Be More Kind

[NickSouthampton]

I was wondering if the title was inspired by Aldous Huxley. He was my favourite author as a teenager; I went though that teenage thing of reading every Huxley book that I could find in second hand shops.

I was pleasantly surprised one day to find he had summarised his work with the following words.

“It's a little embarrassing that after 45 years of research & study, the best advice I can give people is to be a little kinder to each other.”

[frank]

Not specifically - it was directly inspired (taken from) Lecons de Tenebres by Clive James - http://www.clivejames.com/poetry/recent/lecons

[NickSouthampton]

Thank you for that.

I didn't know about this side of Clive until I heard a radio program about his poetry and songs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06nnnlc

[NickSouthampton]

I noticed another reference today.

I was reading Dylan's book "Chronicles: Volume One"

Someone asked him if he prayed for the world. He replied that he prayed to be more kind.

It’s like when you get a green car; suddenly you see green cars everywhere.

[hellbound]

The Divine Comedy stole their band name from Clive james...

But then everyone knew that...

[marowak]

for me Clive James always reminds me of new year reviews from the 80s and 90s ..

[hellbound]

Same guy

[frank]

The Divine Comedy stole their band name from Clive james...

But then everyone knew that...

How so? I always presumed it was from.. the Divine Comedy.

[hellbound]

The little tag at the top? "talking utter nonsence since 2005"?

I appear to fall into that category with every post I write........

I was aware The divine Comedy took their name from Dante

I wasn't aware Clive james translated it long after Divine Comedy had started in the music industry....

I think I will only comment on posts that I have 100% researched in future........

Or stuff I actually know about...

[frank]

Haha it's all good. Just curious, and I had forgotten the James translation myself.

[Bossman66]

Not really keeping up with the new album news.

May I ask if there will be a deluxe (extra tracks) version (apologies if it’s been covered already)?

Bossman

[NickSouthampton]

I found this the other day. Odd how once you are looking for kindness then you see it everywhere.

The Mower

The mower stalled, twice; kneeling, I found
A hedgehog jammed up against the blades,
Killed. It had been in the long grass.

I had seen it before, and even fed it, once.
Now I had mauled its unobtrusive world
Unmendably. Burial was no help:

Next morning I got up and it did not.
The first day after a death, the new absence
Is always the same; we should be careful

Of each other, we should be kind
While there is still time.

Philip Larkin, Collected Poems (Faber and Faber 1988).

[NickSouthampton]

Interview with Clive James in New Statesman this week.

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/20 ... live-james