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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)



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)
    The Mute Story of November (4:46): MP3
    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

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.