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Selections from the Key West Literary Seminar


Since its birth in 1983, the Key West Literary Seminar has been dedicated to the celebration of the written word and the support of American writers. Each January the Seminar explores a different literary theme through lectures, panel presentations, readings, informal gatherings, and discussions. Audio recording of the Seminar began in 1988; production for the web began in 2007.

Follow the accompanying links for more information on each reading from Littoral: the online voice of the Key West Literary Seminar


John Ashbery

Lecture on Elizabeth Bishop, 2003 (12:04): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

Reading from Chinese Whispers, 2003 (25:03): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

  1. Nice Presentation (3:20): MP3
  2. Disagreeable Glimpses (5:50): MP3
  3. Theme Park Days (1:54): MP3
  4. Why Not Sneeze? (1:06): MP3
  5. View of Delft (1:13): MP3
  6. The Lightning Conductor (2:25): MP3
  7. I Asked Mr. Dithers Whether It Was Time Yet He Said No to Wait (1:11): MP3
  8. Local Legend (2:49): MP3
  9. Runway (1:40): MP3
  10. The Business of Falling Asleep (2) (3:24): MP3

James Tate

Complete reading, 2003 (21:04): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

  1. Of Whom Am I Afraid (1:43): MP3
  2. A Sound Like Distant Thunder (2:48): MP3
  3. The Animists (2:18): MP3
  4. The Rally (3:20): MP3
  5. Silver Queen (2:00): MP3
  6. The Rules (4:05): MP3
  7. The Special Guest (4:33): MP3

Charles Simic

Complete reading, 2003 (7:32): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

  1. The White Room (3:00): MP3
  2. Mirrors at 4 a.m. (2:06): MP3
  3. The Friends of Heraclitus (2:21): MP3

Forrest Gander

Complete reading, 2003 (19:59): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

  1. Present Tense (9:28): MP3
  2. Someone Must Be Called Twilight (4:19): MP3
  3. To Live Without Solace (2:54): MP3
  4. To the Reader (3:01): MP3

CD Wright

Complete reading, taken from One Big Self (15:54): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

Robert Creeley

Creeley reads Charles Olson's "Maximus, to Gloucester," Key West Literary Seminar, 2003 - (more information at Littoral)

  • Complete recording (5:15) MP3

Meghan O'Rourke

Complete reading, 2008 (15:44): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

  1. Peep-Show (1:06): MP3
  2. Sleep (1:42): MP3
  3. Descent (2:06): MP3
  4. Spectacular (2:33): MP3
  5. Inventing a Horse (1:44): MP3
  6. Halflife (1:01): MP3
  7. Troy (1:42): MP3
  8. Ariadne (1:46): MP3
  9. Grief (0:36): MP3
  10. Hunt (1:15): MP3

Maggie Nelson

Reading from Something Bright, Then Holes, 2008 (15:10): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

  1. The Mute Story of November (4:46): MP3
  2. The Halo over the Hospital (10:20): MP3

Reading from Jane: a Murder and The Red Parts (26:38): MP3 - (more information at Littoral)

  1. introduction by Robert Richardson (3:44): MP3
  2. Nelson's introductory comments (2:16): MP3
  3. from The Light of the Mind (Four Dreams) (1:18): MP3
  4. Spirit (0:29): MP3
  5. The Gift (1:40): MP3
  6. Crank Calls (0:40): MP3
  7. The Gap (0:48): MP3
  8. discussing and reading from The Red Parts (10:44): MP3
  9. Q&A (4:50): MP3

Tina Chang

Complete reading, 2008 (18:23): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)


KWLS Audio Archives, Clearing the Sill of the World, 2010

  1. Rita Dove, How Does A Shadow Shine?, 2010 (34:59): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)
  2. Matthea Harvey, 2010 (16:05): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)
  3. Jane Hirshfield, 2010 (16:09): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)
  4. Paul Muldoon, The Borderline, 2010 (21:47): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)
  5. Kay Ryan, 2010 (26:50): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)
  6. Mark Strand, 2010 (33:53): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)
  7. Natasha Trethewey, 2010 (17:57): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)
  8. Richard Wilbur, 2010 (18:10): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)
  9. Harvey Shapiro, 2010 (32:44): MP3 - (more information on Littoral)


The Key West Literary Seminar on PennSound Daily



These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only.
© 2008 the respective poets and the Key West Literary Seminar. All rights reserved. Distributed by PennSound.