Reading Local Seattle

by Robert Mittenthal

The Sophist– Charles Bernstein

Nothing can contain the empty stare that ricochets
haphazardly against any purpose.
– from “The Simply”

{ Charles Bernstein, 1/7, Henry Art Gallery }

Both comedic and political, Charles Bernstein’s work embraces a slapstick economy of words that questions the very things writers hold most dear. I’ve always thought that the title of his book The Sophist effectively names the provocative place in which he finds himself. Like the sophists he is an educator who hopes to address all citizens, not just those citizens of the so-called poetry world. Like the sophists it’s speaking and thinking well that matters. There is no universal (or consistent) truth in his poetics. Of course this sort of position opens him to endless attacks.

Charley Altieri, who lived in Seattle for a long time teaching at UW, once referred to Bernstein’s work as an “errant singularity”. In a way that sounds like a beautiful compliment, but Altieri meant that Bernstein’s poetry would prove unteachable, and thus was limited.

A true performer, Bernstein wants to implode stodgy ideals by providing an experience to  listeners/readers that will cause them to think. He quite often succeeds. Even those who (quaintly) want to expel him from the city will find themselves provoked.

Bernstein is really an ambassador for poetry, as well as a prolific poet and scholar. He’s been instrumental in the creation of the electronic poetry archive and Pennsound (Center for Programs in Creative Writing at the University of Pennsylvania). He tirelessly works to generate enthusiasm for what poetry can become.

Don’t miss him. This is the first time he’s been here since an appearance at Bumbershoot fifteen years ago.

—-

Robert Mittenthal is the author of Value Unmapped (Nomados), Martyr Economy, Ready Terms (Tsunami Editions), and the forthcoming Wax World (Chax). Irrational Dude, a chapbook of collaborative work with Nico Vassilakis, was recently published by tir aux pigeons. He lives in Seattle where he has been a curator of the Subtext Reading Series. He keeps a blog at http://rmutts.blogspot.com

Author: Reading Local: Seattle

Reading Local: Seattle covers locally produced lit and lit events. If you have ideas for topics you would like covered please post them, or e-mail Reading Local: Seattle directly. If you are a regular producer of lit events, we would like to make sure your events are covered.

Reading Local: Seattle has written 1039 articles for us.