Kenneth Koch CD

1969/1994. Introduced by Harry Matthews (1969) and David Lehman (1994).

This recording pairs readings by the widely celebrated poignant humorist of the New York School. Koch reads from his acclaimed Thank You and Other Poems, The Pleasures of Peace, and One Train, as well as poems never before published.

The 1969 recording also includes Koch's "translations" of South American poetry. As Matthews advises us, "Each of [Koch's] poems is lined with booby traps that relentlessly and riotously convince us that we must never be sure of anything we've seen, heard, or felt."

Length: 71 min.

Track List

18 November 1969

1. Introduction by Harry Matthews
2. To my Audience
3. Introduction to "Chanson"
4. Chanson
5. The Study of Happiness
6. Introduction to "Homage to Jorge Guinhieme on his 80th birthday"
7. [One may wish to slaughter or to save the bull] (Juan Garcia)
8. [My first meeting with Jorge Guinhieme] (Fidelio Corazon)
9. [I first saw Jorge Guinhieme] (Jorge Foxe-Mariño)
10. [Great men have their seasons] (Reno Guitar)
11. Daffodil Wine (Guinhieme)
12. Watercress Street (Guinhieme)
13. Ruiz Avenue (Guinhieme)
14. Calle de las piñas (Guinhieme)
15. Introduction to "Flowering Breakfast"
16. Flowering Breakfast (Guinhieme)
17. Introduction to "We sailed the Indian Ocean for a Dime"
18. We sailed the Indian Ocean for a Dime
19. Introduction to "Lunch"
20. Lunch

8 March 1994

21. Introduction by David Lehman
22. Introduction to "Passing Time in Skansen"
23. Passing Time in Skansen
24. Energy in Sweden
25. Introduction to "A New Guide"
26. A New Guide
27. Introduction to "Io"
28. from "Io"
29. Artemis
30. Introduction to "One Train May Hide Another"
31. One Train May Hide Another