Jim Grahame

[Gary Harding]

For those poets who are familiar with and enjoy the excellent poetic work of Jim Grahame (J.W.Gordon) there is a fascinating Youtube video posted as of about 3rd February.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwiFg5so16E

It appears to have a link to The University of Newcastle.

If I hadn't been fortunate enough to stumble across his work in the Cornstalk Secondhand Bookshop in Sydney then I would never have known about Jim.

(If anyone has either of his two books and wants to sell them, I am a willing buyer!)

As they say there, Jim was a close friend of Henry Lawson. He wrote (among other Lawson tributes) a moving poem called When Lawson Walked With Me.

If you like the video, and know Jim's poetic work too, then maybe leave a positive comment? Many Thanks, Gary

[Peely]

G'day Gary

If you enjoy the work of Jim Grahame, it might be worth your while getting in touch with John Davis (he is a member on this forum, so you should be able to send him a private message - John Davis is his user name as well). John is a good friend of one of Jim's descendants and with the permission of the family, had a small run reprint done of Jim's book, "Under Wide Skies" which I believe is a collection of all of his poems. There may still be copies available.

Regards


John Peel

[Vic Jefferies]

Jim Graham (JW Gordon) was with Lawson when he walked from Bourke to Hungerford and was thought to be the person on whom Lawson modeled his character, Jim Wilson.

[Heather]

It was reproduced by Jim Graham's great grand daughter Phillipa Anne Cook


email: getwet@shoalhaven.net.au

[Gary Harding]

Thank you everyone for all that good information! Very much appreciated.

Heather, it might have been Phillipa that I met by chance at the Nag's Head Pub in Sydney, many years ago and we had a chat (Or maybe not.) It would be nice to say Hi again after all these years.

There was a celebration in Leeton about 18 months ago and I was sent some .jpg photos of it. I think Phillipa was there... as I recall.. but she looked far too young. Ah well... ships in the night...

I read somewhere that Jim had a son who was lost at Tarwara in WW2. He can be googled for all the details of his personal life.

Anyway it is his poetic writing that I focus on and adore... and am very familiar with. There are some real gems.

I could yack on for ages about it ... enthusiasm does that! haha You want to share your pleasure with fellow poets... you know how it is?!
I find some of Jim's poems kind of end prematurely. That is an observation, not a criticism. It is his individual style. You want more, a conclusion, but they stop.

The Youtube black and white video of Jim Grahame was eerie. Suddenly someone who is alive through their wonderful writing, comes alive in film too. That was special.

I probably phrased it badly because what I meant was folk here leaving a positive comment on the Youtube account, to sort of encourage relatives or the Canberra people charged with preserving such important heritage to do more preservation of anecdotes relating to "Jim and Henry Lawson" together.

I had the impression some had been passed down verbally in his family.

Anyway... I have been waiting for ages for another poem from you Heather and.. nothing! It's time.

This may seem silly but I would REALLY like to know WHO others here rate as their favourite Bush or Australian Poets. Say the top 5. I can easily give mine, starting with Henry of course, but I reckon it would be very interesting! and revealing, to gain an appreciation of what others think on that.