American Women — Poetry

  • Performing poets: a benefit reading at the St. Mark’s Poetry Project, October 1975

    On October 29, 1975, WBAI taped the Rinpoche Benefit Poetry Reading at St. Mark’s Church in NYC. This program includes excerpts from the performances of Michael Brownstein, William Burroughs, Patti Smith and Anne Waldman. The emcee is Maureen Owen. Program was produced by Charles Ruas and recorded by Tom Perotti.

  • A memorial for Muriel Rukeyser: readings and performances by Chaikin and Peaslee

    A memorial program for poet and activist Muriel Rukeyser (1913-1980). Joseph Chaikin (1935-2003), theater director and actor, reads Rukeyser’s poems. And at the end, three of Rukeyser’s poems are set to music, composed by Richard Peaslee and sung by Alexandra Hughes.

  • St. Mark’s Poetry Project: 1976 New Year’s day (Parts 1 and 2 only)

    Recording of the annual benefit performance for the St. Mark’s Poetry Project on January 1, 1976. There are three parts, though the archives has only Parts One and Two. Part One performers include Paul McCandless on tabla; Ed Sanders; John Cage; Robert Wilson and Christopher Knowles; Anne Waldman; Victor Bockris reads “Phone Numbers” and William…

  • Thor’s hammer: March 29, 1980- Marilyn Hacker

    Marie Ponsot (1923 – ) interviews Marilyn Hacker (1942 – ), who reads poems from her new book, Taking Notice (Alfred A. Knopf, 1980). Program supported in part through a Creative Arts Public Service grant given to Marilyn Hacker by the New York State Council on the Arts. Produced by Wesley Brown and Marie Ponsot.…

  • Manhattan Theatre Club poetry cabaret

    This is a recording of the Manhattan Theatre Club’s “Writers in performance” series, introduced by its director, Janet Sternberg. The program features The Poetry Cabaret, which combines poetry and prose in performance with jazz. Writers on this recording are Wesley Brown; Alan Ziegler; Alexis De Veaux and Gwendolen Hardwick accompanied by saxophonist Charles Tyler and…

  • Women and the world in the 1980s: January 22, 1982

    Blanche Cook interviews writer Adrienne Rich (1929-2012), who reads poems from her newly published book A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far (W.W. Norton, 1982).

  • Women and the world in the 1980s: April 2, 1982

    Episode from April 2, 1982. Danielle Paul interviews Professor Donald Keene about Japanese poet and novelist Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973 or 978 – c. 1014 or 1031) , a.k.a. Lady Murasaki. Program includes readings of her work. Produced by Eileen Zalisk.

  • Women and the world in the 1980s: August 20, 1982- Audre Lorde

    Episode from August 20, 1982. Blanche Cook interviews poet, essayist and civil rights activist Audre Lorde (1934-1992). Lorde reads some selections from her new book Chosen Poems: Old and New (W.W. Norton, 1982).

  • St. Mark’s Poetry Project: 1979 New Year’s benefit (Broadcast and production reel)

    WBAI’s Drama, Literature and Art department presents the St. Mark’s Poetry Project’s New Year’s Day Benefit to help rebuild the St. Mark’s Church which partially burned down in 1979. Part A is in two parts: Side one: (00:00:28) Intro and Patti Smith – “Because the Night” (studio version). (00:03:47) John Cage reads extracts from “Indeterminacy”;…

  • The poet’s voice (Episode 5)

    This is the fifth episode of “The poet’s voice,” likely KPFK broadcasted tapes of a televised program called “The poet’s voice,” a Theta Cable Television series from Los Angeles, January 1980. The host was TV actor and poet Macdonald Carey (1913-1994) and the poets read their work in front of an audience. This episode includes…