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The Shape of Disclosure: George Oppen Centennial Symposium
Organized by Poets House at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, April 8, 2008

Panel 1: The Biographical-Historical Continuum

  • 1. Stephen Motika's introduction (3:32): MP3
  • 2. Michael Heller introduces the panelists (11:31): MP3
  • 3. Eric Hoffman — "All Embarkations Foundered: The Political Identity of George Oppen" (16:20): MP3
  • 4. Kristin Prevallet — "One Among Rubble" (18:06): MP3
  • 5. Stephen Cope discusses Oppen's Daybooks (19:41): MP3
  • 6. Norman Finkelstein — "Unteachable: Ideology and Identity in Oppen's Late Poems" (22:58): MP3

Panel 2: The Literary-Philosophical Spectrum

  • 1. Stephen Motika's introduction (1:31): MP3
  • 2. Thom Donovan introduces the panelists (9:36): MP3
  • 3. Romana Huck — "'Earth to Oppen' or 'Timor Mortis Conturbat Me': Limit, Situations, Feminine Perfusion and Gifts of Death" (24:00): MP3
  • 4. Burt Kimmelman — "'That they are there': Aletheia, Thingliness and the Question of Poetry in Heidegger and Oppen" (21:56): MP3
  • 5. Peter O'Leary — "It Looks Quite Curious: Oppen's Whitman" (18:00): MP3
  • 6. John Taggart — "On Singing and Thinking" (27:54): MP3
  • 7. Q&A session with the panelists (25:56): MP3

Reading

  • 1. Lee Briccetti introduction on behalf of Poets House (3:51): MP3
  • 2. Michael Heller introduction (3:17): MP3
  • 3. Stephen Motika provides more information about the event (1:51): MP3

  • from Discrete Series (1934)
    4. E. Tracy Grinnell reads from Discrete Series (4:58): MP3

  • from The Materials (1962)
    5. Kristin Prevallet reads "Image of the Engine" (3:06): MP3
  • 6. Kristin Prevallet reads "Sara in Her Father's Arms" (1:04): MP3
  • 7. Norman Finkelstein reads "From Disaster" (0:36): MP3
  • 8. Anthony Rudolph reads "Time of the Missile" (4:59): MP3
  • 9. Harvey Shapiro reads "Survival: Infantry" (2:54): MP3
  • 10. Peter Gizzi reads "Leviathan" (1:10): MP3
  • 11. Burt Kimmelman reads "Population" (0:42): MP3

  • from This in Which (1965)
  • 12. Burt Kimmelman reads "Boy's Room" (0:35): MP3
  • 13. Geoffrey O'Brien reads "The Little Hole" (0:52): MP3
  • 14. Stacy Szymaszek reads "A Language of New York" (5:19): MP3
  • 15. Peter Gizzi reads "World, World" (1:10): MP3

  • from Of Being Numerous (1968)
  • 16. Peter Gizzi reads "Power, Enchanted World" (2:15): MP3
  • 17. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 1 (0:41): MP3
  • 18. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 2 (0:24): MP3
  • 19. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 3 (0:20): MP3
  • 20. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 4 (0:19): MP3
  • 21. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 5 (0:17): MP3
  • 22. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 6 (0:19): MP3
  • 23. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 7 (0:08): MP3
  • 24. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 8 (0:23): MP3
  • 25. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 9 (0:34): MP3
  • 26. Peter O'Leary reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 10 (0:38): MP3
  • 27. Norman Finkelstein reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 14 (1:04): MP3
  • 28. Geoffrey O'Brien reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 26 (2:43): MP3
  • 29. Stephen Motika introduces recordings of Oppen reading (0:08): MP3
  • 30. George Oppen reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 27 (1:14)): MP3
  • 31. George Oppen reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 28 (0:14): MP3
  • 32. George Oppen reads "Of Being Numerous," Section 32 (0:59): MP3
  • 33. Hugh Seidman introduces his reading (0:42): MP3
  • 34. Hugh Seidman reads "Route," Section 1 MP3
  • 35. Hugh Seidman reads "Route," Section 4 MP3
  • 36. Hugh Seidman reads "Route," Section 6 MP3
  • 37. Hugh Seidman reads "Route," Section 8 MP3
  • 38. Hugh Seidman reads "Route," Section 14 MP3
  • 39. Thom Donovan reads "Route," Section 9 (1:01): MP3
  • 40. Thom Donovan reads "Route," Section 10 (0:26): MP3
  • 41. Thom Donovan reads "Route," Section 11 (0:44): MP3
  • 42. Thom Donovan reads "Route," Section 12 (0:50): MP3
  • 43. Thom Donovan reads "Route," Section 13 (1:03): MP3

  • from Seascape: Needle's Eye (1971)
  • 44. John Taggart reads "Song, the Winds of Downhill" (1:16): MP3
  • 45. Stephen Motika introduces video footage of Oppen (0:11): MP3
  • 46. George Oppen reads "Anniversary Poem" (1:24): MP3
  • 47. George Oppen reads "The Translucent Mechanics" (0:54): MP3
  • 48. Lee Spinks reads "Of Hours" (3:06): MP3

  • from Myth of the Blaze (1975)
  • 49 Lee Spinks reads "Speech at Soli" (2:11): MP3
  • 50. Thom Donovan reads "Semite" (1:54): MP3

  • from Oppen's Daybooks
  • 51. Stephen Cope reads "Non-resistance, etc. or Of the Guiltless" (3:24): MP3
  • 52. Stephen Cope reads "26 Fragments" (5:32): MP3

  • from Primitive (1978)
  • 53. John Taggart reads "The Poem" (1:48): MP3
  • 54. Michael Heller reads "Neighbors" (2:11): MP3

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only.
© 2008 the George Oppen estate and the respective poets. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by PennSound.