Keith Howden
was born near Burnley in 1932. He is married, with three children.
After National Service and work as a laboratory assistant, he taught
English and modern European fiction with a major interest in 'the
text as event' at Nottingham Trent University. Among his many poetry
pamphlets are Joe Anderson, Daft Jack's Ideal Republics, Pauper
Grave, Hanging Alice Nutter and Barlow Agonistes. He has
published three full-length collections, Marches of Familiar
Landscape (Peterloo 1978), Onkonkay (Peterloo (1984) and
Jolly Roger (Smokestack 2012). Recently, with his son, the
composer Matthew Howden, he has completed two poetry music
collaborations, with accompanying discs: The Matter of Britain
(PRE Rome 2009) and Barley Top (Redroom 2013).
Using the template of
Sebastian Brandt’s
original of 1494 and accompanied by Durer's original engravings
Keith Howden updates the Ship of Fools castigating our modern moeurs
and our bankrupt political class.
CONTENTS
Lies : Food, glorious food
Avarice : Sources and Remorses
Gluttony : How to vomit a Gregg
Conceit : Your daddy’s in the cotton-field.
Shallow Entertainment : The Sound of Music
Serving two Masters : Do you want a fag?
Stupidity : Riding Habits
Playing the System : The wheels are broken.
Ignoring Need : Sweets for the Sweet
Wealth Unearned: The biggest aspidistra.
Induced Illness : The good ship Lollipop
Gambling : Charity ends at Home
False Begging : On stern Blencathra.
Poor Judgement : Horses for Courses
Twittering: Will no-one rid me..
Bad Examples : The Ecclestone syndrome
Predestination : Survival of the fittest
False Prophets : A schooner with all sails set
Privilege : A garden is a lovesome thing
Abetting Folly : Am I here at the gate alone?
Selfish Prayers : Ha-ha said the clown
Lack of Common Sense : Somewhere there’s a smell
Abusing Small Occasions : A hunting we will go
Pretended Wisdom: A trace of Tracey
Foolish Risk : A Creation myth
Deceit : A Day in the Sun
Procrastination : There is an armour against fate
False Accusers : Little Baby Bunting
Poor Judgment : Gulliver’s Travels 1
Hypocrisy : Top of the Pops
Old Fools : Long Division
Disorder : Gulliver’s Travels 2
Venery : Save all your kisses for me
Know-alls : The tunnel of Love
Borrowers : A Bob on Himself
Lawyers : A run for your money
Pretence : He flies through the air
Learning Nothing : A bicycle made for two
Foolish Optimism : Alphabet Spaghetti
Transitory Thinking : Ding dong bell, somebody’s made.
Negligence : The man from Kirriemuir
Superciliousness : Party Games
The Supremacy of Cash : Dawkins revisited
Irredeemable Ignorance : It’s nothing but an ‘art-ache’
Bullies : One hope, one faith, one Lord
Voluptuosity : Tit for Tat
Vain Learning : And did those feet
Tell-Tales : Who runs may read
Vanity : Amen
Paperback 6" x 9" 112 pages ISBN
978-1-291-86050-4