Reading List

Algarin/Holman, ed., Aloud! Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Café (Henry Holt:1994)

Blum/Holman/Pellington, The United States of Poetry (2 VHS tapes, KQED: 1996).

Sundiata, Sekou, The Blue Oneness of Dreams,(CD, Mouth Almighty/Mercury Records:1997).

Auden/Pearson, ed.,Viking Portable Poets of the English Language (Viking: 1975).

Blum/Holman/Pellington, The United States of Poetry (anthology, Abrams: 1996; CD, Mouth Almighty/Mercury Records: 1996, 2 VHS tapes, KQED: 1996).

Boland, Eavan, Object Lessons: The Life of the Woman and the Poet in Our Time (Norton: 1995).

Rothenberg/Joris, ed., Poems for the Millennium, Vol. 1-2 (California: 97-98).

9/8	“Is that a real poem or did you just make it up yourself?” What’s a poem? Who’s a poet?
9/15	Fernando Pessoa & Co. Heteronyms alive!
9/22	Wen Fu: The Art of Writing The Chinese written character as a medium for poetry. What is the difference between writing and fishing?
9/29	Poets Theatre Plays by poets performed by poets. Who is Ubu? The difference between a reading, a performance, a play. Pessoa paper due.
10/7	Manifesto Charles Olson’s “Projective Verse” and Frank O’Hara’s “Personism: A Manifesto.”
10/14	*VidPo Epithalamium for a marriage of opposites, poetry and television.* The United States of Poetry. The MTV-ization of poetry.**
10/21	Reading week - flipped from week before
10/28	Mid-term Performance/ text Manifesto due. Description of Final Project due.
11/3	Sound Text There were 400 Homers! Page as score. Schwitters. Rap is poetry
11/10	Performance Roots in Dada and Surrealism and Futurism.
11/17	Slam and Decima and Improv. Jali, troubadours, jibaro, hoboes and contemporary sofa surfers.
11/24	Ted Berrigan and the New York School. Poems are just the words. And everything after that, everything comes after that.... As Frank O’Hara once said, “I’m assuming everything is all right and difficult.”
12/1	The Nuyorican Poets Cafe The oral tradition is the hidden book
12/8	CyperPoetics The Web ain’t nuttin but a poem
12/15	Finals Performance and text

Keep a notebook by your bed. Use it. Bring to class on 10/28 and 12/15. I would love to see them on other dates, but this is not required.

You are required to write two papers. One, of three pages or more, will be about Fernando Pessoa. It’s due 9/29. The second, of five pages or more, will be a Manifesto for a new school of poetry, complete with poets and poems. It’s due 10/28.

You are required to create a Final Project. Performance, play (write &/or direct &/or act in), a reading, a film or video, a recording, a website.

Write imitations of each week’s poets. Write poems in/of class. And, of course, write your own poems/plays/perfs, record them on audio/video tape and film, send em up on the Net, etc.

We will create a group piece based on the writings of Pessoa -- you are required to participate. We will slam at least once against Sarah Lawrence -- you are required to participate.

Wednesday, Sept. 16, Bryant Part, with Sarah Skaggs and Dancers (“Twister Mixer”)