A Mumsnet thread about a book about a Mumsnet thread “Under the Duvet of Darkness” written by the women of Mumsnet THREAD 2

[Boiledbeetle]

Thread 1:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4776556-a-mumsnet-thread-about-a-book-about-a-mumsnet-thread-under-the-duvet-of-darkness-written-by-the-women-of-mumsnet?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

You do not need to have read thread 1 – this is not that sort of thread.

But to recap… Over Christmas and New Year after the passing of the GRR (Scotland) Bill a thread was started with a poem about Nicola Sturgeon. Eventually on that thread (and a couple of other threads) over 80 poems were written.

“Under the Duvet of Darkness: Poems written by angry women for angry women because WOMEN WON’T WHEESHT” was published as a paperback on 31st March 2023.

Available on Amazon only: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C129WKDD

In a rather bizarre turn of events at one point it reached No 2 in poetry best sellers and No 5 in Feminist Criticism best sellers. No one will be surprised to discover that a book that is in the main about people, especially men, claiming to be something they are not was kept off the No1 spot in poetry best sellers by a crime novel, identifying as poetry, written by a man ;-)

E-BOOK:

Some people wanted an e-book rather than a paperback, but for that we needed someone who could actually make an e-book and some extra poems.

FairyKindleMother came to the rescue with regards the e-book and posters wrote enough poems that we could add 20 more poems into the e-book.

I pressed publish on the e-book a few hours ago. It can take usually up to 3 days to appear and populate all the info etc on the various sites, and there is always the chance they knock it back for some reason. But I've done all I can do at this point. We just have to wait and see who spots it on sale first! It will appear on the Amazon link above hopefully soon, (or I'll get an email asking me to change something).

MONEY FROM SALES OF ALL FORMATS:

In honour of Magdalen Berns, who co-founded the Scottish campaign group For Women Scotland, 100% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to For Women Scotland.

“It’s not hate to defend your rights, and it’s not hate to speak the truth.”
Magdalen Berns (1983 – 2019)

As I started work on the e-book posters continued to write poems. So we had a choice: leave them there, languishing on the thread, unloved, forgotten, never to have their words uttered again OR we could just do volume 2.

Posters voted for Volume 2 but we still need more poems!

And that’s the gist of thread 1.

Yay, a shiny new thread - thanks!

I'm currently finishing off thread 1 with gifs before I go bed. 😁

Just copying this over before it gets lost in the gif fest that is the end of thread one.

Brokendaughter · Today 23:44
Is it cat poems you're after then?

Boiledbeetle · Today 23:52
Well it is a book about women. A lot of us do have cats so...a whole chapter in Volume two about our cats? There might have to be witchy references or talk of poor fluffy having his knackers cut off to keep it on sort of topic!

But I could live with a cat related chapter. I mean we also get called catty and think of the connotations to the word pussy!

So wonderful. Like the cat gifs.

Just searched for it in the kindle store, more in hope than expectation! Not surprising not found, but offered instead - duvet covers, dark duvet covers! With stars on...

I'm not sure which part of this process is more difficult. The waiting and checking to see if Amazon have published it or the fact that we keep being tempted by bedding options.

It's going to be a difficult wait! Will the e-book appear on the kindle store before the new bedding I've just inadvertently bought arrive first! 😁

In the day, a purring, comfortable cushion of fur,
Cuddly, demanding, curious.
A fluffed up tail, a startled 'mmrew'
Transforming at night into a weird creature,
The witch's familiar, round a simmering cauldron.
A wild-eyed, creeping, eldritch feature.

Hello new thread and posters, old and new!

STILL WAITIN ON MY ROYALTIES BY THTE WAY

Before a nearby HQ reminds me I'll get this out of the way

Public announcement time:

The book Under the Duvet of Darkness whilst written entirely by Mumsnet posters is not I repeat NOT published with Mumsnet express permission or c-ooperation.

It is published with the express permission and co-operation of the writers themselves.

Obviously, while there are many gender critical voices on MN and they are very happy to allow us to express our opinions and arguments on the site, other MN users do not share the same view .

It would also be helpful if tweets etc link directly to

Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C129WKDD
Or
My Twitter https://twitter.com/TheBoiledbeetle

rather than to a MN thread. Could any supporters promoting the book bear this in mind.

Announcement ends

😎

I suppose those who disagree with the GC standpoint could produce a book of poetry of their own.

80 poems which all essentially say -

Oh Women, shut up!
Men just matter more than you.
Die in a grease fire!

might get a bit dull though.

I see a poem has already appeared 😘

I assume there are poetry books out there from the other side of the argument, but I'm in no rush to go and read them. I fear the level of navel gazing would out do our swearing.

I'd read a shouty TRA poem book though just to see if their shouting our streets on repeat managed to transform into something more substantial when written down.

Re people posting poems, those coming from the other thread are already aware but to anyone new posting I will assume you are happy for it to be in Volume 2 either as a comment or a poem (although if anyone changes their mind they just need to let me know which thread and post/poem and I'll not include it).

I've yet to actually go through and collect up/count where we are already up to number wise. I'll get to that at some point.

Also as stated on previous thread the book will continue supporting FWS.

I can't help but think of the amount of money Magdalen would have helped them raise. She's no longer here and as the first one was in her honour I think it would be nice to continue this in her memory.

We can say the stuff she's no longer here to say.

I haven't had chance to write a poem lately, I've had everyone else's poems swirling in my head too much. I hopefully have now cleared it enough that the following hasn't inadvertently plagiarised someone else's.

I DO NOT ACCEPT

No matter the clothes you wear and how you spin your tale
You are not, and never will be, a woman, a girl, or a female.

You are indeed a man, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Wear what the hell you like; it won’t ever change the fact

That a man cannot change his sex, no matter how hard you try.
So accept the fact that this is true, you are a man until you die.

We all know what a woman is; the same goes for a man.
We are stuck with what we’re born as, for all of our lifespan

The more you try to gaslight us and force us to ‘be kind’
The more we look incredulous, and think you’ve lost your mind.

So if you really really want to, then ‘live as the opposite sex’.
Change your name and hair and clothes, it’s really not complex.

But accept the fact that womanhood is beyond your scope,
You can pretend until the cows come home, but do not interlope

On the rights of actual women, who have fought so long and hard
For spaces of our own, from which you men are barred.

We will not turn the clock back. You will not silence us.
We are the sex that’s woman, and it was ever thus.

We see your whole charade, and have labelled it a farce.
So take your lies and rhetoric, and shove it up your arse!

That's fab, Boiled! I particularly like your use of incredulous as that's how I feel about this whole thing a lot of the time

@Waitwhat23 Incredulous is definitely how I find myself feeling even now when I constantly think nothing could raise my eyebrows much further up my head something else comes along!

I've just had a thought about the cat chapter. As anyone who has ever been a servant to our fluffy overlords will know trying to stick them all in one place never works out well. You cannot try to corral cats, unless you wish to have your arms shredded.

No, cats are happiest when left to roam free, plonking themselves down in the most inconvenient of places. Right over that 1000 piece jigsaw you've nearly finished, sat expectantly near the worktop you were just abut to put the roast chicken on. Draped over the laptop keys whilst you try to write a poem about finding your new date is not the 5 foot 2 female wood nymph the dating profile picture promised you rather a 6 foot 4 bridge troll.

But i digress. What I'm saying is I think the cat poems may end up wandering freely throughout the pages. Settling down wherever they feel most comfortable.

Kindle is still in review. However...

We appear to have been given a reprieve from sitting on the naughty step. It now appears as an option when you search under the book title our Boiledbeetle on a general search.

Plus if you type in something you think might bring it up eg Grr bill this happens👇

Ed Balls:

Ed Balls had some balls,
to take on Kathleen stock,
he thought he could.
He thought he could mock,
and interrupt and he would
say what a bigot she is.
But she is seasoned,
At being reasoned,
which of course she is.

Bugger what did I miss? I've been busy doing something completely different so haven't been paying attention. What has Ed Balls done?

Just watching gender wars now with Kathleen Stock.

And we've had 3 sales today. It's ticking along.

Ed Loadsabollock Balls interviewed Kathleen Stock on TV and kept interrupting her- it was car crash for him. What a twat.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 Ah. I must go find that later.

This is torture waiting for the e-book to get out of the review stage!

We actual sold 4 copies yesterday, another one shipped out late last night!

And having done a very quick count up last night we are going to require a LOT more poems before volume 2 appears, we have a couple of thin chapters worth so far.

So anything woman, FWR related welcome! (And cats!).

It even would be interesting to see dissenting arguments ...they could have their own chapter!

Right breakfast then doctors appointment.

#SSSAOR

Surely it’s not much,
In the general scheme of things?
Not wanting men
Gleefully rejoicing over
Laws being circumvented.
Equality be damned.

So that they can
Enter anywhere.
XX, now with plus Y.

Sod that us women
Prefer to have
A space free from
Cocks and cock owners.
Everyone deserves dignity.
SINGLE SEX SPACES

ARE OUR RIGHT.
Remember when
Everyone knew that

Our species is binary.
Until men with
Rather inflated

Righteousness decided to
Invade women’s and
Girl’s spaces
However they wanted.
They can FUCK OFF.

Taking the piss

Women are not support humans
for menfolk and their feelings.
Our rights should not be given away
whilst excluding us from the dealings

with those in power who set the rules.
Browbeaten by the TRAs.
Why don’t us women get a voice
in who uses our spaces these days?

Why do men get so many options?

Whilst we are left with none.
If a man uses a woman’s space,
some women will be gone.

Those women will stay near home
and can no longer pee in peace.
It’s as if we have gone back in time,
limited, again, by the urinary leash.

Hmm might need some faffing about with.

New poems I'd do smilies but i'm on the laptop and they just appear as squares. so imagine happy huggy smilies! I'd wager some username changing has gone on though!

I don't blame them!

So, as we aren't so focused so much on fair Nicola (sorry @RealFeminist but at least now you get to write what you really think!)

we need some ideas/themes/random accidental spellings that result in not only a chapter but a book title etc for the chapters.

so far:

• Current affairs
• cats
• pockets @FairyKindleMother on an email earlier said, "womens clothing for REAL women is so lacking in them, it's an oppression all of it's own!"

possible other options:

• free speech?
• women and work
• being a mother (or not)
• TRAs
• police
• how your views have changed over the past few years
• Single sex spaces
• erm....

and the Kindle book is STILL in review!!!!!!!

But my author bit now has a wonderful profile picture on Amazon!!

Goes off to try and write a poem about pockets

Larpingasapoet · Today 13:20

#SSSAOR

Oh brava!

@SinnerBoy 😊

Bows. Blows kisses to audience. Bow's again. Applauds the audience.

Or is that a bit much?