Another good one has shuffled off this mortal coil. John Mortimer is probably best known for his Rumpole series of novels, which made a successful TV series for the Beeb starring the inimitable Leo McKern. But he was also a successful barrister, playwright, and writer of several wonderful autobiographies, of which A Voyage Round My Father is a particular favourite of mine. It, too, became a successful TV production—twice, the second starring Laurence Olivier, Alan Bates, and Jane Asher. I’ve also read several of his non-Rumpole novels, but not even scratched the surface of his output.
Mortimer was also famously left-leaning in his politics, a fervent supporter of Labour for many years and all-round rabble-rouser. I will never forget reading an article by him in a long-defunct British glossy magazine for women, called Nova. It was the thinking woman’s magazine, a huge breakout from the cosy Woman’s Weekly genre, full of recipes, knitting patterns, and adulatory stories about the Royal Family, that had been the norm to that point. Unfortunately, Nova was killed off when the British version of Cosmopolitan came off the presses and hammered it in circulation numbers. As a matter of principle—not to mention sheer bloody-mindedness—I’ve never bought a single copy of Cosmo to this day and I have shunned it in waiting-rooms around the world. Besides, it’s absolute shite.
To get back to Mortimer. It was shortly after he had defended the young hellions who had published a very, very rude edition of Oz Magazine—you can read all about it here—which was also very funny, I might add. I kept a copy of it for years, but it must have got lost at some point during my travels, alas. The reason I remember the Nova article so vividly is that he used a quotation I had never heard before, and which affected me profoundly. It was from Voltaire: “I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
I’ve tried to keep to that maxim, even in my looniest of loony left days. And I would have to say that being open to a variety of opinions and ideas has enriched my life enormously.
Oh! I have been on the boat and then straight to work and missed this news. I am so sad! He was a wonderful writer. He also made me feel positive about getting old. Like Diana Athill, he kept writing, and writing well, long into old age. I’ll miss his voice.
Me too.
The famous Voltaire quote was one I used many times with my students…inviting them to agree to disagree, to declare an opinion and not be intimidated by the teacher’s marking pen, or the response from others. It opened up many a lively class discussion…Your postings are often mind bogglers or memory joggers!!!
Thanks, Marylou. I hope your students appreciated the lesson they were getting. Within my first week at boarding school, I raised my hand to disagree with something a nun had said in class. She responded with “Oh you’re so clever, missy. Why don’t you come up here and teach the class?” Which I did … or tried to … and got myself branded as a loud-mouthed troublemaker until the day I left the convent two years later. A brand I wore with pride, I might add …
Oh he was one of the good ones, T. 3 of my favourites gone this week: Patrick McGoohan, Ricardo Montelban and now Mortimer.
I love the Voltaire quote and have used it over and over myself. Powerful words.
XO
WWW
Powerful indeed …
Strangely had mentioned his comment about the importance of changing the script in your life on a post a subscribing friend received belatedly today and she mailed to say he had gone (shock as not reading/watching news). You want to say ‘only the good die young’ because something about him, his defence of freedom etc was so present and joyous …
Because we did not see him regularly on tv in these parts, it was quite a shock to me when I saw his picture in one of the obituaries. Like you, I had not thought him so old. But only in body, which doesn’t really count.
Over Christmas, Radio 4 broadcast Mr Looby’s Fear of Heaven – a sublime radio play from the 1970’s about a Byron lecturer in Europe who suffers a bad fall and wakes up in an overspill hospital room with a vision of heaven painted on the ceiling! A most ingenious story tale of sin, morality and fear with a good twist at the end.
I have never heard of that one, Laura. I must track it down forthwith. (I do so envy you Radio 4! I know that I can get it streamed on my iPod, but it’s not the most satisfying way to listen, as it tends to break down or start buffering in the middle.
It was by John Mortimer by the way!
I Thought he was a posh boring old wank, but in a good way.
I’ll grant you posh, Garfer. Wank? Maybe to some. Boring? NEVER!!
That is the best quote and one we should all live by.
It’s not one we hear often enough any more, in these divisive times. A bit more Voltaire and a lot less declaring jihad on anyone who disagrees with the tenets of one’s faith would make this world a far nicer place.