily good looking and I have always found him phenomenally sexy. I've been very blessed by a sexual muse who ticks every box I could possibly want. Both of us believe that the suppresion of sexual expression particularly for some manufactured religion is the blight of 21st century mankind. No wholly divine religion unsullied by the agendas of manipulative patriarchs exists. So it would be quite unnatural for either of us to curtail our 'fun with sex' in respect of our artistic expression. At times it emerges in quite shocking ways- it immediately makes what we do quite niche. The mass market is just not ready for the truth about love. I am currently working with the composer Lee Harding on 'The Queer Messiah Banned Project' and the first album is already half completed- we constantly discuss what is or is not appropriate for a pop song. Despite The Scissor Sisters, cutting edge has still not slid into pop and popularity. We think it is lunacy for prudery to wield so much influence still- but it SO does. A lot of people who dislike my work, and I accept there will be many, will level at me the accusation that I go overboard all the time. But then I have never for one second pretended to be JK Rowling. Daniel Radcliffe is quite the hottie now, don't you think. Though sex with the ex Harry Potter would seem mighty wierd. That wand is imbued with untold powers.

What new works should we be looking forward to?

I am very close to finishing a collection of short, alarmingy sexy and shocking fiction for adults, illustrated with line-drawings by my man, called 'Sex With Strangers'. It is going to be published by Paraphilia Books and should be available to buy before the end of this year. I work with this young house a lot and always support their online presence- Paraphilia Magazine, perhaps the best of the cutting edge literary and arts magazines on the internet. Take a look, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Find Chris on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chrismadoch. Copies of Rumours From The Balcony are best purchased from the publisher's website athttp://www.erbacce-press.com/.



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SERIOUSLY- SOME OF US ARE STILL KILLED FOR LOVE

HAVING A LAUGH

‎'Put your hands up any heteros in the house. Ah bless. Now put your fists up any gays in the house! Wow! That's more like it- marvellous. I've got this day job, a nice little earner- sales rep for KY Jelly. Look- I know it's a stretch madam but this is supposed to be a laugh. Don't tell me your self-lubricating you're in the OAP seats.' CM


'The fossil stand-up with a walking frame, John Rivers- who thinks jewellery should yell CHEAP louder than fucking canaries on acid said of Yoko Ono- if she found her floating in her pool then she'd punish her dog. I knew that heartless bitch could be cruel to dogs.' CM

THE QUEER MESSIAH BANNED

THE QUEER MESSIAH BANNED
Soon to be in an HMV store near you- we wish. NO CHANCE this version with Lee Plonker was disbanded. It has risen like a phoenix from the fires of disappointment though. YAY!

DUREX TINGLE LUBE

DUREX TINGLE LUBE
It works. Course I have. Fab.

THE RUMOUR-MONGERS TONGUE LASHING NEWS DESK

MORTAL INSTRUMENTS Such are the demands of Hollywood that Lily Collins has to continue to pretend that her former relationship with JCB is in fact alive. A little bird tells me it as a dead as a DODO which was a very big bird indeed. Ha. Just like the writer of Mortal Instruments. Believe me the best thing about this movie franchise will be LILY COLLINS who has just delivered the performance of her life in the soon to be released LOVE ROSIE. An Oscar nomination beckons I reckon. And yes, I am in a position to know. THE NEXT LAME DEVELOPMENT IN SELF-PUBLISHING Saddo outfits such as the much fanned ONEIROS BOOKS actually self-publish authors who are too cowardly, lazy, lousy or inept to self-publish themselves. HILARIOUS. Of course you have to get through the onerous filtering processes. Licking arse helps. Judging by this house's nauseatingly variable standard of output the filters in place are utterly worthless. The poetry editor has no understanding of POETRY per se and is a piss-poor poet by any standard. They openly applaud themselves for being revolutionary. Pathetic. They are but a further evolution of the self-affirmation model and the modernly sociopathic ego. Steer clear. Do not indulge their risible waste of tree.

ALWAYS PRACTICE

ALWAYS PRACTICE
until you're absolutely perfect at it.

HAVE FUN

HAVE FUN
with the total freedom to be and love who you are without complaint or restraint.

GOGGLE GIGGLE BOX CAMP FAVES

TOP 25 TUNES PREVIEWS

THE QUEER MESSIAH BANNED


QUEER MESSIAH BANNED PLAYER

This is where the first tracks for the new band will shortly appear but meanwhile I will be showcasing songs from prior collaborations- this first one CALIFORNIAN QUEEN is from the album CERULEAN BLUE that I wrote with the genius Dominic Shaw. I do the spoken word and he does the lead vocals and instruments. He is not a gay man and is now heavily into ambient music. The album was loved by Phil Collins, Hit and Run Music and EMI- but eight years ago no-one had any idea how to market it.