Michael McClure
I first met Michael McClure, who, sadly, died on 4th May 2020, in 1995, when I was making my documentaries on William Carlos Williams, Gary Snyder & Frank O’Hara. We remained in touch over the years, & in 2006 I produced a double CD of Michael’s readings as part of the Rockdrill series which I produced for the Contemporary Poetics Research Centre. This led to my making the independently produced documentary Abstract Alchemist of Flesh.
The first six clips are taken from this film, which features actor/activist Peter Coyote, actor/director Dennis Hopper, composer Terry Riley, sculptor Amy Evans McClure, poets Joanna McClure & Joanne Kyger, & rock musician Ray Manzarek, co-founder of The Doors. The sequences from Michael’s play The Beard, performed by actors Vicky Yeates & Chris Daley, are based on the London production by Nic Saunders.
Ode to Jackson Pollock, Acid Mementos, Raven’s Feather & Beginning with a Line by DiPrima are complete readings of these poems. When the site is updated there will be more clips like these.