Clive James: Lenses Shiver

Clive James: Lenses Shiver is an exclusive in-depth interview and moving reading of new (and some unreleased) work QPF filmed in his Cambridge home in March 2016. Clive discusses his life, his poetry, his view of Australian poetry past & present, plus his mortality and the Japanese maple that keeps living.
Presented by Queensland Poetry Festival, in association with McCullough Robertson Lawyers.
Interviewer: Ryan Van Winkle
Camera: Renee Vaughan Sutherland
Editor: Jacob Schiotz

[@joelbarraud]

OME IN Especially IF THEY HAVE FREE Hair PIECES
I have always been too much of an over educated bald self-confessed cynic to ever explore the concept of the after life. Quite apart from the fact that I have not even commenced packing my luggage for this ever lasting journey. I unfortunately do not own enough clothes or under garments to see me though eternity let alone staying power. In spite of this I have to admit that if I ever was to be reborn I relish the idea of returning to earth as a finely carved creature blessed with the looks of Eril Flynn and the mind of TS Elliot. I loved the way Elliot produced literary gems like running water although at my age that can come at any tick of the clock.
Over the years I have been somewhat fascinated buy pop cultures various attempts to tackle the notion of after life. How can one forget John Lennon’s famous line “Imagine there’s no heaven”. I have no doubt that if Lennon had been born into medieval times he would have been burnt at the stake however in saying that I have no idea if Lennon liked steak in the first place.
In conclusion whether our lights go out or we meet our maker at the pearly gates of Eden all one can hope for is that we have made the best of our life’s work. This philosophy applies to any living thing no matter what culture you belong to or what spiritual belief you hold.
Clive James 2018 AKA
jOEL Barraud

[@sarajaneclarke]

What a beautiful man, a wonderful soul

[@aztec999999]

Clive is the best

[@denisdaly1708]

Rip James. Loved your company. Your work lives on.

[@Fleswick]

Thank you for all your great works Clive, you were truly one of a kind and sadly missed, Rest In Peace bonny lad!

[@joelbarraud]

The sun rises
casting a golden shine of love
upon my youthful brow
light shadows of my former self glisten though my fear
of what is near
they hand me crystal white goblets of silver wine
illuminating the shortness of time my silk robe
is wearing thin
pale
my heart is frail
twilight years loom
over the
hill
merging me still
halting the crimson tide
clearing away the white wash that deports my vision
now the light glows in
I feel the beauty of this land
the fresh fragility of a rose
petals exposed
I no longer need to pose

[@donagh1954]

"..............I breath the air
As if there were not much more of it there.
And write these poems, which are funeral songs
That have been taught to me by vanished time:
Not only to enumerate my wrongs
But to pay homage to the late sublime
That comes with seeing how the years have brought
A fitting end, if not the one I sought."
Must be one of the best poems ever written.

[@heliopolis]

Lovely job, Ryan. Beautiful interview with an extraordinary man.

[@ladyellensings3666]

What a beautiful man xxx

[@jameswykes9392]

Great film with fantastic poetry. Thanks for posting this.

[@NxDoyle]

No censoring swears in the poetic realm.

[@mathewtoll6780]

This is a great interview

[@adamgilhespy7227]

Bless you for making this

[@adamgilhespy7227]

Bless you for making this

[@Lat265]

Is he a Jew?

[@annebutt4507]

My favourite Clive interview. Thank you. And how true about the recitation of poetry at school. It stays with you.