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Charles Olson

PoemTalk #34,Bob Perelman, Rachel Blau DuPlessis and Charles Bernstein discuss Olson's Maximus poems, July 26, 2010

Listen to the complete recording and read program notes for the episode at Jacket2.


Reading from Maximus, Poems IV, V, VI, c. 1969, pub. 1975

Produced, edited, and recorded by Barry Miles

Complete recording (1:00:30): MP3

  1. I Am The Gold Machine [w/ intro] (1:50): MP3
  2. All My Life (0:23): MP3
  3. Piggy Back Poem (0:22): MP3
  4. Maximus From Dogtown II [w/ intro] (4:09): MP3
  5. Sequentio (0:36): MP3
  6. Gravely Hill (5:36): MP3
  7. Between Cruiser And Plato (0:21): MP3
  8. I, John Watts (0:33): MP3
  9. After The Storm Is Over (0:35): MP3
  10. To Travel Typhon (0:20): MP3
  11. Up The Steps (0:12): MP3
  12. People Want Delivery (0:15): MP3
  13. The Coast (0:19): MP3
  14. Tesserai Commisure (0:14): MP3
  15. Older Than Biblus (0:19): MP3
  16. Chronicles I (0:48): MP3
  17. Chronicles II (0:30): MP3
  18. Untitled Maximus Poem [from mss] (2:00): MP3
  19. Vida Unpanishad Eda Then (0:03): MP3
  20. Kent Circle (Wrote My First Poems) (1:15): MP3
  21. Further Completion Of Plot (1:57): MP3
  22. Maximus Poem July 24, 1968 (3:14): MP3
  23. Into The Stream, Gloucester (0:19): MP3
  24. The Frontlet (0:55): MP3
  25. To Enter Into Their Bodies (0:41): MP3
  26. Her Stern Like A Box (0:13): MP3
  27. Anacoluthic And Drag (0:09): MP3
  28. The Difference Of A Wild Thing (0:09): MP3
  29. The Cormorant And Spindle (0:04): MP3
  30. Absolutness (0:02): MP3
  31. In The Harbour (0:07): MP3
  32. Kent Circle Song (0:19): MP3
  33. I Swang Out At Eight Or Ten (0:12): MP3
  34. J.W. (0:47): MP3
  35. Not The Italian Method (0:14): MP3
  36. Mayan Letter #13 (8:40): MP3
  37. Mayan Letter #7 (1:32): MP3
  38. Mayan Letter #5 (7:47): MP3
  39. Chockablock (2:12): MP3
  40. Caches (2:04): MP3
  41. Bolan I (0:26): MP3
  42. Bolan II (0:38): MP3
  43. John Watts (0:09): MP3
  44. Third Letter On Georges (1:50): MP3
  45. Gulf Of Main (2:40): MP3

Reading from Maximus, vol. 2, Beloit College (March 26, 1968)

Complete reading (50:51): MP3

  1. Introduction (0:47): MP3
  2. out over the land skope [II.126] (3:14): MP3
  3. Part of the Flower of Gloucester [II.127] (0:38): MP3
  4. Veda upanishad edda than [II.128] (0:15): MP3
  5. Wrote my first poems [II.129] (1:27): MP3
  6. the 1st lot from the Cutt [II.130] (0:31): MP3
  7. I am the Gold Machine [II.131] (1:47): MP3
  8. In the harbor [II.132] (0:11): MP3
  9. Kent Circle Song [II.133] (0:24): MP3
  10. I swung out, at 8 or 10 [II.134] (0:12): MP3
  11. JW (from the Danelaw) [II.135] (0:59): MP3
  12. proem [II.136-137] (4:12): MP3
  13. not the intaglio method [II.138] (0:16): MP3
  14. mother-spirit to fuck at noumenon [II.139] (0:16): MP3
  15. Monday, November 26, 1962 [II.140] (0:22): MP3
  16. he who walks with his house on / his head [II.141] (0:16): MP3
  17. she who met the serpent in the pond [II.142] (0:23): MP3
  18. the woman who said she went out every Sunday [II.143] (0:21): MP3
  19. into the Stream or Entrance to the Inner Harbor [II.144] (0:26): MP3
  20. The Frontlet [II.145] (0:57): MP3
  21. Homo Anthropos [II.146] (0:22): MP3
  22. to enter into their bodies [II.147] (1:02): MP3
  23. The Cow / of Dogtown (3:38) [II.148-150]: MP3
  24. Stage Fort Park [II.151] (1:15): MP3
  25. Further Completion of Plat (before they drown / Dogtown with reservoir, and beautify it) [II.152] (2:41): MP3
  26. Sequentior [II.153] (0:46): MP3
  27. Licked man (as such) out of the ice [II.154] (0:25): MP3
  28. Gylfaginning VI [II.155] (0:37): MP3
  29. Heaven as sky is made of stone [II.156] (0:18): MP3
  30. All night long [II.157] (0:31): MP3
  31. the Vault / of Heaven [II.158] (0:28): MP3
  32. turn out your / ever-loving arms [II.159] (0:42): MP3
  33. at the boundary of the mighty world [II.160-162] (7:46): MP3
  34. Maximus, from Dogtown — IV [II.163-172] [excerpt] (2:12): MP3
  35. I looked up and saw / its form [II.173] (0:14): MP3
  36. One of the Bronze Plaques Which Decorate These / Shores [II.174] (0:25): MP3
  37. A Letter, on Fishing Grounds [of, The Gulf of Maine] by Walter H. Rich [II.175-176] (1:59): MP3
  38. Maximus, to Gloucester, Letter 157 [II.177-178] (2:16): MP3

"Poetry and Truth," at Beloit College, Wisconsin. March 25-29, 1968

  • Lecture I, Cosmology: March 25, 1968 (54:46): MP3

  • Lecture II, Belief 1: March 27, 1968 (52:10): MP3

  • Lecture III, Belief 2: March 29, 1968 (56:34): MP3
       Poems read in Lecture III:
    38:26 - 39:29: "*Added to making a Republic in gloom on Watchhouse Point" Maximus III 190 / 584
    53:32 - 54:40: '"Additions", March 1968--2' ["Wholly absorbed / into my own conduits..."] Maximus III 191 / 585
    55:05 - 56:20: "That there was a woman in Gloucester, Massachusetts..." Maximus III 189 / 583


  • On Black Mountain: March 26, 1968 (1:18:45): MP3

Complete recording of all four lectures and the talk (4:04:04): MP3

Olson and his translator Klaus Reichert, Akademie der Künste, Berlin,  Dec. 15, 1966

Event: "Ein Gedicht und sein Autor. Lyrik und Essay." Olson reads his poem in memory to Rainer Maria Gerhard, and "Maximus, to Himself."

•"To Gerhardt, There, Among Europe's Things..." (excerpts: opening section and the segues to section 5, "the stick is a reminder" the end of the poem)
text (2:39): MP3

•"Maximus, to Himself" ["I have had to learn the simplest things last"] (1:43): MP3 | text

•Comments: "The problem of the USA today is the power which is in the raiding party. But like it’s an idea, a paramilitary idea, moves in advance of a nation, thereby eventually giving a language." Olson then expresses his outrage that Andrei Voznesensky has said, days before at the Library of Congress, that "the poets of America weren’t close to our people." (1:34): MP3

•Complete reading (22:53): MP3

 

Thanks to Norbert Lange for this recording

Richard Moore USA: Poetry Documentary with Denise Levertov, 1966

    Reading at UC Berekely, 1965

  • Complete Recording, (31:48)MP3
  • Recording courtesy of Michael Davison

USA: Poetry (NET), directed by Richard Moore (excerpts), Gloucester, March 12, 1966

"Letter # 41 [broken off]" [Maximus II:1](text: sroll down) and "Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 [withheld]" [Maximus II:14-15] text: scroll down to "with a leap")
Watch on Media.sas
Watch on Media.sas



Includes "The Librarian" [Collected Poems 412-14]; video on right just the poem (text)

Watch on Media.sas
Watch on Media.sas

Audio from these videos:

"Letter # 41 [broken off]" [Maximus II:1] (1:13): MP3
"Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 [withheld]" [Maximus II:14-15] (2:44): MP3 text
"The Librarian" [Collected Poems 412-14] (3:34): MP3 text

"Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 (withheld)" is also featured on PoemTalk Episode 34.

Reading at the Berkeley Poetry Conference, July 23, 1965

Introduction by Robert Duncan.

The legendary lecture was transcribed by Zoe Brown and published at Charles Olson Reading at Berkeley by Coyote Press (San Francisco, 1966).

  • Complete recording (3:18:18): MP3

This recording is courtesy of David Levi Strauss.

Part 1 (of the same lecture; slightly clearer audio) (1:07:32): MP3


Readings and Conversations at the Berkeley Poetry Conference, July 12-24, 1965

At Gratwick's Highlands, November 16, 1963

  1. Tape 1 of 2 (1:37:26): MP3
  2. Tape 2 of 2 (1:06:57): MP3
  3. (recording courtesy of Robert Creeley)

At the Vancouver Poetry Festival, August 16, 1963

  1. Maximus, from Dogtown II [II;9-10] (4:18): MP3
  2. Maximus, to himself as of 'Phoenicians' [II:111] (1:14): MP3
  3. Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 [withheld] [II-14-15] [1:5-8] (2:14): MP3, TEXT, youtube
  4. Maximus, further on (December 28th, 1959) [II:13] (1:11): MP3
  5. The Poem (0:28): MP3
  6. River #1 (1:19): MP3
  7. River #2 (0:46): MP3
  8. Okeanos' Dream (1:18): MP3
  9. The South East Wind (1:20): MP3
  10. I Tell You It's Cruel (2:34): MP3
  11. Three Poems (1:45): MP3
  12. Of Old Times (2:12): MP3
  13. They said she went off (0:23): MP3
  14. A Maximus (2:08): MP3
  15. A coast is not the same as land (9:59): MP3
  16. Maximus Letter Whatever (2:19): MP3
  17. First Stevens Song (1:22): MP3
  18. Upward Choking on Dogtown (1:17): MP3
  19. I force the calm grey waters (1:08): MP3
  20. By the way into the woods (0:22): MP3
  21. The rock listens to itself (0:42): MP3
  22. Later Tyrian Business [II:36] (1:26): MP3
  23. For Robert Duncan Who Understands (8:48): MP3
  24. Further Completion of Platt (3:58): MP3
  25. Untitled (1:11): MP3
  26. A Prayer (0:37): MP3
  27. All having breakfast (0:59): MP3
  28. Gee Avenue (0:25): MP3
  29. Where is the B. Elery (0:11): MP3
  30. Maximus Written to be a note to myself (about Stevens) (3:01): MP3
  31. 23 School and 16 Columbia (2:12): MP3
  32. I Stand on Main St. (0:33): MP3
  33. Letter 72 (1:46): MP3
  34. Descartes solider in a time of religious wars (0:45): MP3
  35. In the interleaved almanacs of 1646 (1:55): MP3
  36. Of the Parsons (3:33): MP3
  37. The Beginnings (5:38): MP3
  38. Maximus at the Harbour (2:56): MP3
  39. 2nd Century Song (7:10): MP3
  40. from "Fort Point section," Maximus II [II:83ff] (7:40): MP3
  41. from Maximus II, final poems [II:199- 202] (5:33): MP3
  42. The Songs of Maximus [I.13-16] (6:22): MP3
  43. Maximus, to Himself ("I have had to learn the simplest things / last ...") [I:52-53] text (2:26): MP3
  44. The Blue Monster (0:57): MP3
  45. The Lordly & Isolate Satyr (8:38): MP3
  46. Le Bonheur (2:22): MP3
  47. The Charge (2:37): MP3
  48. Spring (1:16): MP3
  49. As the Dead Prey Upon Us (10:25): MP3
  50. Kingfishers (6:31): MP3
  51. Letter 3 ("Tansy buttons ...") [I:9-16] (8:00): MP3

Complete reading (2:45:53): MP3

These recordings were originally made available to the Slought Foundation by Fred Wah. PennSound publication made with thanks to Slought and with the permission of Fred Wah and the Olson Estate.

"Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 (withheld)" is also featured on PoemTalk Episode 34.

At Goddard College, April 12-14, 1962

Reading and lecture, April 12th: MP3 (1:55:31)
Kyle Schlesinger's transcript of the event: PDF

Discussion of Herman Melville, April 14th: MP3 (1:55:31)

These recordings were originally made available to PennSound by Kyle Schlesinger. Special thanks to Goddard College archivist Forest Davis.

Reading in Boston, June 1962

  1. Maximus to Gloucester (3:05): MP3
  2. So Sassafras (3:33): MP3
  3. Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 (withheld) (2:11): MP3 [TEXT]
  4. An Ode on Cape Ann (1:01): MP3
  5. from Maximus IV (1:02): MP3
  6. View (1:44): MP3
  7. Chronicles (1:43): MP3
  8. The Gulf of Maine (3:02): MP3
  9. Maximus, from Dogtown I (6:25): MP3
  10. Going Right Out of the Century (0:50): MP3
  11. Maximus, to Gloucester, Letter 15 (4:14): MP3
  12. A Later Note on Letter #15 (1:11): MP3
  13. Letter 41 (1:02): MP3
  14. Maximus, from Dogtown II (3:36): MP3
  15. The Distance (2:03): MP3
  16. The Librarian (2:52): MP3
  17. To Gerhardt, There, Among Europe's Things... (12:52) text: MP3
  18. In Cold Hell, In Thicket (8:12): MP3
  19. ABC (0:53): MP3
  20. Letter, May 2nd 1959 (4:13): MP3

Complete Reading (1:08:51): MP3

"Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 (withheld)" is also featured on PoemTalk Episode 34.

Reading for Bob and Bobbie Creeley, c.1960s, location unknown

  • Salutation and Reading of John Burke (3:42): MP3
  • The Librarian (3:15): MP3
  • Intro to a set of poems and reading of a narrative (3:26): MP3
  • Short Poems and The Song (1:56): MP3
  • Letters 24 to 27 (12:54): MP3
  • The Picture and Maximus Home Again (3:43): MP3

Christmas Tape Reading, 1957

  • Track 1 (31:05): MP3
  • Track 2 (4:42): MP3
  • Track 3 (14:33): MP3
  • Track 4 (6:43): MP3
  • Track 5 (5:08): MP3
  • Track 6 (54:45): MP3

Complete recording (1:50:12): MP3

At San Francisco State University, 1957

From Maximus, vol. 1

  1. I, Maximus of Gloucester, to You [I.1] (4:01): MP3
  2. The Songs of Maximus [I.13-16] 3:11): MP3
  3. Maximus, Letter 7 (Marsden Hartley's eyes) [I:30-38] (5:44): MP3
  4. Maximus, Letter 10 [1:45-51] (3:39): MP3

From Maximus, vol. 2

  1. Letter 14 (6:11): MP3
  2. Letter 15 (5:12): MP3
  3. Maximus, The Twist (3:40): MP3
  4. Second Century Song (0:30): MP3
  5. Anecdotes of the Late War (0:43): MP3
  6. The Love of Anat (0:34): MP3
  7. The O'Ryan Poems (3:32): MP3

Studio Recording at Black Mountain College, made by Robert Creeley c. 1954, first issued as a record

  • The Songs of Maximus (3:15): MP3
    • Song 1 (0:40): MP3
    • Song 2 (0:23): MP3
    • Song 3 (1:16): MP3
    • Song 4 (0:36): MP3
    • Song 5 (0:10): MP3
    • Song 6 (0:06): MP3
  • The Kingfishers (8:01): MP3
    • The Kingfishers 1 (1:20): MP3
    • The Kingfishers 2 (1:24): MP3
    • The Kingfishers 3 (1:30): MP3
    • The Kingfishers 4 (1:38): MP3
    • The Kingfishers II (2:05): MP3

  • Complete Reading (11:31): MP3

* Note that The Kingfishers III is not included (thanks to Steve Evans for listing)

Selected Letters of Robert Creeley 146 (Creeley to Duncan, September 24, 1955):

Dennie [Denise Levertov] had persuaded me to bring out a record Charles and I made here, a year ago, to play for him [Mitch Goodman]; which we did, and clearly he was moved, by it, i.e., he got the poems as obviously the page had never given them to him. And spoke, then, of how it changed everything.

Also of Interest:

Readings at Berkeley, Buffalo, and Vancouver (date unknown)

  1. Introduction (0:56): MP3
  2. John Burke (1:37): MP3
  3. The Librarian (3:18): MP3
  4. Maximus (5:50): MP3
  5. Letter 24 (3:10): MP3
  6. Letter 25: A Plantation a Beginning (2:56): MP3
  7. Letter 26: Maximus to Gloucester (3:30): MP3
  8. Maximsus to Himself text [this recording same as Vancouver above (2:23): MP3
  9. Songs of Maximus: Song 1 (3:45): MP3
  10. Tansy Buttons (5:47): MP3
  11. Poem of Spring based on a poem by Rimbaud (5:01): MP3
  12. In Cold Hell, In Thicket (8:53): MP3
  13. Maximus from Dog Town I (7:01): MP3
Complete Reading (56:35): MP3
(recording courtesy of Ron Silliman)

Also on PennSound

Robert Creeley reads Charles Olson's "Maximus, to Gloucester," Key West Literary Seminar, 2003 - (more information at Littoral)

  • Complete recording (5:15) MP3

Charles Olson on PennSound Daily


These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the author's estate. © 2004-2007, The Estate of Charles Olson. Used with permission of the Olson Estate. Distributed by PennSound.