C.S. Giscombe

WHAT I SAY Panel on innovative African American Poetry at the American Literature Association, San Francisco, CA, May 27, 2016

Featuring Tyrone Williams, C.S. Giscombe, Fred Moten, giovanni singleton

Complete panel discussion (1:10:30): MP3

WHAT I SAY Anthology Reading at AWP, Los Angeles, CA, March 31, 2016

1. Introduction (0:36): Reading by C.S. Giscombe
2. Where I Lost It (0:36): MP3
3. From the Northnermost Road (0:54): MP3
4. Three Dues (1:02): MP3
5. Excerpts from "Camp Town" (3:14): MP3

• Complete Giscombe reading (6:27): MP3
• Complete reading by all authors (1:54:16): MP3

Reading for Heatstrings, at Alan Golding's Home, Louisville, KY, February 20, 2016

• From his poem "Camp Town" (3:48): MP3

Reading for Heatstrings at WHAT I SAY Roundtable, Louisville, KY, February 19, 2016

1. Giscombe's Introduction (0:53): MP3
2. Introductory Note from "Border Towns" (3:38): MP3
3. Introductory Note from the "What I Say Anthology" (2:46): MP3
4. Duncanson's View of Cincinatti, Ohio from Covington, Kentucky (0:55): MP3
5. 1981 (1:04): MP3
6. Afro Prairy (0:39): MP3
7. Three Dreams (1:01): MP3
8. A Cornet at Night (1:12): MP3

• Complete Giscombe reading (13:56): Complete Reading
• Complete recording of the roundtable (1:11:10): MP3

CFUR Fireside Chats, hosted by Geoff Dickieson, University of Northern British Columbia, October 16, 2012

Cecil Giscombe discusses his views on art, poetry, culture and society as well as reading from his book Prairie Style. The musical intro and outro are Nat King Cole's version of the classic folk song "Nature Boy" which is mentioned by Cecil in the interview. Interview begins at 2:00 and ends at 45:00.

• Complete program (47:26): MP3

1. Introduction (9:37): MP3
2. Introduction (Giscombe) (5:18): MP3
3. 1962 (2:24): MP3
4. Very Recent Past (0:46): MP3
5. 3 Ideas About the Future (2:21): MP3
6. 1962 At The Edge Of Town (1:23): MP3
7. Introduction to "Prairie Style" (2:26): MP3
8. Downstate (0:39): MP3
9. Vernacular Examples (0:48): MP3
10. I-70 Between Dayton and East St. Louis, Westbound Lanes (1:11): MP3
11. Cry Me A River (0:28): MP3
12. Light, Bright, Etc. (1:05): MP3
13. A Cornet At Night (1:25): MP3

• Complete reading (32:35): MP3


• (courtesy of A.L. Nielsen / Heatstrings)

Reading at the Elliston Poetry Room, University of Cincinnati, November 20, 2009

• Introduction by Don Bogen (7:06): MP3
• Giscombe's opening comments (3:47): MP3


• from Practical Geography (an unpublished early manuscript)
• Five Dreams (4:00): MP3
• 1980 (1:27): MP3
• Christmas 1981 (1:38): MP3


• from Here (Dalkey Archive Press, 1994)
• discussing Here and the series, "Blue Hole, Flood Waters, Little Miami River" (2:53): MP3
• Dayton, OH 50s/60s (4:08): MP3
• from "To James Wright" (3:17): MP3
• Look Ahead — Look South: (1978 Itself) (1:21): MP3
• Look Ahead — Look South: (1962 At the End of Town) (1:16): MP3


• from Giscombe Road (Dalkey Archive Press, 1998)
• Discussing Giscombe Road (2:21): MP3
• Intraductory quotes and a note on the cover (2:05): MP3
• Sound Carries (6:20): MP3


• from Prairie Style (Dalkey Archive Press, 2008)
• Downstate (2:00): MP3
• Vernacular Examples (0:45): MP3
• I-70 Between Dayton and East Saint Louis, Westbound Lanes (0:58): MP3
• Cry Me a River (0:32): MP3
• Palaver (0:57): MP3
• A Train at Night (2:03): MP3
• Prairie Style (1:43): MP3
• Nature Boy (1:04): MP3
• Light, Bright, Etc. (1:23): MP3
• A Cornet at Night (1:09): MP3


• Complete reading (56:45): MP3

On A Voice Box, SPD Open House, Berkeley, December 1, 2007

From Cross-Cultural Poetics, Episode #152, "Iphigenia and Other Dramas," November 11, 2007

• "Republican National Convention" (1:10): MP3

Reading as part of the Line Reading Series, September 24, 2002

1. Introduction (1:29): MP3
2. Favorite Haunt (1:57): MP3
3. Fever (2:14): MP3
4. A Train At Night (2:00): MP3
5. Prairie Style (1:47): MP3
6. Nature Boy (1:43): MP3
7. Ballad Values (0:34): MP3
8. Indianapolis, Indiana (8:38): MP3
9. The Negro in Indiana (0:52): MP3
10. Wild Cards (0:49): MP3
11. The Traveling Public (5:17): MP3

Complete reading (30:31): MP3

Reading on PhillyTalks Episode #18, February 2, 2001

1. Rejected by the New Yorker (3:28): MP3
2. Section One of Giscombe Road (1:51): MP3
3. Sound Carries (5:50): MP3
4. Untitled (7:55): MP3
5. Prairie Style (1:43): MP3
6. Train at Night (1:46): MP3
7. Complete program (also featuring Barry McKinnon) (1:01:45): MP3

Segue Series Reading at Double Happiness, December 16, 2000

1. Introduction (2:24): MP3
2. Introduciton to "Giscombe Road" (2:57): MP3
3. Sound Carries (5:43): MP3
4. Over the Edge (2:30): MP3
5. Introduction to "Into and Out of Dislocation" (3:07): MP3
6. From "Into and Out of Dislocation (5:54): MP3
7. Far Inland (2:20): MP3
8. Favorite Haunt (1:31): MP3
9. Two Directions (1:35): MP3
10. Fever (1:50): MP3
11. Voodoo-Dick (1:20): MP3
12. Afro-Prairie (0:54): MP3
13. A Train at Night (1:48): MP3

Complete reading (35:18): MP3

Expanding the Repertoire: Continuity and Change in African-American Writing, Participating in Panel Discussions at Small Press Traffic, April 2000

• Panel 1 (2:14:40): MP3
• Panel 2 (1:36:39): MP3
• Panel 3 (1:54:33): MP3

Recordings courtesy of David Buuck, who has dedicated an issue of his journal Tripwire to the conference.

Appearing on Cross-Cultural Poetics, Episode #41, "How We Move"

Complete program (1:00:23): MP3

C. S. Giscombe and Joan Retallack reading, St. Mark’s Church, NY, May 13, 1998

Recorded on audiocassette. Recording hosted by the Library of Congress.

1. Side A (47:46): link
2. Side B (48:05): link

• Complete recording (10:12): MP3

1. Introduction (2:12): MP3
2. Source (& Mouth) (1:54): MP3
3. Three Gentlemen (1:34): MP3
4. Northern Roads (0:48): MP3
5. The History of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Formerly New Caledonia (0:58): MP3
6. Northern Road Version Two (4:17): MP3
7. Giscombe, B.C. (1:39): MP3
8. Notes for Barry McKinnon (1:53): MP3
9. The Skeena (0:50): MP3
10. Northern Roads (Alternate Version) (1:00): MP3
11. Nearing Town (1:19): MP3

Complete recording (18:45): MP3

Recorded by Chris Funkhouser

Also on PennSound:

MLA Offsite Readings, 2004 & 2007

C.S. Giscombe on PennSound Daily

• June 4, 2010: "C.S. Giscombe: Two New Recordings"
• November 10, 2008: "Spahr and Giscombe at Double Happiness, 2000"

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only.
© 2016 C.S. Giscombe. All rights reserved. Distributed by PennSound.