Deception Island E-Book

Elizabeth Lewis Williams

• Herausgeber: Story Machine
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 162

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Welcome to Deception Island, a tiny Volcanic caldera in the Antarctic Ocean. Here the rusting remains of industrial whaling and a seabed littered with whalebones testify to mankind's greed and brutality. But the island is also an outpost of scientific exploration, witness to human attentiveness and fortitude. As the ship carrying the author's father edges through the basalt cliffs into the calmer waters of Deception Island, the island's many voices, human and non-human, begin to speak.

Leseprobe

‘Withmyth-makingflairandscientificprecisionElizabethLewisWilliamsconjures theAntarcticinthisrichlyorchestratedpoemforvoices.DeceptionIslandisaworkofgreatscope.Itimpresses anddelights.’MonizaAlvi‘Aningeniousandlinguisticallyrichre-imaginingofthewhalingindustryandtheAntarcticlandscapethatgivesvoicestothewhales,birdsandwhalers,tothescientistsoftheBritishAntarcticSurvey, andtotherocksand glaciersofDeceptionIsland. Inthepoignantvoicesofthegreatwhales thereaderwillcatchechoes oftheBorderBallads,inacomplexandmovingregisterthatneatlycontrastswiththeprosaicandmatteroffactreportsofthelanguageoftheSurvey.Apoetictourdeforce!’AnnaCrowe‘Anadventureinlanguageandform.Thischoric,crystallinepoemcrackles andglittersliketheicy,hazardouslandscapesitsummonsandcelebrates.’TiffanyAtkinson

Deception IslandElizabethLewisWilliams

DeceptionIsland,CopyrightElizabethLewisWilliams,2021PrintISBN:9781912665204EbookISBN:9781912665211 PublishedbyStoryMachine,130SilverRoad,Norwich,NR34TGstorymachines.co.uk ThemapofDeceptionIslandonpage2isreproducedherewiththekindpermissionoftheUKAntarcticPlace-NamesCommittee.Allother imagesarereproducedcourtesyoftheBritishAntarcticSurveyArchivesService.ElizabethLewisWilliamshasassertedherrightunderSection77oftheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988tobeidentifiedastheauthorofthiswork.Allrightsreserved. Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem, ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,graphic,electronic,recorded,mechanical,orotherwise,withoutthepriorwritten permissionofthepublisher orcopyright holder.Thispublicationissoldsubjecttotheconditionthatitshallnot,bywayoftradeorotherwise,belent,re-sold,hiredout orotherwisecirculatedwithoutthepublisher’spriorconsentinanyformofbindingorcoverother thanthatinwhich itispublishedandwithoutasimilarconditionincludingthisconditionbeingimposed onthesubsequent purchaser.SetinGaramond; usedunder licence.JacketdesignbyNattyPeterkinTypesetbySamRuddock

Deception IslandElizabethLewisWilliams

InmemoryofMumandDad,withwhomitallbegan.

FOREWORDWho am ISpeaking in thedark?George A. Whitfield, 1951-1953RecollectionsAn Overseas Whaling ExperienceG.StockMay 19th-Sept 12th1949HotSprings Observations, Deception Islandsprinkling stirringseasoningDonald Hawkes, 1961The Geology ofSouthShetland Islandssounds andsyllablesD.J. GeorgeApril22ndand 23rd1953Reportonthe EarthTremor Experiencedat Whalers Baythe sulphur of sentencesEdwinJames MickleburghIslandatthe Edge ofthe Worldhot breath

A.A. Smith1953and 1954A Working HolidayA.G. Lewis, 1967ASchool IntroductiontoAntarcticaBritish AntarcticSurveyTheArchiveminea gift of words

BasaltspeaksLocation:The Antarctic OceanAbirdbeatsintoview.Itis a cormorant,awanderingspirit.-Of Earth’smoltencore, andrisingheat,and rockThat meltingburstsitsbounds andhurtles up;Of lavaflow tostilling stone; /ofaugiteSeehow I mould the air withmy wingsmixing timein my slipstreamThere is aship.Hoodedagainstthe weather,amanappearsondeck,listening.-Watchmesplityourcrystal structuresintosaltedsyllablesandforcemymany tonguesto spittledownyour fissured / sideThe oceanrepliesNeptune’sBellowsa trespasser

Ayoungwhalesingsorchestrating voicesHeis ascientist,travellingtotheAntarctic.When thecallgoes up,mother, and thehunter’s fixed onme,when theharpooncutsthewaterwithprecise ferocity,willyou singmehome, mother,deepinto the sea? The voiceofawhaler-Spermwhale. 32 ft. FemaleFirst toHarper.The whalecontinuesAnd whenmy fleshis pierced, hunter,and thebarbshaveopened out,whenmyblood comes pulsingredinstead of water frommy spout,willyou singmehome, hunter,willyou singme free? And whenmylungs arepumped withair, and my tonguehangs lollingout,willyou killthe shark, hunter, that circles round about?Orwillyouplantanumbered flagintomyglisteninghide, and let theshark consumemy tongue, whilstbirdspeck at my side? Humpbackbreachesthewaves;skyshineonwhaleskin.

O, trimmy tail,and markthe fluke, and towme through the sea; acarcasson the flensingplanis all that I willbe. The whalerisjoinedby another-There’sarampcalled askidwayrunsthroughthe centreoftheshipright upfromsealevelontodeck.You candissectthe whalesonboard.Atearingofmetal,asthegrab is loweredthewhalehoisted.-Flenserscut fleshforinsertionintokettles.-The deck is a trap, acriss-cross of wires;twosteam-driven sawscut anddripand smoke.O, whaler, whenyoumount mybackand stand uponmyheadand whenyoucut meopenbelieving I am dead,-Boilermouths gapeand swallowBlubberandmeatissteamedforoil.Willyou feel somepity thenand singmeback to sea?Hissing,clanking,slamming;acacophony ofvoices.