Book Launch Opposite: Poems, Philosophy and Coffee

Book Launch of Opposite: Poems, Philosophy and Coffee by Aaron Meskin and Helen Mort

with jazz from Skwid Ink (Tight Lines) and hip-hop DJ set from Greg Surmacz (Paper Tiger/Captain Over)

Co-sponsored by the Centre for Aesthetics, HPBC, The State of the Arts, and The University of Leeds Poetry Centre.

What happens when poetry and philosophy connect? Over coffee at Leeds' Opposite Cafe, award-winning poet Helen Mort and Professor of Philosophical Aesthetics Aaron Meskin set out to answer that very question. They came up with an intriguing idea for a creative dialogue: Aaron would select essays from a range of philosophers who think and write about art and aesthetic matters, Helen would respond to them with an original poem, then the authors of the original papers would respond to the poems.
The result is an engrossing and multi-faceted series of conversations, which (like all the best coffee-shop discussions) take a variety of unexpected turns – topics discussed include the art of tattooing, graffiti, Belle & Sebastian, food, rock climbing and whether there's such a thing as bad art. With the project now collected in this unique, innovative publication from Valley Press, readers of poetry, philosophy, and even those new to both can join the authors for a coffee and a fascinating journey through modern thought.