Lydia Davis

PoemTalk #18, discussing Davis' "A Position at the University," June 9, 2009

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

Fellows Brunch at the Kelly Writers House, April 25, 2017

Complete Recording (1:03:49): MP3

1. Introduction by Al Filres (6:09): MP3
2. A mown lawn (1:41): MP3
3. Discussing "a mown lawn" (2:46): MP3
4. Suddenly afraid (0:36): MP3
5. Davis discusses the theme of memory loss in her poetry (2:27): MP3
6. Almost no memory (1:29): MP3
7. Discussing "almost no memory" (5:16): MP3
8. Writing (1:44): MP3
9. Discussing "writing" (0:58): MP3
10. In the train station (1:15): MP3
11. Discussing "in the train station" (5:22): MP3
12. Her mother's mother (2:00): MP3
13. Discussing "her mother's mother" (6:25): MP3
14. Discussing "how shall I mourn them?" (2:36): MP3
15. How shall I mourn them? (4:55): MP3

Q&A with Lydia Davis (34:11): MP3

1. Davis on the detail and length of her poetry (5:18): MP3
2. Davis on writing in French (1:53): MP3
3. Davis on writing "a few things wrong with me" and on publishing personal material (4:27): MP3
4. Davis on how she creates characters from objects (3:28): MP3
5. Davis on how she became a writer (3:13): MP3

Protected link to Fellows Reading, April 24, 2017: MP4 [this recording will become publicly available in 2019]

Reading for the Second Annual Bob Lucid Memorial Program in Fiction, Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, April 7, 2010

Complete Recording (59:51): MP3

1. Introduction (1:07): MP3
2. French Lesson One: Le Meurtre (14:16): MP3
3. Once a Very Stupid Man (7:10): MP3
4. Coachman and the Worm (4:13): MP3
5. Excerpt from Davis' Observations about Cows (6:44): MP3
6. The Song (1:42): MP3
7. The Sentence and the Young Man (1:12): MP3
8. The Piano (0:37): MP3
9. At the Bank (1:08): MP3
10. At the Bank 2 (0:58): MP3
11. Händel (1:37): MP3
12. The Dog Hair (0:39): MP3
13. Judgment (0:16): MP3
14. Can't and Won't (0:42): MP3
15. Sitting with my Little Friend (0:14): MP3
16. Housekeeping Observation (0:10): MP3
17. The Lanugage Use of the Telephone Company (0:14): MP3
18. Bloomington (0:11): MP3
19. PHD (0:32): MP3

Complete Interview (15:25): MP3

1. On Her Favorite Volume of Proust (1:37): MP3
2. On Translating to French (0:42): MP3
3. On What Lessons She Wishes to Impart to Her Students (1:38): MP3
4. On the Use of Cows in Her Writing (2:00): MP3
5. On Writing About Dreams (1:39): MP3
6. On Writer's Block (1:25): MP3
7. On Her Experience with the Gardner Fellowship (2:05): MP3
8. On Her Book of French Lessons (MP3
9. On Writing about Personal Events (2:57): MP3

Appearing on Cross Cultural Poetics #157, "Varieties Of," January 27, 2008

• Complete program (28:13): MP3

Appearing on Cross Cultural Poetics #100, "How Remember," 2006

• Complete program (28:08): MP3

Reading for the Belladonna* Series, NYC, March 28, 2003

Complete recording (30:23): MP3

"Literature in Translation" at the Kelly Writers House, October 22, 2003

• Complete talk (24:04): MP3
• Q&A session (including Edith Grossman) (29:20): MP3


• Complete recording (1:18:39): MP3

Reading at Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, March 30, 1999

1. Introduction (3:38)
2. A Position at the University [text]
3. Jack in the Country (1:49)
4. Foucault and Pencil (4:07)
5. The Mice (3:18)
6. Working Men (1:27)
7. A Mown Lawn (2:26)
8. New Year's Resolution (2:25)
9. Varieties of Disturbance (3:59)
10. The Impetus was Delight (28:51)

"A Position at the University" is also featured on PoemTalk Episode 18.

Reading and Interview at SUNY-Buffalo, April 12 - 13, 1995

1. End of the Story Reading with Introduction by Charles Bernstein (48:26): MP3 (Slight gap where tape was turned at 45 minutes.)
2. Interview by Charles Bernstein with Susan Howe (48:08): MP3 (Slight gap where tape was turned at 45 minutes.)

Segue Series Reading at the Ear Inn, New York, January 24, 1987

• Complete Reading (29:38): MP3

St. Mark's Talks, November 11, 1985

• the talks by Robert Glück and Lydia Davis were not recorded


• Nick Piombino (27:21): MP3
• discussion (1:20:30): MP3

Segue Series Reading at the Ear Inn, New York, November 10, 1984

1. The Letter
2. The Dog Man
3. The Mice
4. In a House Besieged
5. What She Knew
6. The Fish
7. Cockroaches in Autumn
8. The Bone
9. The Suck
10. The Fears of Mrs. Orlando

Segue Series Reading at the Ear Inn, New York, November 12, 1983

• Complete Reading (47:42): MP3

Reading with Jean Echenoz with Translation by Linda Coverdale, 92Y Readings, April 17, 2014

Video recording from YouTube

Lydia Davis on PennSound Daily

• June 12, 2009: "PoemTalk 18: Lydia Davis' 'A Position at the University'"

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the author. © 2017 Lydia Davis. Used with permission of Lydia Davis. Distributed by PennSound.