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Reflections Upon The New Americymru Library and the Divers Literary Curios to be Found Therein
By Ceri Shaw, 2008-07-16
(This article originally appeared some time ago on the Americymru blog. It is reproduced here as a brief introduction to the many delights to be found in the new Americymru library which can be accessed from the left hand column on the main page. Despite the rather flippant tone of this piece there are a number of Welsh literary classics to be found in the library and we will be adding more from time to time. )
A Bad Day At 'Goodwill'
Once more it is time to sing the praises of the 'mighty' Google. What did we ever do without them? Google Book Search has been around for a while but the recent addition of the "My Library" feature adds a whole new dimension. Basically the new feature allows you to search the database and save items to your own personal library which can be accessed online and shared with friends, family, etc. You can also review and rate the books in your collection. A typical Google ' My Library ' page looks like this .
If you followed the link I should explain that Google offers you the choice to search for 'Limited Preview' or 'Full View' titles. If you opt for the former you can only view snippets of the text but 'full view' items can be read in their entirety. Here at americymru we are, of course, mainly concerned with books about, or relating, to Wales and we thought it might be interesting to build a library of older works that can be read online in full. What we have here is a collection of dusty old relics reminiscent of a bad day in the book aisle at 'Goodwill'. Most of these volumes are long-since forgotten and with good reason. Still others are fascinating or amusing depending on your literary perspective.
"Here Be Monsters!"
As you might expect there are some prime examples of condescending and flatulent Victorian prose to be found amongst the gems in our digital reliquary. Nineteenth century preacher and author, Thomas Rees, penned his imaginatively titled "Miscellaneous Papers on Subjects Relating to Wales" in 1867. It is a masterpiece of groveling servility. Here is a quote from his article, included in this volume, on the 'working classes' of Wales:-
"The labouring classes of Wales, wherever they are to be found without any admixture of foreign elements and habits, are characterised by several very commendable qualities. As a class of people they are remarkable for their loyalty and submission to their superiors. Ever since the incorporation of " Wales with England, the loyalty of the Welsh nation to their Saxon rulers has been perfectly unswerving, notwithstanding the occasional effusions of frenzied poets and hot-headed orators against the Saxon invaders."
For more in the same vein read the rest of this ghastly tract. Whilst intending no disrespect toward its author I feel bound to say that this is an apocalyptically awful book that is sure to make you chuckle. It is best read out loud in a highly pompous and affected 'public school'* accent.
A Classic of Yesteryear
Of course rummaging in the attic is bound to bring to light some long lost cherished possessions. Who over the age of 100 can fail to remember with fond affection the classic 1907 Great Western Railways vacation guide, 'South Wales: The Country of Castles' . This volume is a treasure trove of useful advice. Witness the following on page 50 :-
"......it is impossible to ignore the fact that the use of the motor adds most materially to the possibilities of Aberystwyth as a travel-centre. Too great caution cannot possibly be exercised in the choice both of a chauffeur and a machine. If the former is a novice at local topography, he can only be a source of vexation and perplexity."
Certainly one would not wish to engage a perplexing and vexatious chauffer, but the GWR does not content itself with travellers tips , there are also passages of purple prose. On page 160 we find the following description of Tenby at sundown quoted approvingly :-
"Towards sundown a miniature fleet of trawlers sweeps gracefully around the Castle Hill, looking for all the world like a flight of brilliant butterflies ; their russet sails glowing in the warm light of the sun's declining rays with every hue from gold to ruddy purple, recalling memories of gorgeous scenes on far-away Venetian lagoons."
I was never favored with such a vision on my visits to Tenby. It is at this point that we are perhaps reminded of the fact that laudanum was not made illegal in Britain until the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1920.
Bananas & Tomatoes a Speciality
Reproduced below is a small selection of charming period advertisements. One is for a Fruiterer & Florist which specialized in bananas and tomatoes and the other is for the Aberystwyth "Waterloo Hydro Hotel" which, somewhat ironically, burned to the ground in 1920.
Google says that it plans eventually to put all books into digital form and the sooner the better. At least this way you dont have to dust them! A feast of fun awaits the determined 'rummager' in Google's digital attic and for our part we look forward to unearthing and reviewing more gems for your reading pleasure in the future. Our Library can be found here .
Hello to all my friends!I've been AWOL of late and do apologize but its that typical summer weather that has a grip on me. I can say that I have a nice tan these days, and have been outdoors alot enjoying this wonderful Alabama sunshine. I've have worked on a book or booklet (if you will) for a few months, and feel fairly comfortable with it now. I used lulu.com for self-publication of it. It is about the welsh caves at DeSoto Falls park which includes Alot of pictures from when we were there for the AWA Gathering. I'm not a professional writer but I think I did a decent job with it. Here's the cover, and a link to puchase it. You can click this link to go to the preview page. http://www.lulu.com/content/3033507Thanks! Janice
1. Everybody who is anybody reads your newsletter "News from Wales and the World". How would you describe the central vision and purpose of the newsletter?
The original idea 4 years ago was to encourage people all over the world to spend just 5 minutes a week within their busy lives to catch up with what is going in Wales. Even though the newsletter has evolved during this time that basic concept still is the core idea!!
2. Do you think Wales' image is well represented in the American media? If not, what should we be doing to improve it?
I rarely see Canada represented in the US media don't talk about Wales.
They are many ways to approach this complex question. You can throw $$$$$ at the problem, something the Irish Tourist Board are happily doing at the moment. But the Welsh government has not budgeted to follow that approach (I don't believe we don't have the money to do so, their are monies available for all kinds of projects these days!). The political will isn't there yet!
I feel we don't use our Hollywood stars enough Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta Jones, Ioan Gruffudd and the rest ...to promote Wales. But that also costs $$$$$!!! Therefore each and single one of us can do our bit and become a Welsh ambassador in our community!
3. What would you say to those who want to make St Davids Day as big a deal here in the States as St Patricks ay is at the moment? Whats the best way of going about it?
Well all of 1.7 million registered Welsh Americans and their friends need to be more active and hands on doing their bit!!!From bumper stickers to starting Welsh groups in your area!!!They are all kinds of simple things you can do! Just be creative!!!
4. What role should the language play in any Welsh cultural revival? Should it be more emphasised or is the current emphasis about right?
You cannot separate the two! Welsh cultural revival is due to the growth in the number of Welsh speakers/learners in Wales and around the world. You cannot support Welsh cultural and be against the Welsh language. I don't expect everyone to go on and learn it but at least to be supportive towards the "Fam iaith".
5. How would you rate the welsh Parliaments performance in its first decade? How important a role do they have in preserving Wales' unique cultural identity?
Mediocre/slow/uninspiring! But looking at the bigger picture the Senedd does have one hand tied behind it's back with very little law making powers and no tax varying ability. Therefore the challenge is to obtain these powers We are in the process of building institutions in Wales I just hope all of them doesn't land in Cardiff Bay.
6. Who would get your vote for the role of Owain Glyndwr if Hollywood ever gets around to making a biopic?
You have to remember that Owain Glyndwr was a middle age man when the whole war for independence started. He had semi retired as one of the wealthiest men in North Wales. But how would Hollywood deal with the subject who knows!!I believe Brave heart captured the spirit of the story but factually had a lot creative freedom!! We have plenty of Welsh actors around these days from Anthony Hopkins, Christian Bale, Mathew Rhys, Michael Sheen, Ioan Gruffudd and list goes on!
I personally hope the film if ever made would be a global hit!
Americymru now sports a blog aggregator in the top nav bar. This gives us the opportunity to feature RSS feeds of the best Welsh Blogs. Most of these blogs specialise in social and political commentary. Few are humorous. One noble exception is of course, NoGoodBoyo whose masterly and insightful analysis of the contribution made to proletarian culture by Welsh icon, Shakin Stevens is linked HERE .Anyone who wants to nominate a blog for inclusion on the page should join the "Feature Request" group and post their suggestion.
Sunday, 22 June 2008, Bryn Seion Welsh Church in Beavercreek, Oregon held its 73rd Gymanfa Ganu.A Gymanfa Ganu (guh-MAN-va GA-nee), is a Welsh "sing gathering" performing hymns in Welsh, sung in four-part harmony by all the attendees, under the direction of a choral director. Welsh communities in countries all over the world hold their own Gymanfa Ganu. In the US, a national Gymanfa Ganu is held by the Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association (WNGGA) .
In the United States, the Gymanfa Ganu was a way for many Welsh Americans to hold and share their cultural heritage, preserve their language in a majority-English speaking country and unite their communities. It's still that today, a means of coming together to celebrate and enjoy being Welsh.
Bryn Seion is the oldest Welsh church on the west coast, delivering services in its community for more than 100 years. Welsh immigrants to the Portland area settled in the fertile farm community of Beavercreek, sent for friends and family to join them and then wanted a church of their own to conduct services and to sing as a community. In 1884, Bryn Seion Welsh Church was built by that community, on land donated by one of its members.
The Gymanfa leader and soloists stand at the podium, under Welsh and American flags. Next to the podium sits and Eistedfodd chair inscribed, "Eistedfodd, Talaeth Wash. 1890". Reasearch is still being done into the origins of this chair but so far the story seems to be that a member of a Welsh church in Washington state won this chair, then gave it to a family member who was a parishioner of Bryn Seion, who then made a gift of the chair to the church.
The Eisteddfod is a traditional Welsh festival of poetry, music and dance, held in Wales and all over the world. Chairs like this were traditionally given as prizes.
Attendees at the Bryn Seion Gymanfa Ganu come from all over the state of Oregon, from other states and other countries. Gymanfa Director Tim Dyck and the attendees were accompanied by Harpist Annette Pritchard and Organist Beverly Ratajak. The participants sit in the church's pews to sing from hymn books in English and Welsh. Whether you know Welsh or not, there's an invigorating, quiet beauty in holding those lyrics in your hands and singing them with a group of people just like you, all there for the same purpose: to revel in being Welsh, to whatever degree, for the moment. And to hear beautiful song in Welsh.
If you're interested in finding a Gymanfa Ganu in your area, see the WNGGA site link, above. That site also has links to purchase hymn books in Welsh-English and an edition with the Welsh lyrics rendered phonetically.
Bryn Seion's Gymanfa Ganu is held every fourth Sunday in June, at the church's address on Kamrath Road in Beavercreek, near the intersections of Cymry Lane and Swansea Lane. The first day's service and singing are at 11:00 AM, the second at 2:00 PM which is followed by a te bach ("small tea"), then the third at 6:00 PM. Singing is in English and Welsh, no experience necessary, only enthusiasm. All are welcome.
John and Steve met on a recording session several years ago and since then, they have crafted a half dozen CDs of their own. They have delighted audiences of every imaginable kind with their songs and instrumentals drawn from the inexhaustible wellsprings of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and North America. The music is infectious, ranging from the breathless jigs, reels and hornpipes, through the more relaxed popular songs, all the way along to the ballads and airs. They have performed on network television and have been favorably received locally and nationally by the media.
more......
Y Lolfa and Seren are Wales two leading publishing houses. Seren tends to concentrate on Anglo-Welsh literature whilst Y Lolfa publishes a wide range of general titles about Welsh culture and history and also a great many first rate Welsh language titles. In the interests of promoting knowledge of Wales and its leading book publishers we are featuring the press release reproduced below.
The latest title from Y Lolfa concerns a case with which many members of Americymru may be unfamiliar. In 1987 three men were convicted for the vicious murder of a Cardiff newsagent and sentenced to life imprisonment. Their sentences were subsequently overturned on appeal amidst concerns over the way the investigation was handled.
It must be stressed that the 1980's were a turbulent period in Wales' history. Social discontent and unrest manifested itself in many forms includindg national strikes by the steelworkers and mineworkers, the holiday home burning campaign conducted by Meibion Glyndwr , the Welsh language TV station protest movement, the formation of radical Welsh Republican movements and in the late 80's the beginning of the Anti Poll Tax protest movement. It is against this backdrop that a series of the most spectacular miscarriages of justice in Welsh history occurred. The case of the Cardiff Three is perhaps the most infamous of these. Another more politically charged incident involving the prosecution of members of Y Faner Goch for conspiring to produce explosives has been documented in Y Lolfa's excellent Police Conspiracy . The forthcoming title by Michael o' Brien deals with the case of the Cardiff Newsagent Three.
Whilst these cases should never be forgotten and can never be excused it should be pointed out that owing to the turbulent nature of the era, police resources were stretched to the limit and unreasonable pressure was probably brought to bear to obtain speedy convictions. It should also be pointed out that the South Wales Police have a record for intelligent and sensitive crowd control at major sporting events which should be the envy of every police force in the world.
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Books gets author out of prison and into publishing...
Michael Obrien, who was imprisoned for 11 years for a murder he didnt commit will give a full account of his ordeal and his fight for justice in the forthcoming book called The Death of Justice. The autobiography will be published by Welsh publishers, Y Lolfa in September, and the author is glad of the continuing support of the publishers as a book they published in 1984 played a crucial part in his release from prison.
Michael Obrien said: When I went for bail it was bought to my attention that there was a similar case of misscarriage of justice that had happened many years earlier described in the book Police Conspiracy published by Y Lolfa.
The book was used at the appeal and at the bail hearing and convinced the judge to free me on bail, pending an appeal. There were striking similarities between both cases which bought police investigations into question. Theres no doubt that Police Conspiracy went a long way to establish my innocence in the courts and helped to uncover what had gone on in the case. It played a significant part in my release.
Michael Obrien also feels that had the judges of the original trial know about the case in Police Conspiracy they may have reached a different verdict. He added: Im very greatful to Y Lolfa for what theyve done, and I hope my book will bring attention to all cases of miscarriage of justice in Britain.
Michael Obrien received the highest compensation payout ever for miscarriage of justice in 2006, a sum of near a million pounds, and in his book he reveals how he lost everything, including his family while in prison, and then turned to study law to work on his case. He was released in 1999 after eleven years behind bars.
The Death of Justice will be published by Y Lolfa on 19 September and is written with Greg Lewis.
