Ron Silliman

Photo © 2008 Charles Bernstein/PennSound

LINEbreak program with Charles Bernstein, New York, 1996

1. introduction by CB (0:22): MP3
2. on writing a 26 part work and "Albany," the first part of The Alphabet (3:03): MP3
3. RS reading from "Albany" (5:05): MP3
4. discussing two sentences from "Albany:" "If it demonstrates form some people won't read it," and "If the function of writing is to 'express the world'" (2:25): MP3
5. on the different kinds of sentences in "Albany" and the relationships between them (1:02): MP3
6. RS's interest in disjuncture (2:11): MP3
7. on the poetry audience (3:00): MP3
8. circumstances under which poetry has had political efficacy (3:11): MP3
9. what is a literary movement? (1:09): MP3
10. RS reading from Xing (5:22): MP3

Reading at The Grand Piano June 20, 1978

• from Tjanting (44:00): MP3

1. Part 1 (1:33:20): MP3 (Break around 45:00 - 46:00 when tape flips over.)
2. Part 2 (1:32:09): MP3 (Break around 45:00 - 46:00 when tape flips over.)

Complete Recording (3:03:49): MP3 (5-second breaks every 45:00 - 46:00 minutes when the tapes flip over.)

Silliman in conversation with Bruce Andrews and Charles Bernstein, March 6, 1981

1. oppositional writing (9:09): MP3
2. our relationship to a community and "highbrow" hegemonic culture (6:24): MP3
3. considering the possibility of and what could be defined as ruling class poetry (9:02): MP3
4. writers, class, and downward social mobility (12:01): MP3
5. leisure time, the new flaneur, and the work experience (7:58): MP3
6. the project of writing and dealing with an experience (4:06): MP3
7. group definitions and social formations (7:30): MP3
8. Ron Silliman reading "Poem" by Ron Padgett (0:18): MP3
9. on Ron Padgett's "Poem" (7:26): MP3
10. the break between Black Mountain & St. Mark's and reformulating positions between social groups (6:33): MP3
11. correspondence and conversation (4:05): MP3
12. interpersonal relationships and social formations (14:33): MP3
13. a self assessment of the conversation and tape (8:10): MP3
14. 17th century prose and the "clear style" (4:09): MP3
15. contextualizing and highlighting the political dimensions of the poetry one writes (8:09): MP3
16. on the term "language poetry" and making generalizations (4:50): MP3
17. composition as explanation (4:13): MP3
18. the influence of class background (13:58): MP3

1. Introduction and Opening Comments (4:33): MP3
2. selection from Tjanting (36:00): MP3

Complete Reading (40:29): MP3

Segue Series Reading at the Ear Inn, NYC April 7, 1984

1. Opening Comments (0:40): MP3
2. "Force" (from The Alphabet) [pp. 43-48] (8:52): MP3
3. Lit: Section One (from The Alphabet) [pp. 225-227] (5:22): MP3
4. Lit: Section Two [pp. 227-238] (16:45): MP3

Complete Reading (31:37): MP3

Segue Series Reading at The Ear Inn, NYC April 12, 1986

1. Introduction (1:86): MP3
2. from "Oz" (from The Alphabet) [pp. 365-380] (36:21): MP3

Complete Reading (37:27): MP3

St. Mark's Talks, NYC April 13, 1986

• a draft of "Postmodernism: Sign for a Struggle, the Struggle for the Sign"


• Poetics Journal, No. 7, September, 1987, pp. 18–39. Reprinted in Contemporary American Poet-Critics, op. cit.; translated into Serbian by Dubravka Djuric and published in Gradina, Vol. 26, No. 2–3, 1991, Nis, Yugoslavia, pp. 162–179


• introduction (3:43): MP3
• Ron Silliman (1:34:33): MP3
• discussion (40:39): MP3

Segue Series Reading at The Ear Inn, February 15, 1987

1. Opening Comments (2:38): MP3
2. "I am Marion Delgado" (from The Age of Huts) (9:44): MP3
3. last section of "Oz" (from The Alphabet) [pp. 389-407] (26:08): MP3

Complete Reading (38:28): MP3

Politics of Poetic Form reading, The New School, NYC, November 11 1988

• lecture (1:12:23): MP3
• discussion (50:01): MP3

Appearing on Live at the Ear Inn, a compilation from Elemenope Productions, 1994

Segue Series Reading at The Ear Inn, January 29, 1994

1. Introduction (1:08): MP3
2. ® ("Circle R") (from The Alphabet) [pp. 441-456] (35:42): MP3

Complete Reading (36:46): MP3

1. Introduction (3:05): MP3
2. Opening Comments for "Sunset Debris" (3:43): MP3
3. Sunset Debris (29:05): MP3

Complete Reading (35:50): MP3

Question & Answer Session (37:07): MP3

Reading for LIVE at the Writers House, Episode 6, University of Pennsylvania, November 8, 1997

• Excerpt from "Oz" (from The Alphabet) [p. 365) (3:27): MP3
• Philadelphia (2:45): MP3

PhillyTalks Episode #3 with Jeff Derksen, January 21, 1998

1. I [p. 903] (1:23): MP3
2. II [pp. 903-904] (1:30): MP3
3. III [pp. 904-905] (1:23): MP3
4. V [p. 906] (1:42): MP3
5. VI [p. 907] (1:47): MP3
6. VII [pp. 907-908] (2:13): MP3
7. VIII [pp. 908-909] (2:07): MP3
8. XII [p. 912] (1:13): MP3
9. XVIII [pp. 918-919] (2:59): MP3
10. XIX [pp. 919-920] (5:11): MP3
11. XXIII [pp. 924-925] (3:12): MP3

Complete Recording (24:49): MP3

Appearing on A.L. Nielsen's Incognito Lounge, UC Berkeley, May 23, 1989

• from "Toner" (from The Alphabet) [pp. 481-508] (23:34): MP3

Discussion with Jena Osman, Al Filreis, Bob Perelman, and Brian Kim Stefans at the Contemporary Avant-Garde Poetry Symposium at the Kelly Writers House, December 7, 1999

1. describing his current poetic practice (1:56): MP3
2. expressing frustration with the generalization that contemporary experimental poetry is abstract (3:24): MP3
3. on Kenneth Goldsmith's 111 (1:35): MP3
4. on Charles Reznikoff's Testimony (1:10): MP3
5. on what motivates his writing (2:15): MP3
6. on ways of reading (2:11): MP3
7. explaining how he got to write avant-garde style poetry based on his educational background (1:44): MP3
8. on poetry and avant-garde music (0:59): MP3
9. on living as consciously as possible and writing (1:03): MP3
10. the uneven relationship between the writer and reader in the activity of making meaning (1:19): MP3
11. feeling encouraged by the community of readers (0:52): MP3

Reading at SUNY-Buffalo, March 16, 2000

• Introduction (11:02): MP3
• Paradise (from The Alphabet) [pp. 409-431] (1:05:47): MP3

Segue Series Reading at Double Happiness, May 13, 2000

1. Introduction (1:48): MP3
2. Silliman's Introduction (1:18): MP3
from the "You" section of The Alphabet

3. XVII [pp. 917-918] (2:30): MP3
4. XVIII [pp. 918-919] (for Bob and Francie) (2:34): MP3
5. XXVI [pp. 928-929] (0:39): MP3
6. XXXVIII [pp. 941-942] (for Linh Dinh) (2:44): MP3
7. LII [pp. 955-956] (2:30): MP3
From the "VOG" section of The Alphabet
8. Silence of the Looms [pp. 598-599] (5:14): MP3
9. For Larry Eigner; Silent [pp. 607-609] (4:10): MP3
10. Spiderduck [pp. 613-633] (11:59): MP3

Complete Reading (38:22): MP3

Silliman on Williams as part of the "9 Poets Read Themselves through Modernism" event at the Kelly Writers House, October 12, 2000

1. Introduction by Al Filreis (1:17)
2. Introduction by Ron Silliman (1:39)
3. The Desert Music (4:08)
4. The Poet (3:30)
5. To A Dog Injured In The Street (2:12)
6. from Paterson (4:16)
7. from Spring And All (2:53)
8. Untitled work from Crow (3:11)
9. Berkeley (5:31)
10. from Ketjak (2:55)
11. William Carlos Williams reading (2:37)

1. Introduction (2:00): MP3
2. Opening Comments (1:08): MP3
Selections from "VOG," from The Alphabet
3. Of Grammatology [pp. 595] (1:14): MP3
4. Dogs Love Trucks [pp. 708-710] (2:15): MP3
5. Seven Sad Forests [pp. 720] (1:54): MP3
6. (G)hosts [pp. 742-743] (1:14): MP3
7. Woundwood [pp. 735-741] (7:34): MP3

Complete Reading (18:03): MP3 (Reading courtesy of Jack Krick.)

Reading at the Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania September 21, 2004

1. Introduction by Bob Perelman (6:07): MP3
2. Albany (from The Alphabet) [pp. 1-2] (5:55): MP3
3. Quindecagon (from The Alphabet) [pp. 433-440] (9:57): MP3: text, © Ron Silliman 1995, 2004
4. From Xing (from The Alphabet) [pp. 861-882] (20:48) MP3
5. from Vog, "Woundwood" (from The Alphabet) [pp.735-741] (8:07): MP3
6. Discussion (10:05): MP3

Talk at Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, "Theorizing" series, February 23, 2005

• Plotless Prose: Robert Duncan's H.D. Book (1:30:00) MP3

Segue Series Reading at the Bowery Poetry Club, November 19, 2005

1. Introduction (3:43): MP3
2. Silliman's opening comments (3:08): MP3
3. Quindecagon (from The Alphabet) [pp. 433-440] (8:38): MP3
4. Albany (from The Alphabet) [pp. 1-2] (5:26): MP3
5. On Under Albany (1:53): MP3
from Under Albany
6. "If a function of writing is to express the world" (4:40): MP3
7. "A benefit reading" (10:17): MP3
8. "Co-payment" (3:37): MP3

Complete Reading (42:07): MP3

Amy King interviews Ron Silliman on a miPOradio POdcast at Bowery Poetry Club, November 19, 2005

Complete Interview (50:15): MP3

Desert City Reading at Chapel Hill, March 2, 2006

1. Introduction (4:45): MP3
2. Xing (from The Alphabet) [pp. 861-901] (35:08): MP3

Complete Recording (39:48): MP3

Reading at Kutztown State University in PA, March 6, 2006

1. Opening Comments (2:25): MP3
2. Xing (from The Alphabet) [pp. 861-901] (33:06): MP3

Complete Recording (35:41): MP3

MLA Offsite Series Reading in Philadelphia, December 26, 2006

"this April eve you do deceive..." (0:29): MP3

Reading for the Contemporary Writers Series at Mills College, October 2, 2007

1. Introduction by Stephen Ratcliffe (6:10): MP3
2. The Age of Huts (15:10): MP3
3. A Chinese Notebook (7:09): MP3
4. 2197 (10:26): MP3
5. Q&A (15:48): MP3

Complete Reading (58:35) MP3

From A Celebration of George Oppen's 100th Birthday at the Kelly Writers House, April 7, 2008

• "Three Regrets for George Oppen" (7:49): MP3 (read Silliman's essay on his blog)

PoemTalk Podcast #8, discussing Armantrout's "The Way," July 7, 2008

The Alphabet Reading at the Kelly Writers House, February 17, 2009

1. Introduction by Jessica Lowenthal (3:09): MP3
2. Comment by Rachel Blau DuPlessis (10:44): MP3
3. Comment by Charles Bernstein (5:18): MP3
4. Comment by Bob Perelman (4:12): MP3
5. The Alphabet Reading (52:10): MP3
Albany [pp. 1-2] (5:51): MP3
Force [pp. 43-48] (9:55): MP3
from Non [pp. 356-357] (2:35): MP3
from Paradise [pp. 410-411, 425-431] (26:18): MP3
from VOG, "For Larry Eigner, Silent" [pp. 607-609] (6:40): MP3

Complete Recording (1:08:10): MP3
Watch a video recording of this event via KWH-TV

Segue Series Reading at the Bowery Poetry Club, April 4, 2009

Recording (begins midway through) (17:46): MP3

Reading at the Birkbeck Poetics Centre, London, May 5, 2009

Watch the full video

1. opening remarks by Carol Watts (1:35): MP3
2. Quindecagon (from The Alphabet) (12:56): MP3
3. ® ("Circle R") (from The Alphabet) (36:55): MP3
4. Q&A Discussion (9:11): MP3

Appearing on Cross-Cultural Poetics, Episode #195, "The Alphabet/Farout", June 7, 2009

Complete Interview (34:58): MP3

MLA Off-Site Reading at the Rotunda, Philadelphia, December 29, 2009

Silliman's segment ("Low cricket solos") (2:31): MP3

Complete Reading (2:36:46): MP3

Poetry in 1960 - A Symposium at The Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, December 6, 2010

on The Opening of the Field by Robert Duncan (6:42): MP3

Complete program (2:20:13): MP3

"Un-scene, Ur-new: Time, History & Ambition in The Collage Poems of Drafts," Rachel Blau DuPlessis Celebration, Temple University, October 21, 2011

• complete reading (1:01:58): MP3

Reading for the Kelly Writers House Fellows Program, March 19, 2012

1. introduction by Al Filreis (6:32): MP3
2. introduction by Rivky Mondal (6:16): MP3
3. introduction by Jamie-Lee Josselyn (2:14): MP3
4. from Ketjak (14:45): MP3
5. remarks on Ketjak (3:39): MP3
6. Ketjak shadow text (22:09): MP3
7. Q & A (14:19): MP3

• complete reading (1:09:54): MP3

Discussion during the the Kelly Writers House Fellows Program, March 20, 2012

1. spontaneous prose and RS's relationship with "First thought, best thought" as an idea (3:48): MP3
2. obsessiveness in RS's writing (9:37): MP3
3. student responses to reading Ketjak and RS's experience coming out of the first generation of readers who looked at Pound, Williams and Stein together (3:55): MP3
4. the academy and radical pedagogy (10:21): MP3
5. on RS's elegy for Larry Eigner and the line "I WANT SPEECH" in response to Bob Grenier's "I HATE SPEECH" (6:48): MP3
6. RS reading "For Larry Eigner, Silent" (5:32): MP3
7. RS discussing his blog and the decision to disable comments (7:28): MP3
8. the relation between embodiment and disembodiment in RS's work and using numbering systems in writing (7:03): MP3
9. on John Cage's influence (2:57): MP3
10. RS's current relationship to politics and Marxism (7:24): MP3
11. RS's relationship to Ezra Pound (4:34): MP3
12. on work, play and labor (4:53): MP3
13. RS on his grandmother and his first muse (3:59): MP3

Reading from Wharf Hypothesis, 43rd International Poetry Festival, Rotterdam, June 12-17, 2012

complete reading (4:18): MP3

Reading from The Alphabet, Penn State University, October 9, 2012

1. Introduction by A.L. Nielsen (2:54): MP3
2. prefatory comments on The Alphabet (1:58): MP3
3. Albany (7:29): MP3
4. Blue (5:51): MP3
5. Carbon (14:59): MP3
6. For Larry Eigner, Silent [from VOG] (6:43): MP3
7. Seven Sad Forests [from VOG] (1:43): MP3
8. from What (11:13): MP3

• complete reading (56:40): MP3

Reading and discussion of "BART," Kelly Writers House, UPenn, October 25, 2012

1. Ron Silliman reading "BART" (28:38): MP3
2. Group discussion led by Al Filreis (with Ron Silliman, Kristen Martin, Lily Applebaum, Max McKenna, Molly O'Neill, Emily Harnett, Dave Poplar, and Amaris Cuchanski) (42:59): MP3

Convergence on Poetics, University of Washington Bothell, North Creek Events Center, September 27-30, 2012

• Ron Silliman (9:07): MP3
• complete recording (1:55:03): MP3


• listen to the entire event here

• Recording of "Albany," read by Czandra (ModPo Course, Fall 2012) (6:07): MP3
• LEGEND, read by Andrews, Bernstein, DiPalma and Silliman in NYC, March 10, 1981
• Poetry and Empire: Post-Invasion Poetics [Presented at the ICA, University of Pennsylvania, 2003]
      Friday reading, Trouble Ticket (5:32): MP3
      Saturday reading (4:34): MP3
• Discussion with Al Filreis and Bob Perelman after the Bob Cobbing celebration at the Kelly Writers House, October 11, 2007 (5:31): MP3
• Statement made by Rachel Blau DuPlessis for the celebration of Silliman's The Alphabet (February 2009) (10:44): MP3
• Also of note: Video: Birkbeck Poetics Centre, University of London, May 5th 2009
• Discussion with Robert Grenier, Al Filreis, and Bob Perelman on 1959-1964 at the Kelly Writers House, October 27, 2009 (1:16:28) MP3

Ron Silliman on PennSound Daily

• February 23, 2009: "A Celebration of Ron Silliman's The Alphabet at the Kelly Writers House"
• February 15, 2009: "A Celebration of Ron Silliman's The Alphabet at the Kelly Writers House"
• September 29, 2008: "Ron Silliman: New Recordings from 1997, 2003"
• April 1, 2008: "Ron Silliman: Two Recent Segue Readings Segmented"
• July 2, 2010: "Hear New U.S. Poet Laureate, W.S. Merwin, on PennSound"

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the author. © 2004-2009 Ron Silliman. Used with permission of Ron Silliman. Distributed by PennSound.