Sunday, December 05, 2010

Weekend Listening - John, Jeanette & Joni




I've been appreciating the sound of three very different and distinctive voices this weekend. . . 



. . . Irish poet John Griffin's poem The Hope Years - nox est perpetus una dormienda
(John has embedded a link in the poem's title. Follow that link to the audio site, scroll down to the bottom of the page, then click on the download button to listen to John's beautiful reading. Alternately, you can read the poem on his blog, Odradek - freshly re-opened - or, listen and read at the same time.) 


Jeanette Winterson  -  London Literature Festival 2010

and her BBC radio series The Inconstant Moon









I wonder if these two women have met (in person, I mean). . . 

*

Joni Mitchell's website 


(You'll want to set aside a couple of hours to explore her music, her paintings, her poems. . . Thanks to T. Clear for reminding me of Joni's song, Blue)




8 comments:

  1. Claire,

    That was very generous and very kind. You're a sweet one. Truly.

    John

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  2. Joni Mitchell is one of my enduring favorites.

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  3. John - a pleasure.
    As your poem is, to read and to listen to.
    Thank you.
    Claire

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  4. Hello Beloved Snail - great to see you here! I wonder if you're Twittering much these days? (I'm a thoroughly hopeless Twitterer). 'Enduring' is the right word for Joni Mitchell, I agree - I never tire of hearing her. The poetry and wisdom of her lyrics remind me Leonard Cohen's.
    Keep warm over in Holland - it sounds as though Winter 'proper' has you all in its grip at the moment. Brrr. L,C

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  5. Hi Toyin O - Welcome! And yes, Joni M's a legend, isn't she. . . I hope you might come here again. ; )

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  6. I think I was meant to look at this today. Thank you, Claire. I love Joni. She's such a force, isn't she. I love how her voice has changed as she's gotten older. It's haunting now to listen to her sing.

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  7. Hi Rachel - Joni certainly is a force; she seems always to have been able to look life squarely in the face, unafraid of truth; welcoming of it. I, too, love the way her voice has changed as she's gotten older; her history and her voice seem to be one and the same thing? She's an inspiring woman - and so humble; she says she's simply standing in full alignment with what it is she's here to do. Which is what so many of us aspire to, alignment with our soul's purpose being the only sure way forward.
    Love to you and your work, Rachel, C xo

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