Seamus Kirkpatrick's plan for the book club at The Edge

5 minutes Socialising

5 minutes Introduce me and PERFORM JOHNNY CASH WHEN THE MAN COMES AROUND

10 minutes everyone introducing themselves

Name - have they been to a book club before? - favourite apocalypse song?

DOES EVERYONE HAVE SMART PHONES?

PLEASE INTERRUPT ME! (maybe put up your hand)

5 minute introduction of the topic of apocalypse (in the commonly used sense) According to Isaac Asimov's Book of Facts (1979), an Assyrian clay tablet dating to approximately 2800 BC was unearthed bearing the words “Our earth is degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end. Bribery and corruption are common.”

Some Romans believed that Rome would be destroyed in 634 BC Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Jesus’ Apostles believed that Jesus would return in their lifetimes

Since then there are sssooo many records of predictions of Apocalypse (in the common sense of the word)

When I was at High School there were rumours about the end of the world

Is the idea of climate change apocalyptic? What will it really mean? Perhaps the deaths of 4 billion people - still not an apocalypse as such? A nuclear winter could be more impactful maybe?

But in the last century - with atomic bombs and with climate change - we have a sense of how the apocalypse could technically actually happen - does that make the threat any more real though? No one has dropped an atomic bomb since WWII and insurance companies are anxious that climate change issues are resolved.

Why do writers love the apocalypse? Writers love to paint pictures in your head. And what could be more compelling than the destruction of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE? What would it look like? What would it sound like?

10 minutes PLAY PRINCE 1999 and discuss

Does it musically sound like an apocalypse?

What feelings do you get from the song - WRITE ON BOARD

Does it describe how you think people would behave in light of an apocalypse (in israel they party hard)?

Pick some lines

The sky was all purple,

So if I gotta die I'm gonna listen to my body tonight

Yeah hey, they say two thousand zero zero party over, oops, out of time

I got a lion in my pocket

The Throne in Heaven 1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

5 minutes PLAY ELEGY FOR THE ARCTIC

does this sound more like the apocalypse? WRITE FEELINGS ON BOARD Yes? No? Why?

10 minutes PERFORM BOB DYLAN’S HARD RAIN GONNA FALL - Discuss

A lot of these lines are nonsense - why do they still resonate? Does it resonate with you? Do you have a favourite line?

5 minutes - quick break when we come back I want you to suggest two songs that we can pull apart

GET ALL SUGGESTIONS - PICK 2

10 minutes two songs

5 minutes Apocalypse as rebirth or revealing or cleansing (Revelation)

Apocalypse used to refer to a revealing - particularly a revealing from heaven that would change things on earth. (this is why in the Bible it’s called the Book of Revelations). Apocalypse can also be personal. It can be the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship or the loss of a job - now I’m assuming that most people here would have experienced some sort of apocalypse in their life and perhaps that apocalypse taught them new things about themselves or provided them with new opportunities - would one person like to offer their experience of a personal apocalypse that led to something new?

20 minutes PLAY KELLY CLARKSON SINCE YOU BEEN GONE

How does this song feel - is it still about a personal apocalypse? can you relate to it? she seems thankful for her apocalypse? could we be thankful for an apocalypse?

PLAY HAIM FALLING

Do you think they are singing about an event or about change? Could you spot the biblical sounding, apocalyptic lyrics?

PLAY NINA SIMONE FEELING GOOD

Is this song just about feeling good or do we feel that she has moved through something?

5 minutes CLOSING DISCUSSION

Is Apocalypse a good thing or a bad thing?

I would like to finish with a song written by two Jews in France just before the outbreak of WWII - made famous by Vera Lynn - in my mind it always conjured up images of london - decimated by the blitz and how after such an apocalypse there could be the single voice of a bird returning to the ruins and there could be hope and there could be the potential for love

PERFORM A NIGHTINGALE SANG IN BERKLEY SQUARE

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Song Club Refelction

The event itself was set up during the day with the help of 2 DBCYP volunteers. This aspect went really well. The volunteer induction and process. When the event came about in the evening we had 28 sign ups online and then 9 actually showed to the event. Given that it is a free event this drop-off is to be expected.

The lounge room feel of the space that we set up was perfect for this event. It was a welcoming space with intimate lighting. The only aspect that did not work was the positioning of the snacks (chips) being far away from people. Food should be within reaching distance to add to the relaxed vibe.

The collection of feedback on the devices on the night was the best way to capture this event.

I also see that opportunities for break off groups during the event would have been beneficial as well as an actual break.

The conversation was vibrant. As a group they got to a point where Apocalypse can be anything. It is a personal thing when it comes to personal apocalypse.

Evaluation

Songs bookclub data

Photos