Charles Bernstein is a preeminent American poet, theorist, and literary scholar, recognized as a central figure within the Language poets movement. His work delves deeply into the nature of language, exploring its structures and expressive potential. Bernstein interrogates the boundaries of poetry and theoretical reflection with an unerring sense of innovation. His writing offers readers a provocative engagement with the very fabric of communication and artistic creation.
This retrospective explores the life and work of a groundbreaking American poet, highlighting their innovative contributions to literature. Through a curated selection of poems and critical essays, the collection delves into the poet's unique style, themes, and impact on contemporary poetry. Readers will gain insight into the creative process and the cultural context that shaped the poet's voice, making it an essential read for poetry enthusiasts and scholars alike.
The poems of Recalculating take readers on a journey through the history and poetics of the decades since the end of the Cold War as seen through the lens of social and personal turbulence and tragedy.
Praised in recent years as a “calculating, improvisatory, essential poet” by Daisy Fried in the New York Times, Charles Bernstein is a leading voice in American literary theory. Pitch of Poetry is his irreverent guide to modernist and contemporary poetics. Subjects range across Holocaust representation, Occupy Wall Street, and the figurative nature of abstract art. Detailed overviews of formally inventive work include essays on—or “pitches” for—a set of key poets, from Gertrude Stein and Robert Creeley to John Ashbery, Barbara Guest, Larry Eigner, and Leslie Scalapino. Bernstein also reveals the formative ideas behind the magazine L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E. The final section, published here for the first time, is a sweeping work on the poetics of stigma, perversity, and disability that is rooted in the thinking of Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and William Blake. Pitch of Poetry makes an exhilarating case for what Bernstein calls echopoetics: a poetry of call and response, reason and imagination, disfiguration and refiguration.
The Sophist showcases Bernstein's versatility in subject matter and style, contrasting diverse poetic approaches. This exploration challenges the intrinsic value of various forms and sets a precedent for his future works, such as My Way and With Strings. Through this pivotal book, Bernstein develops a model that reflects his innovative literary vision.
Bernstein takes art as its theme, reflecting on a number of paintings-which are reproduced here in color.
Exploring the turbulence of contemporary life, this collection features a diverse array of poems that blend traditional and innovative forms, including horoscopes, elegies, and slapstick humor. Bernstein's work addresses themes of the body politic and individual experiences during the pandemic, showcasing collaborations with artists and referencing a wide range of literary voices. The collection's mix of pathos, comedy, and wit creates a thought-provoking landscape that serves as both a reflection and a form of resistance in challenging times.
Focusing on innovative poetry, this collection of essays presents case studies and strategies that equip readers to engage with challenging texts. The authors explore various approaches to understanding and appreciating the complexities of modern poetry, providing valuable insights for both seasoned readers and newcomers alike.
Exploring the radical poetics of invention, this work by Charles Bernstein spans over four decades of experimental poetry. It combines poetry with essays on aesthetics, interviews with fellow poets, and autobiographical sketches, reflecting a rich dialogue on literary expression. Amidst contemporary challenges to humanistic expression, Bernstein employs a polemical and humorous style to assert the vitality of poetry and poetics, making it a multifaceted contribution to literary criticism and artistic discourse.
Addresses the state of contemporary humanities, the teaching of unconventional forms, fresh approaches to translation, the history of language media, and the connections between poetry and visual art.
Preis der Stadt Münster für Internationale Poesie 2015 an Charles Bernstein und seine deutschen Übersetzer
Anlässlich der Verleihung des Preises für Internationale Poesie der Stadt Münster 2015 an den amerikanischen Lyriker Charles Bernstein, an das Versatorium und an Tobias Amslinger, Norbert Lange, Léonce W. Lupette und Mathias Traxler werden hier ausgewählte Gedichte, Aufsätze und Rezensionen vorgestellt.