Louis Zukofsky's "A" is a set of 24 poems written over a fifty year peroid, totaling about 800 pages. The picture here shows just two of the multiple volumes. When I encountered a reference to "A" in the newspaper a few months ago, it caught my interest. It seemed like an intriguing read. When I mentioned this to Eve, however, she cast some immediate doubt on my ability to get through all of it. Not to be undone, we decided to make a little wager. If I manage to get through the whole thing, she'll bake me a cake! And I get six months! Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. Not only do I get to read an intriguing work of literature, I get a delicious treat for my efforts.
Well, it's been about five and a half months now, and I still have a volume and a half to go. Frankly, its been a long hard slog. Not that "A" isn't worth reading. Actually, I'm enjoying it immensely. But, well, its quite a bit to get through, and its written in something fairly akin to a stream of consciousness style. So, not only isn't there any plot, but its often hard to say what its really about at all. I'm not sure that it would be correct to say its "about" anything. But I'll say more on that in a later post, when I give this thing a proper review.
It occurs to me, in looking at the book jacket, that perhaps no one has actually read "A". Usually, when one looks at a book jacket, some synopsis of the book will be offered, along with a blurb about the author. None of the volumes I checked out of the library had jackets that actually referred to the contents at all. For instance, the second volume, which contains poems 13-21, refers to the work as "determinedly modernist", "Byzantine", and "ambituous". But nothing is said about what the poems actually refer to, what they're "about", or even what one might encounter in reading them. Anyone given a passing glance might have come up with "Byzantine", but did anyone actually read it? Am I attempting what's never been done!? I'm a trailblazer! A pioneer of poetics! The back of the cover doesn't even mention the book, but instead includes some advertisements for other offerings by Paris Review.
Even if I am the first person to do this, I'm certainly not in the clear yet. The poem I'm about to start is actually a play, though written in the same style. If I tell Eve, I'm pretty sure she'll make me do different voices for each part. Surely no one has ever staged a production of this work, which makes me a little sad. But am I obligated to do so? And the entire last volume is written as text accompanied by a musical score. What am I supposed to do with this? I can't play piano. Eve will want me to sing it, I'm sure. And if I don't, I'll feel I've failed somehow, not to mention that I'll owe her a cake.
9 comments:
Hi Joel--it's grand to see someone enjoying "A" "cold," as it were. A couple of notes: the play to which you refer, which I assume is "A"-21, the adaptation of Plautus's Rudens, has indeed been staged at least a couple of times, back in 2004 (LZ's centenary) in San Francisco & then in New York as part of a conference at Columbia/Barnard. I thought it played really well -- lots of laughs.
"A"-24 -- well, I don't read music myself, but happily the words aren't supposed to be *sung*, but only spoken over the piano/harpsichord accompaniment. The real problem is that there're multiple voices going at once. Back in the olden days I used to try to *read* the thing & recreate it in my mind. More recently, when I come to "A"-24 I just slap on the earphones & listen to a recording of the piece, following gamely along with the score.
I think Eve owes you a cake, even if you don't make the 6 month deadline!
best,
Mark
Hi Joel,
Execellent blog. I'm trying to get my own blog up and running and Vince sent me yours and Eve's as examples.
Your "Betting on Poetry" pokes so many buttons I could send you a reply longer than your original post. But I'll just hit the high points.
I've know Vince since... Hmmm, I forget, but we both had Stingray bicycles and paper routes.
I should also probably mention that I have a photo of your wife nekkid. Ok, so she was two years old, but I always wanted to post that comment on a blog.
But back to your blog. It brings to mind (for some reason) Georges Perec's "A Void" the novel without an "E" High fives to Georges and to the translator (whose name escapes me at the moment) who did the English version without an E as well. Astounding.
So do you write poetry? I did in college, but haven't done much since. I think someone can get a thesis out of comparing poetry written by folks younger than 25 to poetry written by folks over 60. I really don't think there is that much difference.
Also, If you really think a stage production is in order, by brother is a director in NYC. I can have his people talk to your people.
Chris Warman --- bookshelf@quietfarm.com
I disagree with Mark. Eve doesn't owe you a cake.
You are married so you both owe each other everything. That's the deal, right?
Kick it up a notch, dude. Bake her a cake. You'd be surprised at the benefits. Seriously.
Mark! Delighted to hear from you. I should say that it was the review of your book in the NYT that turned me onto Zukofsky. You're correct, the idea was to read the entire work cold, without expectations, so I've intentionally avoided learning anything peripheral about Mr. Zukofsky or "A" until completing the read through. This approach does have some weird effects, though. Very glad to hear that Rudens has been performed. Reading through "A", I detect this dual quality of the work whereby its impenetrable while simultaneously being immediate. So, even though the poem deals with this very tangible stuff of life, I had this impression that people wouldn't be able to relate to it, which would really be too bad. But partly that may just be the consequence of my reading it in a vacuum.
I've now begun 24, and I'm using your approach - as you say, the words are "NEVER SUNG", so I just got a hold of the Handel pieces and put them on the stereo.
The clock is still ticking, but it looks like I'll get the cake after all! What do you think; what kind of cake might Mr. Zukofsky eat?
-Joel
Chris,
I'm glad someone is enjoying the blog and my silly comments. A couple thoughts:
1) Are you referring to the infamous Dr. Pepper picture? The image has been the source of quite a bit of intense familial debate, but I'm pretty sure we don't actually have a copy of it.
2) I don't write poetry (or, at least, not that I show anyone). I guess I've found that its an artform at which I haven't had success, so I'm content to appreciate the work of others. Now I'm working on teaching myself to write a decent essay, but I'm finding that all the years toiling on a dissertation have been a real impairment to my ability to create something readable.
3)While I would love to be involved in a staging of "A" 21, at this particular point I just can't imagine finding the time to put anything together.
4) I'm getting that cake!! The settling of disputes through cake baking has been a recurring theme throughout our relationship. One year for Eve's birthday it was decided that I was going to bake her a "lemon roll". It was a tricky procedure, and it just didn't work out at all. I presented her with a "lumpy lemon heap" instead. I considered pretending I had dropped it on the floor, just to explain how it had aquired that shape (though, we did eat it, and it was pretty yummy). Ever since, the promise of a cake, well constructed or otherwise, has been dangled as a reward for any achievement of note.
5) Let me know when you get that blog up and running! I'll be looking forward to seeing it.
-Joel
Yup, I took the Dr Pepper photo and I'll try to get a high rez scan to you, but there is also the "screen door" shot where Eve is, er, Sans-culottes. I don't think they were taken the same day, but not too far appart. Both were at band practice sessions in Mo. Valley. I'll see if I can scare up some more info and other photos.
Send me an FTP target or USPS mailing address. High rez scans are too big for my e-mail server.
bookshelf@quietfarm.com
That is fun about the cakes. I like that idea. I did a drop dead spectacular German Chocolate cake for Karyn's birthday many years ago. I should try that again.
Family traditions are priceless. We frequently quote all sorts of movie lines, but our favorite obscure one is from "Never Cry Wolf": "Ootek says... good idea."
You have to get the classic Mark Twain three beat pause in the middle.
"Cake? Hmmmm. Ootek says... good idea."
CFAW
Chris,
We got the photos! Truly hilarious. I love how surly Eve looks. She looks ready to battle to keep that Dr Pepper safe.
Glad you liked the photo. I've taken many thousands of photos over they years and that is still one of my favorites. I knew it at the time I tripped the shutter. I even thanked Eve. "Perfect! Thanks! Don't drop your soda." or something like that. Well, I probably said "pop." I've lived in New England long enough to not use "pop" here. No one knows what that is.
CFAW
I'm getting a little tired of the harpsichord music at our house.
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