Poetry at Bard 1970s

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George Quasha

George Quasha

Reading given by George Quasha at Bard College on March 4, 1975. Recorded in Bard Hall. He reads from various works, including "Soma Poetics" and "Wudjam," discussing dream writing, linguistics, and Buddhist concepts. Quasha explores wordplay, invented terms, and philosophical ideas throughout his presentation.
George Quasha

George Quasha

Reading given by George Quasha at Bard College, October 27, 1975. Introduced by Robert Kelly. Recorded in Bard Hall. This recording features poems from "Soma Poetics" and other collections. He explores themes of love, death, and language, often referencing mythological figures and employing complex wordplay and metaphors in his verses.
Raphael Rudnik

Raphael Rudnik

Reading given by Raphael Rudnik at Bard College, December 3, 1975. Recorded at Ward Manor, 8:00p, featuring various poems and excerpts from a longer work called "Silver Ship." The poems cover themes of identity, apocalypse, and horse racing, with vivid imagery and introspective narratives.
Armand Schwerner

Armand Schwerner

Reading given by Armand Schwerner on October 21, 1975. Introduction by Robert Kelly. Recorded in the Towbin Poetry Room. Schwerner reads and reflects on pieces covering themes of mortality, spirituality, and personal experiences, interspersed with commentary on his writing process and interactions with the audience.
Mary Lee Settle

Mary Lee Settle

Reading given by Mary Lee Settle from her then-forthcoming novel Blood Ties. Recorded November 5, 1975 in Brook House. Settle discusses the plot and characters of her novel, which is set in a Turkish coastal town in 1972 and centers around the drowning of several students and the subsequent impact on the town's residents and plans to build a hotel.
Diane Wakoski

Diane Wakoski

Reading given by Diane Wakoski at Bard College, October 25, 1975. Recorded in the Kline Commons (large room). First Towbin Poetry Festival. Wakoski reads and discusses several of her poems, including works about body image, relationships, and literary controversies. The reading includes personal anecdotes and reflections on her writing process.
John Ashbery

John Ashbery

A reading by John Ashbery on April 24, 1974 held at Bard College, South Hall Social, 8:30 PM.
Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney reading his poetry at Bard College, April 9, 1974, including selections from his famous ‘Bog Body Poems.’ Recorded in Albee Social, 8:00pm. Heaney recites and discusses poems about Irish landscapes, mythology, and history, including pieces on bogs, ancient sacrifices, and Anglo-Irish relations. He provides context and insights into his writing process and inspirations.
Anthony Hecht

Anthony Hecht

Anthony Hecht reading his poetry at Bard College in October 1974. Introduced by Irma Brandeis. Hecht was a graduate of Bard College, and later a professor at the school. His work combines an appreciation for traditional forms with an urgent desire to confront human horror and violence, inspired by his own nervous breakdown in the years after his WWII platoon liberated the Flossenburg concentration camp.
Pierre Joris

Pierre Joris

Pierre Joris reads his own poetry. Recorded in the Carter Towbin Poetry Room, 04/11/1974, 10pm. The poems cover diverse themes including language, mythology, nature, and personal experiences. The speaker reads from various collections, including shorter poems and longer, more complex pieces with multiple sections.
Dedication of the Towbin Poetry Room

Robert Kelly

Dedication of the Carter Towbin Poetry Room on April 6, 1974. Background on the endowment given for the Towbin Room and Prize. Remarks by Robert Bruce, William Wilson, and a reading by Robert Kelly.
Robert Kelly

Robert Kelly

Robert Kelly reading his own poetry. Bard College, 02/01/1974. The works explore themes of love, mythology, dreams, and language. The speaker discusses the writing process and reads both published and unpublished pieces, including sonnets and prose poems.
Gerard Malanga

Gerard Malanga

A reading by Gerard Malanga on May 9, 1974, Poetry Room (Preston 127) at 8:00pm. This recording features Malanga’s introspective and often melancholic poems. The reading is followed by brief conversations with attendees. Malanga's works explore themes of memory, death, and the passage of time through vivid imagery and personal reflections.
W.S. Merwin

William Stanley Merwin

Reading given by W.S. Merwin at Bard College, December 3, 1974, at Bard Hall. With an introduction by Irma Brandeis. Merwin shares poems from various collections, interspersed with prose pieces, covering themes of nature, death, and time. The reading concludes with autumn-themed poems and a brief Q&A session announcement.
Richard Murphy

Richard Murphy

A reading given by Richard Murphy at Bard College, September 24, 1974, recorded in Bard Hall. Murphy reads and discusses poems about his childhood in Ceylon, life in Ireland, and experiences on High Island, touching on themes of colonialism, nature, and cultural identity.
Harvey Nosowitz

Harvey Nosowitz

Reading given by Harvey Nosowitz at Bard College, October 3, 1974, in Bard Hall. The poems explore themes of family, memory, relationships, and sensory experiences. They range from recent compositions to older works, with vivid imagery and metaphors throughout the recitation.
Rochelle Owens

Rochelle Owens

Poetry reading and theater lecture given by Rochelle Owens at Bard College, November 5, 1974, at South Hall Social. Owens reads various poems, discusses their theatrical work, and explores themes of imagination, collaboration, and the challenges of writing for theater versus poetry.
Andrew Sarris

Andrew Sarris

Lecture given by film critic Andrew Sarris at Bard College, April 1974. Recorded in Bard Hall. Sarris discusses the history and analysis of film, including topics such as the auteur theory, the role of directors and screenwriters, and the representation of women in cinema.
Peter Schjeldahl

Peter Schjeldahl

Reading given by Peter Schjeldahl at Bard College, October 1974. Recorded in the Procter Art Center. The poems cover diverse themes including nature, animals, contemporary life, and personal experiences. Schjeldahl also shares prose pieces on topics like drinking and marriage, interspersed with commentary on his writing process.
Nathaniel Tarn

Nathaniel Tarn

Reading given by Nathaniel Tarn at Bard College on May 15, 1974, in the Poetry Room. Selections include poems from his collection ‘Lyrics For The Bride Of God.’ He explores themes of love, spirituality, and American history through a series of interconnected poems, blending personal experiences with literary and historical references.
Judy Walcutt

Judith Walcutt

Senior Project reading by Judy Wolcutt at Bard College on May 13, 1974. Recorded in South Hall, 7:00pm. Her work explores themes of dreams, color, mythology, and personal experiences. The reading includes selections from different projects and experiments with form and language.
John Yau

John Yau

Poetry reading given by John Yau at Bard College on November 6, 1974. Recorded in South Hall Social. The poems cover diverse themes, including translations, urban scenes, historical figures, and personal observations. Many poems focus on Chinese culture and experiences in New York's Chinatown.
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.
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
Diane Di Prima, Part 2

Diane Di Prima

October 11, 1973
- 00:17 Interlude: Introduction to "Loba (She-Wolf)"
- 02:20 Excerpt from "Loba (She-Wolf)" from Loba