Louise Michel

I was listening to Great Lives on Radio 4 this week and was very pleasantly surprised to hear that Paul Mason had chosen Louise Michel as his subject, in fact I was astonished that he even knew about her, never mind that he would rate her so highly as to choose her as his Great Life. So thank you for that Mr Mason, and I shall listen to you more intently and carefully in future, and maybe even read one of your books.

I first heard about Louise Michel in 1979 when the late great Paul Foot delivered a brilliant talk about her at the SWP annual Easter Rally. In those days, from the late seventies to sometime in the mid eighties SWP used to gather in the thousands to hear the best speakers and left intellectuals in the UK speak on various topics. You had to be there.  The cream of British Trotskyism was there, Tony Cliff,  Duncan Hallas, Paul Foot, (all dead now) Eamon McCann, Nigel Harris and many more. Every one of them a superb speaker but Paul Foot exceptionally talented. Maybe we shouldn't all have gathered in the one place; easy targets for the British state don't you think?

When I heard that Paul was doing his talk on Louise Michel I thought to myself, what is this shit? Well I didn't really, but just couldn't resist a wee dig at Greil Marcus who opened his review of Dylan's Self Portrait album with these words, though he now says he was misunderstood, but that's what they all say Greil my man. Just accept that you were wrong to be so nasty to our Bob.

Anyway back to Louise, who was brought totally to life by Paul. Some of you reading this were there at the time and probably heard the talk. Let me know if you remember it and your memories of our times in Skegness. Derbyshire Miners Holiday Camp I seem to recall we used to take over for the weekend. Wonder what became of the Derbyshire Miners and their holiday camp?

For those who don't know her or have never heard of her she was a French revolutionary socialist, anarchist, teacher, poet, writer, fighter and one of the leaders of the Paris Commune of 1871. One of the greatest and most important episodes in European working class history and she was central to it. Paul Foot of course told us all about her story as he described the Commune and why it was important to our history. Unforgettable performance and Louise Michel has been a heroine of mine ever since. How could I have doubted Paul Foot? Ridiculous.

Those of you reading this who never heard him speak have missed something special. He delivered some brilliant talks on Shelley the one on the revolutionary nature and power of Ode to the West Wind being spellbinding in it's brilliance. Lots of thanks to Paul Mason for reminding me and I would recommend a listen to him on BBC iplayer. It should be there till Monday at least. Lets finish with Shelley himself and his Ode to the West Wind:

Drive my dead thoughts over the universe
Like withered leaves to quicken a new birth!
And, by the incantation of this verse,

Scatter, as from an unextinguished hearth
Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!
Be through my lips to unawakened earth

The trumpet of a prophecy? O, Wind,
If Winter comes can Spring be far behind?

That will do me, couldn't put it better myself.