Alex-Katz-Ted-Berrigan-1967-

Ted Berrigan (Nov. 15, 1934-July 4, 1983) was a master practitioner of a multiplicity of strategies for making poems, among them appropriation, collage, collaboration, misreadings and mistranslations, found poetry, and list poems. In his mix of voices and sources he found, to paraphrase a line from his great work The Sonnets (a form he completely revitalized and reinvented), room in the room that he roomed in. We’ll look at and listen to some examples of how Berrigan worked with these various strategies in his poems, and try out some of the tools in his kit. Chuck Pirtle is the guest speaker. Paul Nelson facilitates.

Writers of all ages and skill levels gather Tuesdays at 7P to read new work, the work of someone else or to just be in the engaging company of other writers. Your donation of $5 helps SPLAB continue our programming. Please bring 8 copies of the work you plan to read. If you do not bring copies, they are available for 10c.

Living Room happens in the new SPLAB in the Cultural Corner of the old Columbia School, between Rainier AV S and 36th AV S, on Edmunds. We’re 2 blocks from the Columbia City Link Light Rail Station. (Parking is available on the school grounds.)

For the 2011-2012 SPLAB Schedule, click here.