Interviews
Cunto - inflection of CUNTARE (third person singular past historic).
Cuntare - (transative) (obsolete, literary)
To narrate, tell, or recount (a story).
Preface At the time of writing this book 72 countries criminalise same sex relationships, 44 explicitly criminalise female homosexuality, 11 jurisdictions support the death penalty for lesbian and gays, and 15 specifically criminalise trans identities.
While writing these poems unknown numbers of lesbian and gays have been declared missing in Chechnya during the Purge, rounded up by security forces after tipoffs from former friends, from neighbours or family. They are transported for interrogation where they are tortured to give more names from the LGBT communities. Films exist of lesbians being publicly murdered by family members often at the behest of the police; while gay men have more freedom in Chechnya as males - meaning some are able to escape - the lesbians are predominantly trapped by the fact of their womanhood. Meanwhile 100 municipalities in Poland have initiated LGBT Free Zones, and Pride marchers have been attacked with bottles. In Saudi Arabia homosexuality is punishable with 100 lashes or death by stoning. In Uganda the Anti Homosexuality Act (2013) has led to hundreds of LGBT refugees migrating across East Africa. In parts of South Africa corrective rape is carried out by gangs of
jackrollers who search for masculine lesbians. Equally, in Chile the Red Zone is a dangerous area for the
la camiona who are plucked from the streets after nights out or on their way home from work.
In the UK we argue about the correct colours of stripes on a flag while war rages across social media. In the UK we don’t need security forces: we pick each other off. Brexit has led to a nationalist right-wing confidence unparalleled since the Second Word War, and bigots are emboldened to assault both homosexual and trans people.
It is against this backdrop of global homophobia, transphobia and misogyny that this book is written. I wanted to both acknowledge the crimes against us as a community and reflect back to a time when there was a greater sense of unity.
C+nto is a meditation on the idea of an underground lesbian community, located in this book in London during the mid 1990’s. All of the characters are fictional and composite, even my own character of course. The first part of the book looks at personal memoir and is focussed on the loss of my friends, and of my self-determination as a consequence of same sex attraction.
Maryville follows the narrative of one night in a fictitious dyke dive bar, and is based on an amalgam of some of the dirty oasis I spent my beardless youth in. I wanted to recreate that sense of belonging, especially in terms of an indistinct outer threat. The bar is safe ground, and a space for the women within to examine their lives. The bar revolves around 4 butch women who observe, nurture and protect the space. Even when the bar is demolished those 4 women hold their ground.
Dudizile,
Angel,
Valentine and
Jack Catch are based on real people. They may look differently in this book, but you might have met them.
In 2021 we face extreme threats from the outside, and division within – a combination that I believe will lead to disaster. Unity has never been more important. But in order to achieve that we must reflect on our histories, where they converge, where they differ and make a joint decision on where we are going.
Everything in this book is preserved, in vitrine. The cabinets may be display cases, fish tanks or snow globes but they are separate from this world. Whatever is within remains there.
In case of emergency, break the glass.
