HV055- Wordshakers

Hearing Voices from NPR®:
055 WordshakerS: For Poetry Month
Host: Andrei Codrescu of NPR / Exquisite Corpse
Airs week of: 2012-04-04 (Originally: 2009-04-01)

Wordshakers (52:00 mp3):

Poetry Grits Glory Verve:

POETRY is a discourse
and we its discouragees.

Lord Alfred Tennyson bangs the podium in “The Charge of the Light Brigade” (from the book/CD set Poetry Speaks).

Thomas Edison waxes Walt Whitman’s “America” (Poetry Speaks).

Cheerleaders Chant” a found-poem (CD: The United States Of Poetry, part of the USOP project).

If it’s a worldwide depression, everyone is depressed.
Ah, but try to run a gypsy through the ruins of time.

Host Andrei Codrescu decontructs his “Poetry.” Codrescu assembles The Exquisite Corpse (a Journal of Life and Letters), and is an NPR commentator.

Denise Levertov knows “The Secret” (Poetry Speaks).

Carl Sandburg wonders “What is Poetry?” (produced by Barrett Golding).

Scott Carrier presents the categorical conundrum of “Alex Caldiero- Poet?”

Ed Sanders (fmr Fug) poses “A Question of Fame,” off his CD Thirsting for Peace.

My publisher says “At some people’s readings
the crowd goes out and buys their books.
At yours they run out and steal them.”

Host Codrescu gives a play-by-play of “Poetic Terrorism,” from his book New Orleans, Mon Amour : Twenty Years of Writings from the City.

Paul Miller, aka DJ Spooky, remixes poet Vladimir Maiakovski (“Une Aventure Extraordinarie Arrivee” from the Sub Rosa archives) with the music of Yoshio Machida (“Afterimage” from Hypernatural #2). It’s part of his book/CD Rhythm Science.

Pre-teen poet Sawyer Shetfs lists “The Sound I Hear at Night” (The United States Of Poetry.

Why would they want to steal
the blackness of my dog,
the mouth of my tomb?

In New Orleans a hot-dog vendor, a barkeep, and a stripper get churned in the “Poetry Combine (produced by Larry Massett). Larry and Andrei’s radio collaborations are at Medium is the Massett.

“Soldiers Drill” their found-poem (The United States Of Poetry).

Jan Kerouac responds to her father’s poetry and parenting in “Jan on Jack” (produced by Marjorie Van Halteren).

Allen Ginsberg runs a “Personals Ad” (The United States Of Poetry).

Marianne Faithful performs Gregory Corso’s “Getting to the Poem” (CD: Die on Me).

His body full of morphine
expires on the cold floor of the jail.
His cells are migrating.

Another poem is found in “Double Dutch Rhymes” (The United States Of Poetry).

Alex Caldiero (The Sonosopher) concludes “Poetry is Wanted Here.”

And a Phoebe Snow fan helps sing “Poetry Man.” Found on a reel-to-reel tape in a Brooklyn junk shop; it comes to us from The Professor of WFMU’s Audio Kitchen. This mp3 comes from WFMU’s Blog:

Adieu dumb dog.
Adieu obnoxious individuality.
–January 3 1976, Andrei Codrescu

Xtras:

Alex Caldiero performs “The Invitation” backed by the band, Theta Naught:

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Page from “Perceptions or Senses” Walt Whitman Notebooks, restored for the Library of Congeres: American Memory collection: