English 633 / Comparative Literature 709

English 633 / Comparative Literature 709


Fall 1992
Poetics
Charles Bernstein
Thursdays, 12:30 to 3:10
438 Clemens Hall

1. (Aug. 27) Introductions / Wittgenstein Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (Required at TL)


2. (Sept. 3) Cavell on Wittgenstein

"The Availability of Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy"" (from Must We Mean What We Say): Xerox (hereafter X)
Ch. 2 of Conditions Handsome and Unhandsome (req. at TL & on reserve in Lockwood)


3. (Sept. 10) Cavell

This New Yet Unapproachable America (req. at TL & on reserve)


4. (Sept. 17) Cavell Visit

Cavell's public talk is on Wednesday Sept. 16 at 4pm in 420 Capen Hall. As supplemental reading, note that Cavell's In Quest of the Ordinary is on reserve
Note two highly recommended poetry readings: Bernadette Mayer & Robert Creeley, Monday 9/21 evening at Unitarian Church
Eric Mottram, Weds. 9/23 at 4pm in 420 Capen


5. (Sept. 24) Cavell

Senses of Walden (Req. at TL & on reserve)
H. D. Thoreau, Walden (Harding ed. at TL)


6. (Oct. 1) Mottram on Bunting

First of three lectures by / discussions with Eric Mottram.
Basil Bunting, Collected Poems (req. at TL and on reserve)
Recommended by Eric Mottram: Blood on the Nash Ambassador: Investigations in American Culture (on reserve), plus numerous books by Mottram in Poetry Collection and whatever is available at TL.


7. (Oct. 8) Mottram on MacDiarmid

Hugh MacDiarmid, Complete Poems (on reserve; possibly X)
Note David Antin talk Oct. 8 at 8pm: his Tuning & early Selected Poems are recommended for this course and his work may be used for weekly response or final paper. Antin will also be a focus of the Spring seminar I'll be doing with Dennis Tedlock.


8/9. (Oct. 15 & 22) Susan Stewart

Stewart will lecture Wed. 10/28 at 4 and visit the seminar 10/29
Nonsense (req. at TL)
Edward Lear, Complete Nonsense
Lewis Carroll
Recommended by Stewart: On Longing (on reserve and at TL) and Crimes of Writing (on reserve and at TL). X of one or two essays will be distributed.
Note Ernesto Grosman's talk on "The Poetics of the Americas" at 3:30 Oct. 22 in 540 Clemens.


10. (Oct. 29) Mottram on Jones

David Jones, In Parenthesis (req. at TL & on reserve)
Recommended: Anathemata (on reserve and at TL)
Note Norman Austin lecture Nov. 4 at 4pm in 420 Capen on "The Helen-Eidolon Myth in Antiquity and in H.D."


11. (Nov. 5) Weininger

Otto Weininger, Sex and Character (on reserve)
The new film "Weininger" will be shown, with an introduction by Neil Schmitz, location to be announced (prob. 120 Clemens). Discussion will follow in 438 Clemens.


12. (Nov. 12) Rosmarie Waldrop on Jabes

Edmond Jabes: From the Book to the Book: An EJ Reader (req at TL)
or Book of Questions (on reserve)
Waldrop, Reproduction of Profiles (req. at TL)
Recommended: Waldrop books in Poetry Collection
Waldrop will read on Nov. 11 at 4 and come to seminar Nov. 12.


13. (Nov. 19) Hannah Mockel-Rieke

Hannah Mockle-Rieke will give a talk entitled "From Revision of History to Forged Histories", dealing with the past in contemporary American poetry.
Xeroxed readings will be provided midsemester.


14. (Dec. 3) Last Class

Reserve Books

Basil Bunting -- Collected Poems PR 6003. U36 A 17 1978
Stanley Cavell --

Conditions Handsome and Unhandsome PS 1642.P5 1990b
In Quest of the Ordinary PS 217.P45 C38 1988
The Senses of Walden PS 3048 .C3
This New Yet Unapproachable America B945.C273 1989
David Jones --
In Parenthesis -- PR 6019.053 I6 1937
Anathemata -- PR 6019.053 A8
Edmond Jabes -- First Book of Questions PQ 2619.A112 l513 v.1
Hugh MacDiarmid -- Collected Poems PR 6013.R735 A17 1967
Eric Mottram -- Blood on the Nash Ambassador: Investigations in American Culture E169.1 .M88 1989
Susan Stewart --
Crimes of Writing -- on order
Nonsense P302.S69
On Longing P302.S692 1984
Otto Weininger -- Sex and Character HQ 21 .W5 1906

Books at Talking Leaves--Required

Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations
Stanley Cavell--

Conditions Handsome and Unhandsome
This New Yet Unapproachable America
Senses of Walden
Basil Bunting, Collected Poems
Hugh MacDiarmid, Complete Poems, vol 2 (as vol 1 is o/p)
David Jones, In Parenthesis
Susan Stewart -- Nonsense
Edward Lear, Complete Nonsense
Rosmarie Waldrop -- Reproduction of Profiles
Edmond Jabes -- From the Book to the Book: An EJ Reader