Spring 1999
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).
Mackey, Nathaniel, Whatsaid Serif (City Lights: 1998).
Mayakovsky, Vladimir, Plays, trans. Daniels (Northwestern: 1998).
O’Hara, Frank, Amorous Nightmares of Delay (Johns Hopkins: 1998).
Phillips, U. Utah, & Ani DiFranco The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere (CD, Righteous Babe: 1997).
Slater, Maya, 3 Pre-Surrealist Plays (Oxford: 1997).
Trachtenberg, Jordan & Amy, Verses That Hurt (St. Martin’s: 1997).
Recommended:
Auden/Pearson, ed.,Viking Portable Poets of the English Language (Viking: 1975).
Baraka, Amiri, Transbluesency (Marsilio: 1995)
Beefheart, Capt., Trout Mask Replica (CD, Warner Reprise: 1970).
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).
Griaule, Marcel, Conversations with Ogotemmeli: Intro to Dogon Religious Ideas (Oxford:1970).
Jali Kunda: Griots of West Africa & Beyond (CD & Book, Ellipsis Arts: 1996).
Motherwell, Robert, The Dada Painters and Poets (Wittenborn: 1967).
Rothenberg/Joris, ed., Poems for the Millennium, Vol. 1-2 (California: 97-98).
Classes:
| 2/2 | Overview: The Oral Roots of Poetry (Poetry is Music). Dogon Cosmology/ Andoumboulou. Pere Ubu and the birth of modernism. The Firesign Theater. Your first book. |
| 2/9 | Ubu Roi. Poets Theatre. Plays by poets performed by poets. Who is Ubu? The difference between a reading, a performance, a play. Gesture & dream. Andoumboulou 16-18. |
| 2/16 | In class Slam. Visiting Poets: Hal Sirowitz (Mother Said), Cristin Aptowicz, Amanda Nazzario. Andoumboulou 19-20 Back to the Book Sophic Butt |
| 2/23 | Mayakovsky, Mayakovsky, A Tragedy. Your Name Here, A Tragedy. Andoumboulou 21-23 |
| 3/2 | O’Hara: “I’m assuming everything is all right and difficult.” Andoumboulou 24-25 “Awake in Spain.” “The General Returns from One Place to Another.” |
| 3/9 | Baraka: “Poetry is Music!” DiFranco & Phillips. Sundiata. Andoumboulou 26 |
| 3/16 | Jazz workout. Andoumboulou 27-28 |
| 3/23 | Mid-term Performance/text Title and description of Final Project aka “Book” due. |
| 3/30 | Spring recess |
| 4/6 | Jali Kunda. Dogon. Andoumboulou 29-30 |
| 4/9- 4/11 |
***** The People’s Poetry Gathering***** |
| 4/13 | Slam and Decima and Improv. Jali, troubadours, jibaros, hoboes and sofa surfers. Andoumboulou 31-33 |
| 4/20 | In Class Slam. Andoumboulou 33 1/2-35 |
| 4/27 | Dream Project. Whatsaid Serif papers due. |
| 5/4 | CyperPoetics The Web ain’t nuttin but a poem |
| 5/11 | Your Book as performance. |
| 5/18 | Finals. Books due. |
Final Project:
You are required to make a book of poems, one-of-a-kind or small run multiple. Books must be handed in last day of class. Penultimately, we’ll discuss performance possibilities of the books.
What to expect, what’s required:
Poets Theater, Jazz Mackey/Theory Mackey, Dream Project, Book.
Keep a notebook by your bed. Dream. Write down your dreams.
Nathaniel Mackey’s new book, Whatsaid Serif, is the core of our curriculum. Let it lead you. You are required to write a research paper of at least five pages on an aspect of the book that kills you. That’s due 4/27. We will be performing the book with a jazz crew in a public performance. Poems are made of WORDS. Enjoy the vocabulary world.
You are required to write two plays. One, your own Ubu, is duedue 2/9. The second, Your Name Goes Here: A Tragedy, is due 2/23.
Additional Work:
Use the two core anthologies, Aloud and Hurt. 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. There will be at least one intercollegiate slam. You are required to participate.If you don’t make the team you will be a reporter or a cheerleader or heckleleader.