A Reminder About "Filling The Void"
Here is a reminder that I have just released (in ebook, paperback to follow in a week) a new book that I am really excited about. Filling The Void: A Selection Of Humanist And Atheist Poetry is a wonderful collection of secular and philosophical poetry to give voice to atheists and humanists. There has not been enough focus in these arts on explicitly humanistic ideas, as far as I am concerned.
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The proof copy; I am awaiting printing now.[/caption]
I really enjoyed compiling and editing these poems. There is such a variety of form, content and style that there is something for everyone.
There are short ones:
And is it not
The foulest of all
Foulnesses that God
In sheer perversity
Has chosen now
To die?
Ted Markstein
And then there are those that poke religion:
The God Machine There dwells, deep within our minds, a thought that, in many ways, we share with our ancestors, way back in caveman days. Our lives were short and brutal then, as we struggled to survive: we grasped at anything that might just help us stay alive. Our elders wove fables of supernatural beings, who directed our fragile lives, all-knowing and all-seeing. We took all of our wise men, prophets and visionaries, and lifted them to godhood, with the zeal of missionaries. Gautama was the first to go, with his gentle ways and thought: his acolytes worshipped the man, not the wisdom he had brought. Sweet Jesus, with his love for all, and message of personal peace, was elevated to the godhead by greedy Nicaea’s priests. Muhammad, the great unifier, and social engineer, was glorified by united tribes, who listened but did not hear. Thus it goes, on and on, passed down through the ages: we disregard the message, but deify the sages. We possess a mighty intellect but are condemned to perdition, by disdaining common sense, and embracing superstition. James D. Fanning Here's a prayer, of sorts: I bent my knee to beauty (Agnostic prayer) I bent my knee to beauty and wished for all to see, it’s not in modern fashion you’ll find the missing key. I bent my head in prayer and uttered out my plea: —“God, make all mankind certain that goodness stem from thee.” I knelt in benediction and swore a sacred oath to protect the children from apathy and sloth. Though life is fey and wondrous all men will die alone. Our beauty lies in living, at peace with the unknown. Anders Samuelsson One on who we are:
we
are
oxygen
we are carbon
we are fused from
helium and hydrogen
grown in the belly of a star
born from the catastrophic light
into the might of the universe
beating with the pulse of the stars
on the bridge of a cosmic chorus
four billion years in the making
an underappreciated harmony
of seven billion hearts
in the self-imposed
center of it all
we are
Kim Mitchell Freed
And finally, one on critical thought:
A Godly Man
A godly man once asked my why
a fool like me could bear to die—
that godly man was troubled much
by needing faith to be his crutch
he was its slave—but I was young
I pitied him and held my tongue.
I’d rather reason with a mind
devoid of faith and unconfined
just seekers on the road, no need
for gospels, psalms or rigid creed.
the answer, though, I now will give—
a fool like him can’t bear to live
to bear the cross of reasoned doubt
or stare the door of darkness out.
Tom White
There are, of course, so many I could choose from. The selection here is somewhat random. Please grab yourself a e-copy and spread the humanist, artistic voice! Or wait until the paperback is out. Here are the endorsements:
“Jonathan Pearce has done us a great service in producing this anthology. Filling the Void is eclectic, witty, arresting, philosophical, and fun. It charts a course through the emotional landscape of atheism and fills a niche in humanist literature that’s been vacant for far too long.” David Warden, Chair of Dorset Humanists “Read this extraordinary book; feel the wonder and take delight in the fact that we are that singular facet of the universe able to contemplate itself through science and art and to create poetry in the intersection of the two.” David Fitzgerald, author of Nailed and The Complete Heretic’s Guide to Western Religion series “Divinity Pearced by worded structure Wandering from blinding sands to southern birds Poems for our secular times This anthology of freethinking poems, ranging from poignant to humorous, from ancient voices to modern songs, encapsulates the thoughts of many secular folks. See what a few meters of these works may do for you and inspire further reflection in a new way.” Dr. Aaron Adair, author of The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View “In Filling the Void, Jonathan MS Pearce has put together an anthology of valuable literature for humanity. Verse speaks to us in ways that prose cannot, and here, for those lacking belief in God, we find people given an often-silent voice. Sometimes wry, sometimes struggling, sometimes defiant, poignant, or beautiful, the poetry in Filling the Void expresses the contemporary nonbeliever's experience in truly human terms.” James A. Lindsay, author of Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly and Everybody Is Wrong About God “Many books about atheism focus on science or challenging religious dogma so it can be difficult to find literature on how nonbelievers find meaning in their lives. Filling the Void shares the perspectives of a diverse group of atheists who express how they grapple with reality and their emotions. Jonathan Pearce has provided a necessary addition to atheist and humanist literature with this beautiful anthology.” Matthew Facciani, sociologist and activist, blogger at According to Matthew “This collection vibrantly showcases the fact that having a naturalistic, scientific worldview in no way means one can’t experience the grandeur and majesty of life and the universe...or have a wickedly keen sense of humor about that whole god idea. Filling the Void should do just that for most readers: plug a hole in their book collection nicely, showcasing the overlap of humanism and literature, of science and verse, of religious criticism and rhyming constants.” Dr. Caleb Lack, Director of the Secular Therapist Project; author of Critical Thinking, Science, & Pseudoscience: Why We Can't Trust Our Brains I loved this book of poems, mainly for its huge variety of styles, subject matter and the very varied starting points of the authors. Whilst the title suggests that it is aimed at those currently seeking meaning, I found that there was much food for thought both for someone who is living happily without gods, and for the committed religious person who is interested in other points of view. This was down to the authenticity of the chosen authors. And like all books of poems, it’s perfect for dipping into at will. Clio Bellenis,
psychiatrist and Committee Member of The Hampshire Skeptics