Author: Paula Claire

 PAULA CLAIRE NATURE POET

This is the second video made by Elizabeth Lawes, Liaison Librarian Special Collections UCL.  We discuss aspects of my nature poetry I have developed since the 1960s improvising with all who come to my events in the countryside – gardens, orchards, historic sites; sharing and responding to natural objects I provide  indoors; creating designs for seven Living Monuments of ginkgo tree plantings for regions of the UK, in particular GINKGO COMPASS a walk dedicated to international harmony designated for London and Tokyo – ginkgo trees enhance the front quad of UCL. Our conversation ends with my admiration for another Northamptonshire nature poet, John Clare (1793-1864)  who was incarcerated in hospital just near where I was born. He is now regarded as a pioneering environmentalist extolling the natural world. 

Important website links:

https://library-guides.ucl.ac.uk/art/special-collections#s-lg-box-wrapper-19330956

https://mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk/Player/J2jE3fi3

https://mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk/player?autostart=n&videoId=J2jE3fi3&captions=y&chapterId=0&playerJs=n

DOC(K)S

This anthology continues the tradition of Julien Blaine’s pioneering venture DOC(K)S begun in 1976, in touch with me about it from 1979. I contributed to his publications in particular the postcard collections to be sent worldwide, part of the Mail Art movement. 
I have 2 full colour iPad visuals in this stupendous publication of 494 pages including a USB of videos, described as a living laboratory of innovative poetry in all its diverse forms. 
Purchase it by emailing www.docksforever@proton.me

Cassettes and book International Sound Poetry Festival NY 1980

Sean McCann of RECITAL (CA USA) has launched the Archival set of cassettes and a book documenting the International Sound Poetry Festival in New York April 1980 run by Charlie Morrow of the New Wilderness Foundation. Embedded in Sean’s website is the 10 minute video of me speaking about SOUND AND SOUND POETRY made in my Archive by Claire Mills for Charlie who had invited me to perform JETAKEOFF and POPCORN INDIVIDUALS at his comprehensive week-long event, now highly regarded and preserved through Sean’s initiative.

A VIDEO celebrating Bob COBBING and Marvin Sackner’s contribution in very different ways to the field of concrete, visual, sound and performance poetries.

Please find our VIDEO celebrating Bob COBBING and Marvin Sackner’s contribution in very different ways to the field of concrete, visual, sound and performance poetries. They both departed this life on 29 September, Bob in 2002; Marvin in 2020. 

I celebrate today my 60 years of Creativity by publishing my Artist’s book DIAMOND IS FOR EVER DIAMOND Catalogue Four: Works 2011-2021. Liz is engaged in getting the superb collection of Spineless Wonders in the Poetry Store at UCL linked with the Slade School better understood and appreciated. We plan more videos in due course. 

SPINELESS WONDERS project Slade School of Art UCL 18 FEBRUARY online conference

I am presenting to end the day An Utterance of STONE TONES, published by Cobbing’s Writers Forum Press 1974, my documentation of my first vocalisations of lines and marks on a variety of stones, Poetry Society London May 1973. These spontaneous responses to natural objects I term my ‘gestation of language research’ – see YouTube link to my talk on this I gave to the Colloquium Visual Poetry São Paulo November 2021