Bob Holman

 

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Employment

2005-: Artistic Director, Study Abroad on the Bowery
2004-05: Poet-in Residence, WNYC, New York Public radio
2003-: Visiting Professor of Writing, Columbia University School of the Arts
2002-: Publisher, Bowery Books
2001-: Proprietor, Bowery Poetry Club
1998-02 Visiting Professor of Writing and Integrated Arts, Bard College
1998-99: Poetry commentator, Anthem, NPR
1998-99: Spoken Word Director, Cductive Interactive
1997-: Chief Curator, the Peoples Poetry Gathering
1996-: Artistic Director, Real Live Poetry Touring Company
1995-: Director, Bowery Arts & Science, Ltd (formerly Washington Square Arts)
1995-99 Founder/Vice-President, Artist Development, Mouth Almighty/Mercury Records
1995- Guide, poetry.About.com
1995-96 On-line Host for Spoken Word site, iGuide Internet Server
1995-96 Curator/Host Off the Beaten Path poetry series, Whitney Museum
1993-99 Organizer/Host, rAP mEETS pOETRY at Fez, S.O.Bs, Knitting Factory
1993-96 Professor of Writing, The New School for Social Research
1993-96 Executive/Co-artistic Director, Nuyorican Poets Cafe Live! Touring Company
1993 Curator, The Melting Point of Ice poetry series, The Whitney Museum
1992-96 Creator/Producer, "The United States of Poetry," 5-part series, PBS
1990- Producer/performer, "Smokin Word," "Words in Your Face," other poetry videos for PBS and MTV
1990-01 Organizer and Host, "Public Poetry," Joseph Papp Public Theatre
1988-96 Co-Director, Poetry Slam Host, Nuyorican Poets Cafe
1988-89 Organizer and Co-Host, "Poets in the Bars: A Celebration of the Oral Tradition"
1987-95 Producer/Host of "Poetry Spots," WNYC-TV
1987 Organizer, "US Poets Invade Nicaragua" Tour (Ginsberg, Cardenal, et al)
1986-88 Poet, Poetry/Video Learning Project, NYC Board of Ed Anti-Dropout Program
1985 Host, "Lines" Radio Series, Detroit Institute for the Arts
1978-84 Coordinator/Host/Workshop Leader, Poetry Project at St. Marks Church
1977-80 Poet, CETA Artist Project
1977-80 Founding Editor, NYC Poetry Calendar
1974- Director, Poets Theater, NYC

 

  

Books Written/Edited by

A Couple of Ways of Doing Something, a collaboration with Chuck Close, Art of This Century/Pace Editions; NY, 2003

Carved Water,
poems by Zhang Er, translated Holman, Tinfish, Kane'ohe, 2003

Beach Simplifies Horizon,
poems, The Grenfell Press: NY, 1998.

The United States of Poetry, an anthology co-edited and with an Introduction by, accompanying the Public Television series, Abrams: NY, March, 1996.

Bob Holman's The Collect Call of the Wild, poems, Henry Holt: NY, 1995.

ALOUD! Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, an anthology co-edited with Miguel Algarine,
            Henry Holt: NY, 1994.

Cupid's Cashbox, poems, drawings by Elizabeth Murray, Jordan Davies: NY, 1990.

PANIC*DJ: Performance Text, VRI Theater Library: Imperial Beach, CA, 1987;
            2nd edition, University Arts Resources:NYC, 1990.

SWEAT&SEX&POLITICS!,  Peeka Boo Press: Teaticket, MA, 1986.

8 Chinese Poems, Peeka Boo Press: Teaticket, MA, 1981.

Tear To Open, Power Mad Press: NY, 1979.

The Rainbow Raises Its Shoulder/When A Flower Grows, Chinatown Planning
            Council: NY, 1979.

Bicentennial Suicide, a novel to be performed, with Bob Rosenthal, Rochelle Kraut, Ted Berrigan, Alice Notley, Et alia, Frontward Books: NY, 1976.

 

  

Anthologies

Poetry and Pedagogy, ed. Retallack & Spahr,  Palgrave:NY, 2006.

Life Interrupted: Spalding Gray,   Crown:NY, 2005

Bullets & Butterflies: Queer Spoken Word Poetry, ed. Xavier, Foreword by Holman,  Suspect Thoughts:SF, 2005

Off the Cuffs: Poetry by & about the police, ed. Sheeler, Foreword by Holman,   Soft Skull: Brooklyn, 2003.

Bum Rush the Page ed. Medina Rivera  MTV/Penguin, 2002

Short Fuse: Global Anthology ed. Swift & Norton  Rattapallax, 2002

Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance, ed. Glazner,  Manic D, 2000.

Thus Spake the Corpse: Exquisite Corpse Reader, ed. Codrescu, Black Sparrow, 1999.

American Poets Say Good-bye to the 20th Century, ed. Codrescu, 4 Walls 8 Windows: NY, 1996

Out of This World, ed. Anne Waldman, Crown: NY, 1990.

Up Late: American Poetry Since 1970, ed. Andrei Codrescu, 4 Walls 8 Windows: NY, 1988,1991.

Poets Theater, ed. Michael Slater and Yuki Hartman, Ailanthus Press, 1980.

Fresh Paint, ed. Michael Slater and Yuki Hartman, Ailanthus Press, 1977.

 

   

Writing Workshops (selected list):

Warsaw, Poland: New Poetry 2004

Literaturhaus/Writers Room, Hamburg, 1997

University of Kentucky, 1996

Arizona State University, 1996

Gathering of the Tribes, "The Stoop," 1990-96

Banff Centre for the Arts, 1994

Bennington July Program, 1993-5

The Loft/Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1993

Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992

Naropa Institute, Summer, 1991

Cleveland Art Institute, 1991,1994

Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1990

Intersection for the Arts (San Francisco), 1989

 

  

Video/Film (Selected List)

We Are the Dinosaur, performer, Shoot the Poem ProVideo Festival, directed by Charles Dennis 2005

Russel Simmons' Def Poetry Jam, performer, HBO, 2004

Whatever I Was Thinking Of, Lower East Side Short Film Festival selection, directed by Alex Meilleur, 2003

The World of Poetry, media project, creator/producer, in production.

Slam, Poetry slam host, Sundance award-winning film, major release, directed by Marc Levin, 1998

The United States of Poetry, 5-part PBS series, creator/producer, 1996.

Word Up!, performer, three spots for "Much Music," Canadian MTV, 1994.

Spoken Word Unplugged, performer/consultant, MTV, 1993.

Words in Your Face, producer/performer, season premiere for "Alive from Off Center," aired nationally on PBS, 1991.

Smokin' Word, MTV spoken word pilot, producer/performer, 1990.

Panic*DJ! Bob Holman Live at the Club LaMama, full-length feature, 5/4 Video, 1990.

We Interrupt this Program, "Poetry Spots," WNYC-TV, New York, 1988.

 

  

Records/Tapes/Radio/CD-ROM (Selected List)

WNYC Radio "Poet Laureate," 2004-5

In with the Out Crowd, solo CD, produced by Hal Willner, Mouth Almighty Records, 1998.

Poetry in Motion II, Performer, Voyager CD-ROM, 1996.

Flippin the Script: Rap Meets Poetry, Performer/Host, Mouth Almighty/Mercury, 1996.

Poemfone: New Word Order, Performer, Tomato Records, 1996.

Wild Words, Performer, Cups Records, 1995.

Word Up,  Performer, Virgin EMI Records, 1995.

Grand Slam: Best of the San Francisco National Slam, Producer, NuYo Records, 1994.

Nuyorican Symphony: A Spoken Word Compilation, Producer/Performer,
            Knitting Factory Records, 1994.

"1990," on Knitting Factory IV, A & M Records, NYC, 1990.

Mouth Almighty: The Poets Label, Fresh Air, 1997.

"Dark Star Crew at BAM," National Public Radio, "All Things Considered," Sept. 2, 1990.

"Poets in the Bars," National Public Radio, "All Things Considered," 4/29/89.

"Bob Holman, the Plain White Rapper," National Public Radio "Morning Edition," 2/7/89.

"Rap It Up" on Sugar, Alcohol, and Meat, Giornos Dial-A-Poet, 1980.

"An Oral History of the Poetry Project," recorded in 1979, unreleased.

 

  

Awards (Selected List)

The Betty Kray Award, Poets House, 2006

NYU “Community Citizen of the Year,” 2005

Greenwich Village Historical Society, Preservation Award for Bowery Poetry Club, 2004

Zebra Poetry Film Festival, US selection, 2004

New York Public Library Minerva Award, 2003

Poets & Writers Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, 2003

First International Poetry Film Festival, “Bob Holman Special,” Berlin, 2002

National Arts Award, Anderson Ranch, 2002

Curbstone Press, Honored Poet Award, 2000.

National Poetry  Slam Championship, Mouth Almighty Team coach, 1997-98.

XXth  Biennales Internationales de Poesie, Liege, 1996.

Input (International Public Television Award), 1996.

Sundance Film Festival, 1996.

San Francisco Film Festival, 1995.

Before Columbus American Book Award, 1994.

New York Foundation for the Arts Poetry Fellow, 1993. 2001.

Legend Award, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, 1993.

Bessie Award, Performance Excellence, 1992.

Emmy for Local Programming, "Poetry Spots II," 1992.

Input (International Public Television) 1992.

Chicago Poetry Video Festival, Featured Artist, 1992, 1995.

Emmys for Local Programming and Editing, "Poetry Spots," 1988.

 

  

Performances/Readings (selected list)

NYC Steps of NY Public Library for “Make Noise for the Library”, Museum of Modern Art, The Great Hall at Cooper Union, The Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church, Public Theater, the New School, Brooklyn College, PS 122, PS1, The Kitchen,  Mudd Club, Limelight, Danceteria, CCNY, Symphony Space, Town Hall, Sound Poetry Festival (Washington Square Church), College of Staten Island, NYU, Pratt, The Knitting Factory, Biblio’s (Extended Play, four 2-hour readings).
NYS Writers’ Institute (SUNY Albany); R.I.T., Pyramid, Writers & Books (Rochester); Clinton County Arts Council (Plattsburgh, 4 day residency); Sullivan County Community College; Wyoming County Arts Conference (Attica), Kirkland Arts Council (Utica)
New Jersey Rutgers (Panelist: “Poetry and the Public Sphere Conference”), Woodbridge Community / New Haven: Yale, Yale Art Gallery
Baltimore The Roxie
Boston MIT, TT The Bears, Stone Soup / Woods Hole: Community Hall / Amherst: Public Library, Cummington Community of the Arts
Providence Brown, Brown Creative Writing Dept.
Cleveland Public Theater Performance Arts Festival
Michigan Detroit Institute of Art, Wayne State, Festival of the Arts / Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, TV is Not a Box
Milwaukee Woodland Pattern
St. Louis Duff's River Styx
Minneapolis The Walker Art Center, The Loft
Lexington University of Kentucky
Dallas Dallas Museum of Art, The 500 Club, Bar of Soap
Chicago Body Politic, Green Mill
Boulder Naropa Institute
California San Francisco: Intersection, New Langton Arts, 1800 Square Feet, Portrero Hill / Los Angeles: Beyond Baroque, LACE, UCLA
Seattle Bumbershoot Festival
Portland, OR Artquake
Banff Wordfest
Canada Montreal: Young President's Association Conference/Vancouver: residency
South Africa Featured poet, Poetry Africa Festival
Yemen with Poet laureate Azziz Megellih
Eritrea Asmara: Against All Odds Conference
England/Wales London: South Bank Centre/Queen Elizabeth Hall: DISASTODROME w/ David Thomas, Blue Note;  Brighton, Bristol, Swansea, Redding, Birmingham
Germany Frankfurt Book Fair; Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt Literaturhausen; litteraturWERKstatt, Berlin; SO36, Berlin; Soft Research, Munich; Kampnagel, Mojo Club, Hamburg
Holland Stichtung International (Rotterdam), Melkveg (Amsterdam), Crossing Borders (den Haag)
Belgium Congres de Poesie
Paris Polyphonix Festival, Pompidou Center
Rome American Academy
Nicaragua Masaya, Grenada, Leon, Matagalpa and Managua

 

  

Theater Direction (Selected List)

The Cause of Gravity/The Whore of the Alpines/Bicentennial Suicide by Bob Rosenthal & Bob Holman, St. Marks Church, Woods Hole Theater et al.

The Gas Heart by Tristan Tzara and Jet of Blood by Antonin Artaud, St. Marks Church/
            Ward-Nasse Gallery (NYC).

Mayakovsky, A Tragedy, Vladimir Mayakovsky, St. Marks.

Clear the Range, from Ted Berrigan's novel, St. Clement's.

4 Plays by Edwin Denby, sets Elizabeth Murray, costumes Judith Shea, Eye & Ear.

The White Snake by Ed Friedman, sets Robert Kushner, Eye & Ear Theater.

Paid on Both Sides by W.H. Auden, sets David Hockney, Eye and Ear Theater.

EAT ROCKS by Pedro Pietri, New Dramatists NYC.

She Is in Tangiers: Life and Work of Jane Bowles by Millicent Dillon, St. Marks.

Stop At Nothing, D. Zhonzinsky, The Kitchen.

 

  

Education

Columbia College, AB, English, 1970. (Studied with Kenneth Koch, Eric Bentley, Michael Goldman, Michael Wood.)

St. Marks Poetry Project, 1974-78. (Studied with Ted Berrigan, Alice Notley.)

 

  

Boards & Panels

Federation of East Village Artists, Board of Directors, 2005

National Poetry Series Panel, 2004

National Book Award, Poetry Panel, 2002

Yaddo, 2001- ongoing

Cave Canem, since 1999

Atlantic Center for the Arts, National Council, since 1998

Poets House, Board of Directors,1997-2001

A Gathering of the Tribes, 1994-2000

New York State Council on the Arts Literary Panel, 1996-1999

New York Foundation for the Arts Literature Panel, 1992

Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Inc., 1989-1996

St. Marks Poetry Project, 1980-84