Book Reviews
Hold the front page! This is what the papers say. If you’ve come across anything else, please let us know. Apologies for the lack of radio interview sound bytes – coming soon!
Out Everywhere
13 December 2005
MADLY FUNNY book reading / performance in aid of EVERYMAN for MEN'S CANCER by donation
Controversial new book 'MEN Speak the Unspeakable' will be read/performed by a band of blokes ‘shameless male dialogue with heart, soul and balls!' Donations at the door to The Everyman Campaign for testicular and prostate cancer. Cheap presents too!
The first book to carry an 18 Certificate... The stocking filler that's guaranteed to blow your socks off!
'MEN Speak the Unspeakable' gives voice to the male shadow, as Ed, an English middle-class bisexual dad, and Mickey, a straight ex-Catholic refugee with OCD, discuss it all: taboos, trauma, secrets, lies, sexuality, best mates, broken hearts, money and male misery. Shameless male dialogue, with heart, soul …and balls!
Openly sexual, blissfully spiritual, with raw emotion and real insight* 'MEN Speak the Unspeakable' challenges boyhood perceptions, parenting, puberty, peckers, prejudice and politics in all its guises. Fly-on-the-wall transcripts from frank conversations plots their transformation from lost boys into self-respecting men.
Currently in the running for a MIND award and a Plain English award, this is a unique book of embarrassing confessions, blaming tantrums and self-initiating adventures, madness and mayhem. The second half of the book sees them pull it – and themselves – together with self-acceptance, personal power and passion for new lives unfolding.
This is not a self-help book providing a twelve step plan into perfect lives, an enviable libido and a six-pack; it is their story, warts and all, that allows the reader to get in touch with, and get over their own stories. Mickey and Ed now run men's groups and book readings nationwide.
'Who are our positive male role models? Does anyone know what roles we're supposed to play? No! Because ‘all men are… bastards, bullies, wimps, unavailable, Mummy's boys, abusers, abandoners, stupid, useless, lazy, dirty, only want one thing!' Think of one positive term people use. Does anyone like men? Do we like us? That's where the book came from. We needed to turn into men. We didn't know how.' (co-author Mickey Elias in The Big Issue)
Men have a good laugh and get over themselves. Women gain insights that'd never have bargained for. This is the first book to carry an 18 Certificate!
Entry by donation - all proceeds go to Everyman, Europe's only dedicated male cancer research centre, who fund research to find new and better ways of diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Leaflets for self-checking, etc will be available at the event or check out www.icr.ac.uk/everyman