These audio recordings have been digitized from a collection of cassette and open reel tapes of readings and lectures at Bard over the last 50 years. The collection was initially established with funds provided by the Carter A Towbin Poetry Fund in 1982 and first located in Albee Hall before moving to the Olin Building. Our hope is to use the recordings to help tell the story of Bard as an exuberant place for poetry for more than half a century.
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Milnor Alexander - Freedom of Expression Discussion
Milnor Alexander
Conversation with Assistant Director of Admissions Milnor Alexander at Bard College on April 3, 1957. Recorded in Albee Social. This recording is a discussion on academic freedom, covering its historical context, recent cases, and the role of the government and public opinion. It explores ways for the academic community to promote and defend civil liberties.
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John Ashbery
John Ashbery
This recording, taken March 2, 2001, at Olin Hall in Bard College, features John Ashbery reading and discussing their recent works, including prose poems and verse. The poems cover diverse themes, often with surreal imagery and disjointed narratives. The poet reflects on the popularity of prose poetry and his writing process.
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Readings by John Ashbery and Joan Retallack
John Ashbery and Joan Retallack
This reading was part of the John Ashbery Poetry Series that ran from approximately 1995 to 2007 and brought leading contemporary poets to Bard for readings and discussion. This recording covers a poetry reading featuring John Ashbery and Joan Retallack. The poets introduce each other unconventionally, then read selections from their recent works, including Ashbery's upcoming collection "A Worldly Country" and Retallack's ongoing project "The Reinvention of Truth."
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Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones)
Amiri Baraka and LeRoi Jones
Amiri Baraka (credited on the tape under his previous name, LeRoi Jones) reading poems and prose at Bard College, circa 1960. Includes a major reading from his 1965 novel The System Of Dante’s Hell.
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Ted Berrigan
Ted Berrigan
A wonderful 90-minute reading--intimate and playful--by this leading figure of the New York School's "second generation." The event took place in Albee Social on 15 December 1982, only months before Berrigan's untimely death in July, 1983. The recording begins with a wide-reaching, exploratory introduction [nearly 20 minutes long] and includes a lovely translation of Heine and readings of many of the poems from his last book "A Certain Slant of Sunlight," published by O Books, Oakland, California, 1988.
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Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge
Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge
This recording, taken April 27, 2001 in Olin 101, features a poetry reading by Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge. The poems explore themes of borders, perception, language, and identity. Topics include dolls, pets, family dynamics, and filmmaking. The speaker provides context and inspiration for some works.
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Paul Blackburn
Paul Blackburn
Parts 3 & 4 of a nearly two-hour recording of the poet Paul Blackburn [1926-1971] reading at Bard on December 6, 1968 in Albee Social, introduced by Robert Kelly. The selections are poems published in various books of Blackburn's including: The Journals, edited by Robert Kelly (Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow, 1975); The Omitted Journals (Perishable Press, 1984); Halfway Down the Coast (Northampton, MA.: Mulch Press, 1975); The Cities (New York: Grove Press, 1967); In . On . Or About the Premises (London/New York: Cape Goliard/Grossman, 1968). Includes several selections from his translations of the Provencal poets. Includes his wonderful Pre-Lenten Gestures, a poem for Ed Dorn. Most of the texts are now contained in The Collected Poems of Paul Blackburn, edited, with an introduction by Edith Jarolim (New York: Persea Books, 1985).
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Paul Blackburn
Paul Blackburn
Parts 1 & 2 of a nearly two-hour recording of the poet Paul Blackburn [1926-1971] reading at Bard on December 6, 1968 in Albee Social, introduced by Robert Kelly. The selections are poems published in various books of Blackburn's including: The Journals, edited by Robert Kelly (Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow, 1975); The Omitted Journals (Perishable Press, 1984); Halfway Down the Coast (Northampton, MA.: Mulch Press, 1975); The Cities (New York: Grove Press, 1967); In . On . Or About the Premises (London/New York: Cape Goliard/Grossman, 1968). Includes several selections from his translations of the Provencal poets. Includes his wonderful Pre-Lenten Gestures, a poem for Ed Dorn. Most of the texts are now contained in The Collected Poems of Paul Blackburn, edited, with an introduction by Edith Jarolim (New York: Persea Books, 1985).
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Robert Bly
Robert Bly
This recording is of Robert Bly reading from his own work at Bard Hall on December 13, 1967. He reads and analyzes poems by various authors, including Rilke, Lorca, and himself, while discussing themes of war, spirituality, and American culture. Bly also touches on political activism and upcoming demonstrations.
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Nicole Brossard
Nicole Brossard
This recording, taken March 3, 2001, features poet Nicole Brossard reading her works and discussing her career. She shares excerpts from her novel "Mauve Desert" and poetry collections, exploring themes of language, identity, and desire in both English and French.
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Bob Callahan Poetry Reading (Side A & B)
Bob Callahan
This recording, taken May, 1980, features a poetry reading and discussion by Bob Callahan. He shares various poems inspired by Irish culture, personal experiences, and American history. The works range from formal Irish-influenced pieces to more experimental, field-composition style poems.
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Mary Ann Caws: Showing & Telling (Side A & B)
Mary Ann Caws
Poetics of Stress. This recording, taken March 4, 1988 in Olin 102, is a lecture by Mary Ann Caws discussing the concept of ekphrasis, the relationship between visual art and literature, and the role of moral passion in artistic expression. The lecture explores various examples of how writers and artists engage with and respond to works of art.
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Miles Champion
Miles Champion
This recording, taken October, 2001, features a poetry reading by Miles Champion. The poems cover various themes and styles, including experimental forms, abstract imagery, and reflections on language and perception. Champion reads from multiple collections and manuscripts, offering brief explanations between pieces.
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Richard Clarke
Richard Clarke
Richard Clarke reading his own poetry at Bard College. Faculty Poetry Reading on March 23, 1966. He recites numerous poems covering themes of love, nature, loneliness, and Zen philosophy. The poems vary in length and style, often incorporating personal experiences and observations of everyday life.
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Richard Clarke
Richard Clarke
Richard Clarke reading his own poems at Bard College, Albee Social-Faculty Poetry Reading on May 21, 1969. The poems explore themes of life, death, love, nature, and spirituality, often referencing the moon and incorporating personal experiences and philosophical musings.
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Robert Cohen: The Organ Builder
Robert Cohen
This reading features a reading from Robert Cohen's novel "The Organ Builder." It includes two chapters: one about a young boy moving from Los Alamos with his mother, and another about an intense poker game involving the adult protagonist and his eccentric boss.
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Cid Corman Reads His Poetry
Cid Corman
Spring 1980, introduced by Robert Kelly. This transcript features poet Cid Corman discussing his life, poetry, and philosophical views. He reads several of his poems, reflects on his experiences living abroad, and explores themes of existence, death, and the human condition through his work and personal anecdotes.
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Margaret Creal Reading
Margaret Creal
Reading from The Man Who Sold Prayers and an unfinished novel on May 11th, 1983. This reading explores themes of mental health, family relationships, and coming of age in the 1950s. The narrative shifts between third-person and first-person perspectives, detailing the novel's character's struggles and hospitalization.
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Robert Creeley
Robert Creeley
Robert Creeley reading at the Chapel of the Holy Innocents at Bard College on April 24, 1973. He reads various poems, discusses his writing process, and reflects on experiences that influenced his work. The content includes both poetry recitations and personal anecdotes.
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Lydia Davis
Lydia Davis
Reading given by Lydia Davis at Bard College November 11, 1978. Includes: The Senses, Neighbors, The Tasters, Audience, The Strangers, The Messenger, My Husband and I, The Rape of the Inuit Women, The Actors, Sketches for a life of Wasally. The works explore themes of human relationships, isolation, self-perception, and the complexities of everyday life through vivid character studies and introspective narratives.
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Readings by Tim Davis and Robert Fetterman
Tim Davis and Robert Fetterman
*Side B Damaged. This reading was part of the John Ashbery Poetry Series that ran from approximately 1995 to 2007 and brought leading contemporary poets to Bard for readings and discussion. This recording includes excerpts from experimental poetry collections, reflections on influences like Robert Creeley, and explorations of themes such as politics, culture, and language in contemporary American society.
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Diane Di Prima, Part 1
Diane Di Prima
October 11, 1973 at Bard College
- 00:00 Interlude: Introduction to the reading
- 01:22 Interlude: Introduction to The New Handbook of Heaven poems
- 02:10 "The Beach" (from The New Handbook of Heaven)
- 03:36 "Lord Jim" (from The New Handbook of Heaven)
- 05:25 Interlude: Missing Book
- 05:41 Interlude: Introduction to "The Joyous" from The Calculus of Variation
- 06:15 Excerpt from "The Joyous" (from The Calculus of Variation)
- 13:20 "Elegy 1939"
- 13:43 "Pink Angels, circa 1945"
- 14:01 "Women, Wind, and Window 1950"
- 14:31 "Excavation 1950"
- 15:21 "Woman I 1950-1952"
- 15:49 "Door to the River 1960"
- 16:42 "Revolutionary Letter #49" from Revolutionary Letters
- 20:52 Interlude: Missing Poems & Introduction to "Ave"
- 22:34 "Ave" from Loba
