Flarf, Arf, Arf, Arf! (Part 1) April 13, 2010: Kenneth Goldsmith has argued (in his essay at Harriet) that, for the avant-garde of the new millennium, Flarf constitutes a Dionysian aesthetic, whereas Conceptualism constitutes an Apollonian aesthetic (both of which respond with urgency to the technologies of the digital economy). During the panel entitled “Flarf and Conceptual Poetry” at [...] by Christian Bök

A Few Canadian Comments about the AWP Conference April 7, 2010: The AWP Conference begins today, and like many of you, I am attending sessions in Denver, appearing alongside friends on a panel about the poetics of Flarf and Conceptualism. Since the first appearance of the AWP Conference in Vancouver (2005), I have been contributing to such events over the last six years, and within the first two years of my [...] by Christian Bök

Piracy in the Office April 6, 2010: Kenneth Goldsmith (in his article dated 10 Apr 2010) remarks that “[t]he office is the next frontier of writing”—and with this claim, he extends his infamous argument that, within the corporatized, technocratic spaces of the modern milieu, the act of poetry itself has now become little more than an automated procedure, not much different [...] by Christian Bök

Cheers and Thanks February 27, 2008: ----------------- Hello, everyone. Just writing to say that this entry constitutes my 60th post—and, alas, today marks the end of my contract at Harriet. I have enjoyed the bavardage with all of you—and for the last six months, I have very much appreciated the opportunity to provoke my readership more directly in dialogue. I certainly hope [...] by Christian Bök

Late Review 04 February 26, 2008: ----------------- 1. Write for skimmers 2. Write for peckers 3. Filter, impose, trespass 4. Include a link to the Code 5. Think hyper 6. Think branding 7. Think icon 8. Tell your visitor where to go "How to Write for the Internet" in Human Resources by Rachel Zolf Coach House Books, 2007 ----------------- (more...) by Christian Bök

Late Review 03 February 22, 2008: ----------------- "A new weapon in the war against explosions: EXPLOSIONS! Hearing aids may explode!" from "Watch for Exploding Cells" in Fake Math by Ryan Fitzpatrick Snare Books, 2007 ----------------- (more...) by Christian Bök

Late Review 02 February 20, 2008: ----------------- "juicy baby rubber fist red jawbreaker gluts opera-mouthed palate heaves lip popper sloppy baby gurgle slick gloam limpid" "Ballgag" in Thumbscrews by Natalie Zina Walschots Snare Books, 2007 ----------------- (more...) by Christian Bök

Late Review 01 February 19, 2008: ----------------- "Bad abba the endgame. In- seminal doomdom alert: pueblo naturans or else. But the breadcrumbs are gone, and the story goes on, and how haply an ending no nextwise has shown us, nor known." from "Tale" in Yesno by Dennis Lee Anansi Press, 2007 ----------------- (more...) by Christian Bök

Random Poetry 08 February 18, 2008: ----------------- "Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly? Now is the time that face should form another; Nature's bequest gives nothing but doth lend, Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother. For where is she so fair whose unear'd womb By unions married, do offend thine ear, Making a famine where abundance lies, And threescore year [...] by Christian Bök

Late Past the Post February 12, 2008: Reginald Shepherd has proposed a definition for the term "post-avant poetry"—a term bandied about by poets without much consensus about its alleged referent, so I do not envy him his task, even though his definition has provided a scaffold for much subsequent discussion. Despite the currency of the term, I must confess that, since encountering [...] by Christian Bök