Lynn Book performing Kurt Schwitter's Ursonate

Ursonate Performance, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, November 5, 2013

1. Introduction to Kurt Schwitters by Paul Bright (3:28): MP3
2. Introduction to Lynn Book's performance by Amy Catanzano (8:40): MP3
3. Performance (38:19): MP3

Transmedia artist Lynn Book performed Kurt Schwitters' Ursonate (1922) in the Charlotte and Philip Hanes Arts Gallery at Wake Forest University in North Carolina on November 5, 2013. This performance marks the rare occasion of a woman publicly performing Schwitters' sound poem, first performed by Book in 1984 at Chicago Filmmakers and more recently at Roulette in New York, though never recorded until now. She is an associate teaching professor and associate director at Wake Forest teaching interdisciplinary creativity and developing projects for the Program of Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. She is also a graduate advisor for Transart Institute, an international program in contemporary arts practice. Her performance of the Ursonate was part of the Letterforming exhibition, curated by Hanes Art Gallery Director Paul Bright and Assistant Director Marcus Keely. Book's performance was first introduced by Paul Bright, who discusses dada and Schwitters' stake in hybridity as an artist. Amy Catanzano, who serves as poet-in-residence, an assistant professor, and director of the Creative Writing Program at Wake Forest, then discusses the Ursonate in relation to historical and contemporary movements in poetry and introduces Lynn Book to the audience. Lynn Book's Performance Art students participated in parts of the performance from the audience. The Letterforming exhibition and this performance was sponsored by Wake Forest's Humanities Institute, Department of English, Program in Interdisciplinary Studies, Writing Program, and Interdisciplinary Performance and the Liberal Arts Center.

Lynn Book and Amy Catanzano are interviewed for NPR News and Triad Arts on 88.5 WFDD, hosted by David Ford, about Kurt Schwitters' Ursonate, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, November 1, 2013

• Complete Recording (12:27): MP3

Amy Catanzano and Lynn Book, Post-interview conversation about Kurt Schwitters' Ursonate, onsite at NPR News and Triad Arts, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, November 1, 2013

• Complete Recording (25:33): MP3

Full list of other performances of Ursonate

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the author. © 2012 the respective authors. Used with the permission of the respective authors. Distributed by PennSound.