Clive James, RIP

[Belle]

This week has seen the deaths of two giants of the literary and theatrical world; Jonathon Miller and Clive James. I liked both of these people and am proud that one of them was Australian. James belonged to an internationally famous cohort who had all studied at Sydney University (not at the same time), and its luminaries included Robert Hughes, Bruce Beresford (film director), Germaine Greer and others.

Clive James has been described as both an extrovert and an intensely private man who spent a lot of time alone; both of these polarities were integral to his personality. I was never really a fan of his poetry, but he produced excellent scholarly work with a more recent edition of Dante's "Inferno" having been completed just a few years ago. Clive James wrote in a witty and perceptive style and with great humour. He captured suburban Australia very well in his book about growing up in Sydney.

James married a Cambridge academic decades ago and they lived separate lives; he in London, she in Cambridge. An 8 year affair was revealed between James and a Sydney model and yet his wife Pru took him back, cared for him and tended his every need until the end. He was a very lucky man!! She liked him well enough to forgive.

[John F]

Clive Jamess death was in no way unexpected - he had been writing about his fatal illness formany years - but I'm sorry to hear of it anyway. I've been a James fan ever since he was a guest of Dick Cavett on PBS, and bought every one of his books beginning with the three collectinos of television criticism that often make me laugh out loud. He also wrote a lot of serious literary criticism in the form of extended book reviews and several volumes of autrobiograhy, the first titled "Unreliable Memoirs."

James wasn't just a writer. He appeared often on British TV, both conducting interviews and in the series "Fame," which ran once on PBS. I found that rather disappointing, and note that apparently it has not been brought out on DVD.

Despite his illness, he lived to 80, and remained remarkably productive until nearly he end.No doubt there will be at least one posthumous book too come, and I will get it.

[Belle]

I'd like to correct an error I made: Clive James had recently TRANSLATED Dante's "The Divine Comedy" in toto.

Can we aging music-lovers take heart? Clive wrote this close to the end:

Your death, near now, is of an easy sort.
So slow a fading out brings no real pain.
Breath growing short
Is just uncomfortable. You feel the drain
Of energy, but thought and sight remain:
Enhanced, in fact. When did you ever see
So much sweet beauty as when fine rain falls
On that small tree
And saturates your brick back garden walls,
So many Amber Rooms and mirror halls?

[Belle]

We are going to miss Clive's wonderful humour - such things as Arnold Schwartzenegger being described as "a brown condom full of walnuts"!!!