Kenneth Goldsmith

The Digerati Strike Back

It was bound to happen: based on Paul Zukofsky’s recent draconian copyright comments, the digerati have struck back and posted a fully indexed, OCR’d PDF of A.

10.25.09 PERMALINK | COMMENTS (55)

Kenneth Goldsmith

Conceptualism, Identity Politics & Globalization: A Response

The following is a response to “Arif Khan,” who took issues with my introduction to the Flarf & Conceptual Writing feature, in particular with my statement “Identity, for one, is up for grabs. Why use your own words when you can express yourself just as well by using someone else’s?” Mr. Khan stated, “Any one who claims to be above their identity is, of course, a liar. Much of this subjectless/agentless identity talk is performed by white, middle class folks who have nothing better to do with their time. It is really more of the white, transcendental ego marking identities as it elusively escapes interrogating its own presence.”

You can read my introduction and Mr. Khan’s comments in their context and entirety here.

—-

Arif,

The identity politics battles of the past twenty years have done wonders and have given voice to many that have been denied. And there is still so much work to be done: so many voices are still marginalized and ignored. It’s a long road ahead and every effort must be made to be made to ensure that those who have something to say have a place to say it and an audience to hear it. The importance of this work cannot be underestimated.

Identity is a slippery thing and no single approach can nail it. Also, citing the need for difference, we’re never going to feel the same way on anything — a good thing. We all come from different places and circumstances, which is something to be celebrated. To be prescriptive or to make generalizations regarding circumstances of economies, classes, religions and races is counterproductive.

I really don’t think that there’s a stable or essential “me.” I am an amalgamation of so many things: books I’ve read, movies I’ve seen, televisions shows I’ve watched, all the exchange and sharing of thoughts during conversations with people — the melding of our minds, the song lyrics I’ve heard, the lovers I’ve loved. The discussion that we’re having right now is changing and challenging who I thought I was profoundly. And for that I’m grateful.

In fact, I’m a creation of many people and many ideas to the point where I feel that I’ve actually had very few original thoughts and ideas; to think that any of this was original would be blindingly egotistical. Sometimes I’ll think that I’ve had an original thought or feeling and then, at 2 a.m. while watching an old movie on TV that I hadn’t seen in many years, the protagonist will spout something that I had previously claimed as my own. In other words, I took his words (which, of course, weren’t really “his words” at all), internalized them and made them my own. This happens all the time.

07.09.09 PERMALINK | COMMENTS (47)

Kenneth Goldsmith

UbuWeb Featured Resources: David Toop & Pauline Oliveros

UbuWeb Featured Resources, May 2009
Selected by David Toop

1. Henri Michaux: Images du Monde Visionnaire
2. Yves Klein: Anthropometries of the Blue Period & Fire Paintings
3. Jacques Lacan: Télévision
4. Yukio Mishima: Rite of Love and Death
5. Chris Marker, John Chapman & Frank Simeone: Junkopia
6. Ethnopoetics: Canntaireachd – Earl of Seaforth’s Salute
7. Ethnopoetics: Slim and Slam – ‘African Jive’
8. La Monte Young: Drift Study 31 1 69, Aspen 8, item 5.
9. J.G. Ballard: Shanghai Jim
10. Group Ongaku: Automatism

David Toop is a musician/composer, writer and curator. More here.

UbuWeb Featured Resources, April 2009
Selected by Pauline Oliveros

1. Billy Bang – “Daydreams”
2. Guy Klucevsek – “Clairvoyant”
3. Mauricio Kagel – Antithese
4. Tehching Hsieh (b. 1950) – One Year Performance, No. 2 (1980-81)
5. Her Noise – The Making Of
6. Terry Fox – Children’s Tapes
7. Glenn Gould – Karlheinz Klopweisser Promo for CBC
8. Sainkho Namtchylak – Roulette TV
9. John Baldessari- Baldessari Sings Lewitt

Pauline Oliveros (b. 1932) is an accordionist and composer who was a central figure in the development of post-war electronic art music. Oliveros was a founding member of the San Francisco Tape Music Center in the 1960s, and served as its director. She has taught music at Mills College, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Oliveros has written books, formulated new music theories and investigated new ways to focus attention on music including her concepts of Deep Listening and “sonic awareness”. More here.

05.06.09 PERMALINK | COMMENTS (2)

Kenneth Goldsmith

UbuWeb Featured Resources February 2009 – Selected by Dennis Cooper

UbuWeb Featured Resources:
February 2009
Selected by Dennis Cooper
1. Alexander Kluge ‘Brutality in Stone (Yesterday Goes on Forever)’
2. Ryan Trecartin ‘I-Be AREA’
3. Alain Robbe-Grillet ‘Jealousy’
4. Douglas Huebler ‘Variable Piece 4 New York City: Secrets’ [PDF]
5. Tellus #15: The Improvisors
6. Rene Ricard ‘Rene Ricard famous at 20′
7. Chris Burden ‘Documentation of Selected Works 1971-74′
8. Claude Simon ‘Properties of Several Geometric and Non-Geometric Figures’
9. Glenn Branca/The Static ‘The Static’
10. Terayama Shuji ‘Experimental Image World Vol. 1′
Dennis Cooper is the author of eight novels, most recently ‘The Sluts’ and ‘God Jr.’ (both 2005). With the French director Gisele Vienne, he has co-created theater five works, most recently ‘Jerk’ (2007). He’s a Contributing Editor of Artforum, and editor of the publishing imprint Little House on the Bowery/Akashic Books. His blog is here.

02.24.09 PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS

Kenneth Goldsmith

The Inaugurable Poem Remixes

People Like Us “An Induction Is A Draft Is A Gust Of Air” (video version)

1. PLU + RIAA “A Golden Induction”
   
2. People Like Us “An Induction Is A Draft Is A Gust Of Air”
   
3. People Like Us “Adjournment-Poem”
   
4. Fatty Jubbo “Histrionic Inaugural Poem”
   
5. Fatty Jubbo “Elizabeth Claire Prophet Inauguration”
   
6. Fatty Jubbo “Riveting Inaugural Poem”
   
7. Fatty Jubbo “A Precious Poem”
   
8. Cy Kottick Channels Jackie Mason Channelling Elizabeth Alexander
   
9. Nick The Bard “Heavy Metal Inaugural Poem”
   
10. Volunteer Gordon “Pathetic Inaugural Poem”
    
11. Reverend Hellbound Alleee “Inauguration Poem”
    
12. Rokhausen “Praise-Song For Tomorrow”
    
13. Sick To The Back Teeth “Take Out Your Boom”
    
14. Sick To The Back Teeth “All at Once”
    
15. Jonathan Wall “Some Someone Someone Someone Something Somewhere”
    
16. Dogwater “Praise Song All About Us”
    
17. Suzie Crews “Inaugural Poem”
    
18. Big Kitty “Praise Sawng”
    
19. DJ Bidet Spret and Rokhausen “Praise Songsmith Slumber Ball Mix”
    
20. The Ubu Orchestra “Inaugural Poem Revisited”
    
21. Nat Roe “Song of a Praise”
    
22. James Urbaniak “What If”
    
23. Giant Pygmy “Inaugural Poem (This National Grievance”
    
24. Raging Horn “The Swearing in Poem (Burnt Bacon Right Remix)”
    
25. Babs Toyfish “I Need to See What’s On The Other Side or Inaugural Cough”
    
26. Godxiliary “0 Cliffnote-Sum”
    
27. Godxiliary “1 Cassettegirl-Ko”
    
28. Godxiliary “2 Mikrosophst and Cassettegirl Make Love”
    
29. Godxiliary “3 Cliffnote Synopsis”
    
30. Godxiliary “4 Robot”
    
31. Godxiliary ” 5 Cliffnote Selections”
    
32. Gwilly Edmondez “Inaugural Poems One”
    
33. Gwilly Edmondez “Inaugural Poems Two”
    
34. Gwilly Edmondez “Inaugural Poems Three”
    
35. Paid in Puke “Inauguration 4 The Beat Generation”
    
36. DJ Man Rich “Praise Sitting in a Room”
    
37. Tommy Mackay “Everybody’s Heard About The Words”
    
38. Babs Toyfish “Reconsider A Widening Pool of Light”
    
39. Pflaphpschoen “Sparklesharp”
    
40. Pflaphpschoen “All About Us Is Noise”
    
41. norelpref “Wait A Minute”
    
42. norelpref “Someone is Trying to Make Music Somewhere”
    
43. norelpref “A Side of Ham is Love”
    
44. I Am A Robot “Poem”
    
45. Easy EW “Praise Song Praise Song”
    
46. Dogwater “Last Minute Speechwriter”
    
47. Daniel Konig “Elizabeth Alexander = Log Lady from Twin Peaks”
    
48. Brian Joseph Davis “The First Ten Words”
    
49. Webhamster Henry “Roses”
    
50. Nosnibor “Lettuce”
    
51. TriFocal “Praise Song For The Day (Cinderblock Dumbbell Mix)”
    
    
    

01.27.09 PERMALINK | COMMENTS (2)

Kenneth Goldsmith

It’s Always a Bad Time For Poetry

On the evening of Rosh Hashana this past fall, I sat listening to my stockbroker and lawyer cousins freak out that the stock market had just dropped nearly 800 points that day. They were sweating bullets as I sat quietly and listened. When the conversation came around to me, I shrugged and quoting Brecht, stated that it’s always bad time for poetry. In the United States, it was lousy during the boom and promises to be lousy during the bust. It was crappy to be a poet during the Bush years and will most certainly remain crappy under Obama.

01.13.09 PERMALINK | COMMENTS (99)