If I were an animal there would be legislation to protect my home, but because I'm just a bloody human they can do whatever the f**k they like. Welcome to the village of Syresham; it's not quite the Cotswolds. Townies have decided they want a lie in, so they're building a new high-speed railway. Issue is, it's going right through Barbara Honeybone's house, and she 'ent having none of it. Barbara's grandson Peter works for the townies and it's his job to convince the village that having a two-tonne bullet hurtling through their cabbage patches will actually be for the best. Then there's Harry, Barbara's younger grandson, he 'ent that bothered about trains, he's only got eyes for Debbie Mahoney. But the only thing Barbara hates more than townies is the Mahoneys. Originally commissioned by Nottingham Playhouse, Village Idiot by Samson Hawkins is an audacious comedy, where family feuds kick off around a country fair that all you townies are invited to. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere of the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Nottingham Playhouse and Ramps On The Moon co-production in March 2023.

In this collection of acid-tongued essays, “the U.K.’s answer to Dave Barry” skewers his American cousins (Publishers Weekly). Winner of the Best Columnist of the Year at the British Liars’ Awards and Britain’s finest satirist, John O’Farrell takes dead aim at cell phones, awards ceremonies, genetic sheep splicers, America’s right-wing cabal of dunces, dunderheads, dimwits, and the Big D himself. “Just when we thought the lawlessness in Iraq was over,” O’Farrell observes, “even more blatant incidents of looting have begun. With handkerchiefs masking their faces, two rioters roughly the height of George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld kicked in the gates of the largest oilfield and grabbed the keys of the gasoline trucks. ‘Yee-haw! It’s all ours! Millions of barrels of the stuff,’ they laughed. ‘Yup!’ added the leader, ‘and this mask guarantees my anonymousinity!’ So after all these years there really is such a person as the Thief of Baghdad. Except strangely his accent sounded vaguely Texan.” A writer for the groundbreaking television show Spitting Image and contributor to the screenplay for the hit movie Chicken Run, O’Farrell meticulously researched his conclusions by spending five minutes on the Internet and then giving up. And while O’Farrell’s sharpest barbs and stingers have often been written to come out of the mouths of grotesque puppets and Claymation chickens, this time around he keeps the best lines for himself: “With the election of the 43rd President of the United States, the global village is complete,” O’Farrell writes. “It has its own global village idiot.”

In going through life one learns many of life’s lessons. This book points out some of the lessons the author has learned. He also gives some of his personal thoughts and ideas. The author begins his life on a small-dirt farm in East Texas, plowing a mule from sunup to sunset: he then receives an inadequate education from a rural-all-Black school, where he was neglected and abused; after which, he goes to college in East Texas, where he was out of place; later to the military; back to graduate school in Houston; and then settles in a South Suburb of Chicago, where he experienced cultural shock. These sayings, personal thoughts, and ideas are derived from his seventy-three years of experience.

This book consists of essays about the life and times of the author. They start with happenings in the author’s childhood and end with occurrences in his adult life. They tell about growing up in East Texas and moving to Chicago. The author describes the good, bad, and ugly times. He speaks candidly and to the point. These essays are easy reading and meant to inspire and motivate. You will find them extremely interesting and enjoyable. The essays vary in length: from 1,000 to 2,500 words. He did take one of the other forks in the road.

This collection of sayings came spontaneously and intermittently from the deep recesses of the author’s mind. They are indeed his own cerebral creations. He pontificates on any number of subjects: including spirituality, education, and family. These sayings are not erudite but are plain and simple, yet, profound in some ways. They were written for those who like to get a powerful statement in only a few words. They are all interesting, to say the least. You will thoroughly enjoy these sayings.

This book consists of statements, sayings, thoughts, and ideas that mainly came from the author’s creative cerebral consciousness. A few of them came from TV, radio, and Internet; but were restructured and revised to the author’s taste. Many of these sayings and ideas are not erudite but simple and to the point, yet profound in many ways. These sayings are meant to motivate and inspire the reader. You will find them interesting and stimulating.

This book consists of seventy articles written about items in the daily news. They are 700 to 1,000 words each. The articles consider aspects of how Blacks are going backward rather than forward: educationally, politically, spiritually, socially, psychologically, and economically. Ideas were germinated from the Internet, TV, magazines, newspapers, and a lifetime of experiencing trials and tribulations. Most of these articles were my own creations. Some of the ideas are personal while some are more public, but all are captivating.