Poetry at Bard 1960s

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Lori Chips

Lori Chips

Lori Chips reading poetry on May 6, 1976 in the Towbin Poetry Room at Bard College.
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).
Clayton Eshleman

Clayton Eshleman

Reading given by Clayton Eshleman, November 13, 1968, Albee Social. Caltech. This reading includes several long poems exploring themes of family, death, and the creative process. The poems draw on personal experiences and mythological imagery to grapple with complex emotional and philosophical questions.
Timothy Leary

Timothy Leary

A speech delivered outside Albee Hall, March 4, 1968. The bulk of the lecture involves Leary's beliefs about marijuana and LSD use, societal fears about kids "turning on and waking up," and rumors invented by the government about recreational drug use. He tells the audience they're going to have to "drop out or cop out...drop out is an internal personal decision...your posture, your inner-stance...detaching from anything meaningless...or that would lead you to continue as a replaceable part."
Jonathan Williams

Jonathan Williams

Reading given by Jonathan Williams at Bard College on October 21, 1968. Recorded in Albee Social, 9:00pm. Williams shares poems spanning various themes, including nature, music, and American culture, while providing context and personal anecdotes about his inspirations and writing process.
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.
Richard Ellman

Richard Ellman

Talk given by Richard Ellman at Bard College on May 10, 1967, at Bard Hall. "The Artist as Critic and Criminal" (on Oscar Wilde), John Bard Lecture. Intro by Andrew Wanning. Ellmann discusses Wilde's critical theories and their relationship to his life and work. He analyzes Wilde's views on art, criticism, and the role of the artist in society.
Uwe Johnson

Uwe Johnson

Reading by German novelist Uwe Johnson from his novel The Third Book About Achim. Side 2 of this tape is a Q&A with Johnson. April 25, 1967. The reading explores the challenges of a West German writer attempting to write a biography of an East German cyclist. The discussion touches on the complexities of the divided Germany and Johnson’s perspective on the situation.
W.S. Merwin

William Stanley Merwin

Reading given by W.S. Merwin at Bard College, March 20, 1967, in Bard Hall. Merwin shares poems from various collections, touching on themes of family, memory, survival, and environmental concerns. Merwin offers insights into his writing process and the meanings behind his poems.Audio incomplete.
George Starbuck

George Starbuck

A reading given by George Starbuck at Bard College on November 8, 1967, at the Procter Art Center, 8:00pm. Starbuck presents poems on various themes, including war, animals, and love, interspersed with commentary on his writing process and inspirations. The reading concludes with a lengthy political poem.
Theodore Weiss

Theodore Weiss

Reading given by Theodore Weiss at Bard College, March 8, 1967. Recorded in Albee Social, 8:30pm. Weiss shares personal anecdotes, explains the inspirations behind his work, and reads several poems, including pieces about nature, literary figures, and personal experiences.
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.
Erich Heller

Erich Heller

Essayist Erich Heller, reading essays on Nietzche and Yeats. Bard Hall, 3/15/1966. Introduced by an unidentified Bard academic. This recording features a lecture on W.B. Yeats and Friedrich Nietzsche, exploring their philosophical connections, Yeats' interpretation of Nietzsche's work, and the impact of aestheticism on early 20th-century thought. Heller analyzes Yeats' poetry and its relation to Nietzsche's ideas.
Robert Kelly

Robert Kelly

Robert Kelly reading his own poetry. Bard College, 3/09/1966. Tape warbles until a brief cutout at 00:01:20. Kelly reads and discusses various poems, including works about Annandale, alchemy, astronomy, and chemical processes. The poems explore themes of love, nature, spirituality, and human experience.
Galway Kinnell

Galway Kinnell

Galway Kinnell reading his own poetry at Bard College. Albee Social, 05/17/1966. Kinell shares poems by Walt Whitman and his own, including pieces about civil rights, nature, and human experience. Kinnell offers commentary on poetic influences and his creative process.

Kinnell starts his time by reading Whitman’s ‘RESPONDEZ!’ and ‘To The States.’
John Wieners

John Wieners

Reading given by John Wieners at Bard College on May 24, 1966. Wieners reads and discusses his work, including poems from "The Hotel Wendley Poems" and newer collections. He reflects on his writing process, influences, and themes of love, desire, and urban life, while also commenting on poetic style and personal experiences.
George P. Elliott

George P. Elliott

Lecture given by George P. Elliott at Bard College entitled ‘Discovering the Dangs: Integration of Dream and Fictional Materials.’ November 30, 1965. Elliott discusses the creative process of writing fiction, comparing it to dreaming. He explores how a personal experience inspired a story, examines the role of language and craft in shaping narratives, and reflects on the relationship between conscious effort and spontaneous inspiration in artistic creation.
Howard Nemerov

Howard Nemerov

A reading given by Howard Nemerov at Bard College, September 6, 1965 at Albee Social. Audio quality poor. This transcript features Nemerov reading and discussing various poems, touching on themes of love, nature, religion, and human experience. He reflects on the creative process, personal anecdotes, and the meaning behind the verses, offering insights into poetic interpretation and inspiration.
Indonesian Poets trans. Burton Raffel

Burton Raffel and Chairil Anwar

Reading and Q&A given by translator Burton Raffel at Bard College on November 23, 1965. Translations of Indonesian Poetry by W.S. Renora and Chairal Anwar. Raffel discusses the history, influences, and key figures of Indonesian poetry, including Amir Hamzah and Chairil Anwar, and the political and cultural challenges faced by Indonesian writers.
Paul Blackburn

Paul Blackburn

Poetry reading by Paul Blackburn at Ward Manor, Bard College on March 12, 1964 with introduction by Terrance Dewsnap.

*Note: Piano music cuts in from approximately 1:05-1:39
Gerrit Lansing

Gerrit Lansing

Gerrit Lansing reading his own poetry. 12/18/1963. Lansing was the editor of the short-lived literary magazine SET, which published poets ranging from Robert Kelly to Aleister Crowley.

Liner notes identify the poems as follows:

“Festival Song; Judgment Of The City; Onset 1; Onset 2; The Burden of Set 1; The Burden of Set 2; The Green Bottle; The Undertaking; Conventicle; Tabernacle; Planting The Amplitudes.”
Diane Wakoski

Diane Wakoski

Reading given by Diane Wakoski at Bard College on December 10, 1973. Recorded in the Towbin Poetry Room. Wakoski shares various works, including "Virtuoso Literature for 2 & 4 Hands," "The Fable of the Fragile Butterfly," and others, offering insights into her creative process and inspirations.
Paul Blackburn

Paul Blackburn

Paul Blackburn reading at Bard College on May 5, 1962.

Details from open reel tape cover: Proenca :Intro.; Betrand de Born, Guillem de Poitou et al. Piere Vidal, Jaufre Rudel, Cercamon Marcabrun, Beatriz de Dia; Bertran's Sestina.
H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) and Charles Olson

Hilda Doolittle and Charles Olson

Poetry readings given by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) and Charles Olson. Tape dated 1961.

00:00-42:28 - H.D. reads from her epic poem 'Helen In Egypt.'

42:38-End - Charles Olson reads from his in-progress collection The Maximus Poems. Note inside the box reads "At Vancouver: Maximus From Dogtown ...letter 27 1961". [Ellipses original.]
WBAI Poetry Broadcasts - 1961

99.5 WBAI

Recorded broadcasts from 99.5 WBAI:

Side I, Left Track: Undated. Poems by:

Ed Dorn (‘Sousa’)

Paul Carroll (‘Father’)

John Logan (‘N.Y. Scene’)

Judson Jerome (‘Cages’)

Charles Tomlinson (2 poems)

Robert Duncan (‘Pindar’)

Reading and interview with Allen Ginsberg

Side I, Right Track:

Reading and interview with Robert Creeley (July 18, 1961)

Reading by Paul Blackburn (August 4, 1961)

Reading by Robert Kelly (July 29, 1961)