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.

Well done boiled. From a random thought in someones head, written on MN to an actual published book that has sold actual copies.

And helping a womens charity too.
Standing ovation for boiled and all the other posters, without whom we would not have this book.

As I haven't done these for a while:

Ebook version https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C739HTDK

Paperback version https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C129WKDD

BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT

Going to admit I still don't actually believe it actually became a book!

And we are well on our way to the second volume. The new poems are starting to add up!

July is off to a good start

3 sales of paperbacks so far.

We are ticking along at the moment 5 copies this month.

Those 15p per book I'm topping up is starting to add up. I'm about a small chocolate bar down at the moment. 😁

In other news I woke up this morning with a half written poem about Maya stuck to my cheek. I must have been sleep writing at some point during the night. Now all I've got to do is try to translate my very illegible middle of the night scrawls to see if it's any good!

Does Maya rhyme with "on fire" or "you slayer"? Asking for a friend...

Well I had liar and pariah as possible rhymes stuck to my cheek. So I must have checked at some point im fairly sure It's my a not may a

I have finally managed to decipher my sleep-writing poem scrawl. So with some more awake adjustments I give you:

A NON-ORDINARY WOMAN*

Maya’s case is finally finished. It’s over and done,
and gosh did she manage to bring out the sun.

She first gave us WORIADS, the gift that is great,
but better than that was when CGD learnt their fate.

Their bad behaviour and treatment of Maya
turned out to be one humongous backfire.

And now the court has made them pay
to the fantastic tune of £100K.

So, hats off to Maya as she’s bloody amazing
and will go down in history for her trailblazing.

*Maya, during a speech at the Women’s Liberation 2020 conference, described herself as an 'ordinary woman'. But she is no ordinary woman, in fact she’s the complete opposite she is a non-ordinary woman, or to put it in English she is a bloody amazing woman!

I hope Maya reads your thread, BB !

@SinnerBoy I've hedged my bets and posted out on the Maya thread as well 🐱r

I've currently got a half written Helen Joyce one, say by the laptop, the first two verses work but I've got way too many words in the second two verses. it needs some work!

And we are on 7 sales this month currently. There was a paperback sale yesterday and an e-book sale this morning. Every little helps as the saying goes!

Yes; and the e-books being more profitable is good, too!

Plus i don't have to add to the price of the ebooks as they, obviously, aren't affected by the paper and postage costs increasing.

Just linking to a thread that has a poem that i need to nick at some point!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4843857-allison-bailey-won?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Something for the weekend...

TRA HERE

You bloody GC women, you are so bloody rude!
When I try to berate you, you just start to talk of food.

When I throw a strop because you say lesbians don’t do dick
You start to talk of Tunnocks and which product you would pick.

When I try repeatedly to tell you that those men are actually shes
You just start to witter on about different types of cheese.

When I try to explain that women’s stuff is ours to take
You begin to debate the merits of different types of cake.

I just don’t understand why you start to talk of food
Every time I try to tell you that woman’s not a dude.

Right best go eat the last of the rather nice cake I have in the fridge before my sister arrives for the weekend! then I can pretend I never bought a cake!

Oh I love this, will it be in vol2?

Just a thought, isn't your sister on here too, wont she know about the cake?

Might be a completely different poster and I will look foolish, again.

Unrelated and I'm not sharing but I got a mighty fine fancy cheesecake on offer today. 2.80 instead of five quid. Much looking forward to that tomorrow.

It may well make an appearance! And you're right she is! Luckily some still existed when she arrived! We've eaten it now though!

Ooh cheesecake!

Trans Pride London 8th July 2023

NOT ALL WOMEN ARE EQUAL

As a transwoman I have the right to do just as I please
I can say disgusting things and bring you to your knees.

I can call you every sort of name and you can’t say a word
Because I’m Teflon coated and can say things most absurd.

I can make threats a plenty to any women I dislike
I can even assert you’re aligned with the third Reich.

You silly little women you just keep stickering and boast
Of your shiny little stickers that you stick upon a post.

But I can guarantee there’ll be a policeman at your door
Before you’ve even managed to stick up but a score.

Don’t even think of tying ribbons on a metal fence
As it will cost a pretty penny for your legal defence.

If you dare to say a man can never be female
First you’ll be arrested, then released on bail.

Don’t think of misgendering me for that is just pure hate
Before you even know it, you’ll be given your court date.

Yet as a special sort of woman I can say what I desire
And when I get pulled up on it I’ll say you are a liar.

I won’t even lose my job or get arrested by the cops
For saying hateful things whilst using women as my props.

So I’ll say the quiet bit out loud whilst in a public place:
“If you see a TERF, punch them in the face”

Correction to last line (have a new laptop it obviously doesn't like me swearing...)

“If you see a TERF, punch them in the fucking face”

Posted this on the SJB thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4844898-if-you-see-a-terf-punch-them-in-the-fucking-face-speech-at-trans-pride-london-8-july-2023?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Sarah Jane Baker at Trans Pride got up on stage and proclaimed “I was gonna come here and be really fluffy and really nice and say yeah be really lovely and queer and gay. Nah… if you see a TERF, punch them in the fucking face!”

Best Laid Plans

As I was on my way today,
I’d decided to be nice,
And really rather fluffy.
Should have took my own advice!

Because instead of being lovely,
And yay for queer and gay,
I decided to big up myself
And have my vicious say.

So when I arrived and got on stage
I couldn’t show much grace.
Instead of joy and pleasantries…
“If you see a TERF, punch ‘em in the fucking face!””

Quick numbers update

10 so far this month. 6 paperbacks 4 e-book

So there's 90p to add onto the £30.74 = £31.64

Current totals

It's definitely out there in the wild, isn't it?

It's gambling across fields with the summer breeze ruffling it's pages as we type! (Unlike a certain TRA who is hopefully still in a police cell somewhere wishing he hadn't incited people to punch Terfs)

Forget to stick this here earlier.

It's from the Ginny thread

Boiledbeetle · Today 14:45
(I still need to tidy it up a bit to get it to scan better)

DECISION TIME

Work was great, a happy horde
The other staff thought so too
But then a new face came aboard
And followed me into the loo

She overstepped that invisible line
The one that makes life good
She acted as though she was so benign
Yet talked of sex whilst showing wood

She treated us poorly in her fantasy
Ignored the uneasy interaction
Whilst she overstepped so absently
(Only Mumsnet brought distraction)

Then she threw an epic strop
Screwed the mainframe at the office
So we all sloped off to the shop
As all locked out by the Apophis

The woman seems to be Teflon coated
The boss oblivious to the unrest
The woman’s self-image so overly bloated
The rest of us so bloody stressed

We have to put up with all this shit
We dare not voice our growing dissent
And so, our teeth we’re forced to grit
Our freedoms lost without consent

Our boundaries have been obliterated
Our feelings given not a thought
Our toilets trips are now dictated
By an edict the boss has brought

We have been admonished in front of all
For our bad behaviour in these matters
Because the boss is so in thrall
Whilst our mental health lies in tatters

All of us are being bullied
By this woman and our boss
If we speak out, we will be sullied
Not that the woman gives a toss

We have been forced into silence
So as not to be labelled a transphobe
Scared of if this ramps up to violence
We’ve had to have the patience of Job

It’s not the fact this woman’s a man
That has us all in pieces
It’s the fact that since she began
We’ve been treated worse than faeces

So now I have a choice
Do I stay or do I go?
Do I speak out and be the voice
Or jump ship for lesser dough?

I think "better dough" in the last line as the OP's new job (fingers crossed!) is a step up?