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Norman Fischer

photo: © 2007 Charles Bernstein/PennSound

PoemTalk Podcast #38, discussing Norman Fischer's "I'd Like to See It," December 9, 2010

Listen to the complete recording.

Close Listening: WPS1 Reading and Conversation. January 5, 2006

Program One:

Interview with Charles Bernstein (27:40): MP3

Program Two (Selected Poems):

Complete Program (26:30): MP3

Singles from Turn Left in Order to Go Right

  1. The Moralist (0:36): MP3
  2. I'd Like to See It (2:49): MP3 [ TEXT ]
  3. A Thousand Peaks Covered with Snow (2:11): MP3
  4. In a Fit (3:39): MP3
  5. Homage to Philip Whalen (1:12): MP3
  6. Prayer (0:46): MP3

"I'd Like to See It" is also featured on PoemTalk Episode 38.

Selections from Success

  1. Friday 25 May (1:28): MP3
  2. Sunday 27 May (1:07): MP3
  3. Monday 11 June (1:13): MP3
  4. Wednesday 13 June (1:14): MP3

Selections from Slowly but Dearly

  1. Patriotic Songs (1:35): MP3
  2. Just How It Goes Along (0:40): MP3
  3. Philosophy's Dilemma (1:25): MP3

Selections from I Was Blow Back

  1. Series of poems (4:41): MP3

Close Listening is produced by Charles Bernstein for WPS1

Studio Engineer: David Weinstein


Reading with Hank Lazer, Zaza Seven Series, New Orleans, September 11, 2020 (via Zoom)

Watch on Media.sas

Reading "There Was a Clattering As..." on September 6, 2020

Audio: MP3

Video:

Watch on Media.sas

Norman Fischer & Charles Bernstein, "Where Here Were We" (2020)

recordings for Fence Portal (July 17, 2020)
Norman reading March 25-April 13: mp3
Charles reading March 25-April 13: mp3
Norman reading April 17-18: mp3
Charles reading April 17-18: mp3
Norman and Charles together: April 17-18: mp3

Reading from March 14, 2018, in Brooklyn

  • Reading New Poems (33:34): MP3
  • Discussion of “Elsmere, Kentucky” (15:30): MP3

Tribute Reading for Larry Eigner's 90th Birthday, The Green Arcade, San Francisco, CA, August 7, 2017

On occasion of the publication of the selected poems, with Jennifer Bartlett, Norma Cole, Steve Dickison, Richard Eigner, Jack Foley, Kathleen Frumkin, George Hart, Lyn Hejinian, Kit Robinson, and Stephen Ratcliffe.

Complete recording (1:52:07): MP3

Segue Series Reading at the Zinc Bar, January 14, 2017

  • Complete Recording (42:13): MP3
  1. Introduction (5:58): MP3
  2. Tanka poems from "Any would be if" (15:21): MP3
  3. The urgency (1:03): MP3
  4. The predicament (4:03): MP3
  5. Perfectly clear (1:09): MP3
  6. Song (0:41): MP3
  7. This is me (2:35): MP3
  8. The word in the world (3:07): MP3
  9. Forgiveness (2:25): MP3
  10. "Ebony" by Robert Desnos (2:13): MP3
  11. "Song of hope" by Thomas Hardy (2:50): MP3

Reading and discussion for "Poet As Radio" with Delia Tramontina, Nicholas Leaskou, and Jay Thomas, San Francisco, October 5, 2014

Fischer reads from The Strugglers (Singing Horse Press, 2013) and Escape This Crazy Life of Tears: Japan 2010 (Tinfish Press, 2014).

Reading at the Bowery Poetry Club, New York City, April 11, 2012

Reading at the Kelly Writers House, April 3, 2012

  • Complete reading (1:12:44): MP3

Fischer & Charles Bernstein on Radical Poetics and Secular Jewish Practice, at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center, May 11, 2010

  • broadcast: MP3
  • full program: MP3

Reading at The Drawing Studio, Tucson, AZ, November 2, 2008 - on POG Sound

Complete reading (31:30): MP3

From Charles Bernstein's Portraits Series: Norman the Baker, January 5, 2007

Watch on Media.sas

Norman Fischer
Norman sat out on the bench in front of Pecan on Franklin, just before walking west to the Clocktower to tape Close Listening. We met up with Alan Davies, whose Close Listening shows I was taping right before Norman’s. After the recording session we wandered over to Excellent Dumpling for lunch, where we sat next to Lynne Stewart. I’d just seen Paul Chan’s film about Stewart, in which she talks about poetry and reads from Blake. We were eating in the shadows of the criminal court building in which she had been unjustly sentenced to jail. I was glad to meet her and express my appreciation for her work and concern for the price she might have to pay for defending freedom. Meanwhile, our small band of poets – Alan, Norman, and me – made our way over to the Chelsea to see Norman’s son Noah’s new show.
(mp4, 28 seconds, 5.7 mb)


A section of a long poem "Subject Matter" from Slowly But Dearly, Chax, 2004

from Things Overheard are Subject to Interpretation (4:01): MP3

Selections from Opening to You: Zen Inspired Translations of the Psalms, Viking Compass, 2002

  • Psalm 12 (1:41): MP3
  • Psalm 22 (5:42): MP3
  • Psalm 126 (0:38): MP3

At The Kootenay School of Writing, Vancouver, 2000

Reading on November 5, 2000 (44:51): MP3

Reading at the Kelly Writers House University of Pennsylvania, March 23, 2000:

Selections from Success, Singing Horse, 2000

  • Friday 2 March (1:17): MP3
  • Friday 16 March (1:23): MP3
  • Monday 19 March (1:00): MP3
  • Saturday 24 March (1:14): MP3
  • Thursday 5 April (1:19): MP3
  • Friday 6 April (1:10): MP3
  • Saturday 19 May (1:29): MP3
  • Friday 25 May (1:09): MP3
  • Sunday 27 May (1:11): MP3
  • Sunday 18 November (1:06): MP3
  • Tuesday 20 November (0:56): MP3
  • Wednesday 7 November (1:01): MP3
  • Wednesday 31 October (1:16): MP3

Segue Series Reading at the Ear Inn February 16, 1985

Complete reading (43:45): MP3

Appearing on In the American Tree, hosted by Alan Bernheimer, June 6, 1980

Complete recording (29:32): MP3

This reading was given with Fanny Howe. The track numbers reflect the overall order of the reading.

Norman Fischer on PennSound Daily

Fischer Links:
Interview with Hank Lazer (2010)
Everyday Zen home page

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the authors. © 2018 Norman Fischer. Used with permission of Norman Fischer. Distributed by PennSound.