Bernadette Mayer

Cover of Studying Hunger

Close Listening

• A Conversation with Charles Bernstein, September 13, 2007 (28:09): MP3
• Recorded in conjunction with Mayer's reading with Lee Ann Brown at the Kelly Writers House.
• The Mayer/Brown reading here.

PoemTalk #85, Discussing James Schuyler's "February," feat. Bernadette Mayer, Julia Bloch, and erica kaufman on February 20, 2015

For complete recording and program notes go to Jacket2

PoemTalk #58, discussing Bernadette Mayer's "The Tragic Condition of the Statue of Liberty," October 26, 2012

Listen to the complete recording and read program notes for the episode at Jacket2.

Virtual reading hosted by University of Glasgow, February 19, 2021

• Transcript/closed-caption file: VTT
• Direct video URL: MP4
• Complete recording (1:33:26): MP3

Reading and conversation for Brodsky Gallery opening, Kelly Writers House, April 1, 2019

curated by Emily Rush

Complete recording (43:09): MP3

Belladonna* presents Epic Voices: with Stacy Szymaszek, Poets House, NYC, March 9, 2019

On the long poem and daily writing; introduction by Rachael Wilson.

Complete recording (1:35:46): MP3

March 27 — Brunch Program

Complete Recording (53:03): MP3

Reading and Conversation for the Kelly Writers House Fellows Program, March 26–27, 2018

March 26 — Reading

Complete Recording (1:11:13): MP3

1. Introduction (11:00): MP3
2. Myrmidon (1:57): MP3
3. Dear Sarah (7:20): MP3
4. The dressing gong (3:32): MP3
5. George Bush epigram (0:19): MP3
6. A shadow biosphere (0:57): MP3
7. I'll drown my book (4:04): MP3
8. Chocolate poetry sonnet (1:07): MP3
9. Summer solstice (12:06): MP3
10. Phil's passing through the leaves (1:14): MP3
11. Disaster sonnet (1:16): MP3
12. Today's word is muddy... (1:14): MP3
13. Eve of Easter (4:28): MP3
14. Failures in infinitives (4:11): MP3
15. To the parents as audience (3:21): MP3
16. Controlling the sun (4:16): MP3
17. To memorize the universe (4:25): MP3
18. I am a common... (2:24): MP3

Bernadette Mayer and Philip Good Reading at Kelly Writers House, October 21, 2014

• Philip Good (16:35): MP3
• Bernadette Mayer (34:27): MP3

1. The Phenomenon of Chaos (1:21): MP3
2. Tuesday (1:10): MP3
3. Dream (0:31): MP3
4. Helen Crandall Whalen (2:51): MP3
5. Helen Rezey Sestina (2:58): MP3
6. Carleton Fisk Is My Ideal (2:35): MP3
7. Sonnet (0:44): MP3
8. America, my worst poem (0:52): MP3
9. Corn (0:54): MP3
10. Pope John (0:30): MP3
11. Yellow Orange (1:38): MP3
12. Death is a Cambric Fabric (2:16): MP3
13. The Ballad of Theodore (2:19): MP3
14. Hail and Farewell (0:37): MP3
15. Thrift Shop Blues (Collaboration with Good) (9:39): MP3

Complete Reading (57:54): MP3

Free Verse at the Walker Art Center, September 12, 2012

Midwinter Day Reading December 17, 2008

• Disc 1 MP3
• Disc 2 MP3

Segue Series Reading at the Bowery Poetry Club, November 22, 2008

1. Introduction (2:30): MP3
2. Ancient Brooklyn Talk By the Boardwalk (3:19): MP3
3. Whistle Stop Sleeper (1:20): MP3
4. Don't Drink Busch Beer (2:39): MP3
5. Sonnets (7:15): MP3
6. All Aboard (1:01): MP3
7. "Food stamps lead to heroin..." (0:49): MP3
8. A Flooding Scrabble Sonnet (0:58): MP3
9. Willy-Nilly Sonnet (1:08): MP3
10. Phil's Passing Through the Leaves (0:55): MP3
11. A Hundred Eggs (3:25): MP3
12. Hector's poems (3:39): MP3
13. Shawn Killian (2:04): MP3

• Complete Reading (31:07): MP3

Poets in the Park at Albany, New York, August 26, 2006

recorded at the home of Dan Wilcox

• Complete Recording (42:23): MP3

Reading as part of The Line Series Reading, May 11, 2004

1. Lytle Shaw's Introduction (3:23): MP3
2. Grow Up (1:00): MP3
3. Stanzas in Meditation (1:03): MP3
4. On Sleep (10:05): MP3
5. The Petty Blues (2:57): MP3
6. Phil Magneteer, Ne Plus Ultra, July 23-26 (0:39): MP3
7. "felt like I ate paté with the Queen..." (beginning cut off) (0:43): MP3
8. The Bush Blues (0:18): MP3
9. Introduction to Killing (0:49): MP3
10. To Admiral Scott About Space (7:25): MP3

• Complete Reading (36:19): MP3

Reading at Steel Bar, October 24, 2003

• Complete Reading (29:09): MP3

At The Kootenay School of Writing, November 10-11, 2001

• Reading on November 10, 2001 (40:36): MP3
• Talk on November 11, 2001 Part 1 (25:25): MP3
• Talk on November 11, 2001 Part 2 (19:30): MP3

Special Session Workshop: Everybody Knows Everything, St. Mark's Church, NY, November 3, 2000

Recorded on audiocassette. Recording hosted by the Library of Congress.

1. Side A (47:14): link
2. Side B (47:13): link

Wednesday Night Series: John Ashbery, Bernadette Mayer, St. Mark's Church, NY, November 1, 2000

Recorded on audiocassette. Recording hosted by the Library of Congress.

1. Side A (47:06): link
2. Side B (31:41): link

Reading as part of The Line Reading Series, April 18, 2000

1. Lytle Shaw's Introduction (1:56): MP3
2. March 20, 2000 - April 17, 2000 Diary Entries (7:14): MP3
3. Jackie Strumpendairy & Celestia St. Auvin at the College of New Rochelle (3:01): MP3
4. Walmart Epigrams (0:46): MP3
5. Epigram on Epigrams: A collaborative epigram (0:16): MP3
6. LeeAnn Brown: Starbucks Epigram, Andrew's Epigram, Too Many Epigrams (1:27): MP3
7. Various Epigrams (including: Epigram, I am the rope used to tie Marinza up; David Letterman Epigram; John Fisk Epigram; Louis Anemone Epigram; Dollar Bill Epigram; I ate my Macoroni & Cheese; Birdfeeder Epigram; Garden Epigram; I am Bernadette Echo Hawk; Epigram on Being Alone) (5:27): MP3
8. Poem for Jackson (2:03): MP3
   
9. Objectivity (0:17): MP3
   
10. This is a list of fruit and vegetables (1:09): MP3
    
11. Amatory Epigrams (0:18): MP3
    
12. What It Means to Be Human (1:09): MP3
    
13. Short Poems (2:21): MP3
    
14. List of names (1:50): MP3
    
15. Marie Makes Fun of Me at the Drawer (1:21): MP3
    
16. April 18, 2000 Diary Entry (written during the reading) (2:49): MP3
    
    Complete Reading (33:33): MP3
    

Epigrams, Imitations, and Translations, 1999

Latin reading of Catallus #48 by Howard Segal
Recorded at Brooksong Recording, Chatham, New York

• Complete Recording (39:18): MP3

Some of these poems have been published by New Directions and Catchword Papers.

Bernadette Mayer Celebration at the Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, October 1, 1998

1. on coming to Bernadette Mayer's work (7:32): MP3
2. Downtown they play a recording of birds to keep away other birds (1:22): MP3
3. Wonderland (0:38): MP3
4. Emails De Mon Ami (1:30): MP3
5. The North End (0:58): MP3
6. City Story (3:21): MP3
7. Brief (0:44): MP3
8. The Difference Between a Ghost and an Angel (2:33): MP3
9. N + 495 (1:47): MP3
10. Just Dump Me On the Palace Steps (1:35): MP3
11. These Representations of Peacetime, parts 2 and 3 (1:54): MP3

1. Introductory comments (1:49): MP3
2. First turn to me (4:49): MP3
3. Failures in Infinitives (4:50): MP3
4. reading from a Hallmark card (1:25): MP3
5. Lake Yes-No (3:22): MP3
6. on epigrams (2:43): MP3
7. from American Imitation Amatory Epigram (0:12): MP3
8. Poor John Egan Epigram (0:26): MP3
9. Epigram: La Clinica Dental (0:11): MP3
10. Sepulchral God the Father Epigram (0:31): MP3
11. from The Greek Anthology (3:57): MP3
12. from Laundry and School Epigrams (3:45): MP3
13. Catullus #99 (2:57): MP3
14. more from Laundry and School Epigrams (1:58): MP3
15. from Amatory Epigram (to Aristotle or Ignatius Loyola) (0:29): MP3
16. Catullus #42 (3:33): MP3

Thin Air Lectures with Ron Silliman, Alice Notley, and Ron Padgett, St. Marks Church, May 1988

Watch on Media.sas

Complete Recording (55:16): MP3

Reading Midwinter Day at Pennny Lane, December 22, 1997

• Tape 2 (01:23:27): MP3

Segue Series Reading at the Ear Inn, October 1991

• Complete Reading (27:50): MP3

Rattle Up A Deer, Live at Penny Lane, 1989: Bernadette Mayer & Anne Waldman

1. Introduction by Tom Peters (1:55): MP3
2. Catullus 6 #48 (0:41): MP3
3. On Catullus #2 (1:09): MP3
4. Horace's Fourth Ode (1:23): MP3
5. DWI (after Horace's fourth Ode) (1:57): MP3
6. Epigram: I am the six-pack of Coke... (0:12): MP3
7. Poor John Egan epigram (0:17): MP3
8. Epigram: La Clinica Dental (0:13): MP3
9. Sepulchral God the Father Epigram (0:15): MP3
10. Two from the Greek Anthology (1:58): MP3
11. Laundry, School and Food Epigrams (2:56): MP3
12. Catullus #99 (1:16): MP3
13. After Catullus and Horace (1:32): MP3
14. Epigram: Some men think... (0:30): MP3
15. A Philosophy for Boys (1:12): MP3
16. Epigram after Auden (0:15): MP3
17. Epigram: I'm the pen your lover writes with... (0:14): MP3
18. Epigram: I was the song I sang... (0:16): MP3
19. Epigram: I'm an old known paint... (0:17): MP3
20. Toy Epigrams (3:00): MP3
21. Catullus #67 (4:12): MP3
22. Man and Woman Epigrams (1:28): MP3
23. American Imitation Amatory Epigrams (1:36): MP3
24. Hendecasyllables on Catullus #33 (0:48): MP3
25. Catullus #42 (1:39): MP3

Sound engineers: Micheal Zangari & Tom Peters
Recorded on portable 4 track directly through non-amplified music.
Original master tapes property of "So. You're a Poet," Archives/Tom Peters, all rights reserved. © 2004.
(Recording courtesy of Farfalla Press and Gary Parrish)

Lecture at Naropa, July 17, 1989

• Complete Recording (01:16:38): MP3

Bernadette Mayer reading at the Ear Inn with Lee Ann Brown, October 15, 1988

1. Sonnet: Welcome (0:55): MP3
2. Alone (0:53): MP3
3. Presidential Platform (5:24): MP3
4. Ten Three Line Poems (2:07): MP3
5. Do You Have Sex in the Bed of the Floor? (0:42): MP3
6. The Tragic Condition of the Statue of Liberty (1:54): MP3 [text]
7. Who Is the Elegant What of the Something (1:57): MP3
8. Period of the Delaware Water Gap (3:04): MP3
9. Titles, or Turtles for Clark (4:03): MP3
10. Marie, You Must Meet Kristina At Music School Tomorrow and Not Her Home (2:15): MP3
11. Diary Kept Everyday for Ten Weeks (6:56): MP3
12. Food that we would normally not be eating (5:50): MP3
13. Compete Introductory Lectures on Poetery (2:02): MP3
14. Spooky Action From a Distance (1:07): MP3
15. Holding the Thought of Love (1:03): MP3
16. A Marriage of Cut Flowers (0:51): MP3
17. Love is a babe and when you put your startling hand on my cunt... (0:50): MP3
18. Clap Hands (1:29): MP3

Complete recording (37:45): MP3

"The Tragic Condition of the Statue of Liberty" is also featured on PoemTalk Episode 58.

Catullus #48

• Catullus #48 (studio recording with Latin):MP3
• Catullus #48 Naropa (1987): MP3
mcc

From The World Record: Readings at the St. Mark's Poetry Project, 1969-1980

• From Studying Hunger ("Blondie") (5:29): MP3

Segue Series Reading at the Ear Inn May 26, 1979

From Midwinter Day, book 4 (37:33): MP3

Pacifica Radio with Susan Howe, April 22, 1979

1. Eve of Easter (3:19): MP3
2. Discussion of "Eve of Easter" (1:19): MP3
3. Introduction (2:06): MP3
4. Mayer discusses her writing process (1:19): MP3
5. Easy Puddings (7:14): MP3
6. Discussion of "Baby Come Today, October 4th" (0:40): MP3
7. Baby Come Today, October 4th (2:25): MP3
8. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1:39): MP3 [text-audio alignment]
9. Simplicities are Glittering (3:13): MP3
10. Discussion (27:00): MP3
11. 1979 (6:14) MP3
12. Closing comments from Susan Howe (0:57): MP3
• Complete reading and discussion (57:51): MP3

Appearing on Public Access Poetry with Lewis Warsh, April 26, 1978

Reading at St. Mark's Poetry Project, 1977

• Complete recording (18:15): MP3

"Complete Music of Webern, A Movie" from Tape Poems, ed. Eduardo Costa and John Perreault, 1969

Complete Music of Webern, A Movie (4:46): MP3 (read here)

Midwinter Day

• Complete recording (29:39): MP3

Reading at St. Mark's Poetry Project, New York

• "The Heart of the Hair" (3:47): MP3
• Complete recording (33:26): MP3

Reading, Date Unknown

• Complete Recording, (43:53)MP3
• Recording courtesy of Michael Davison

Also on PennSound:

• On Exact Change Yearbook 1995 no. 1 (ed. Peter Gizzi)
  (Mayer reads "Blondie" from Studying Hunger, 1971)
• More Mayer at Meshworks/Miami University

Also of Interest:

• Robert Creeley reading at Poetry Project, from the Ben Tripp Tapes, 1984
  • Side A (46:21): MP3
  • Includes Bernadette Mayer introducing Eileen Myles who introduces "my hero", Robert Creeley, Creeley praises "basic Bostonclarity", reads prose from (at the time) recently-published Collected Prose ("Back to Bolinas…"and "Having Been Wakened by Screams in the Middle of the Night…"), followed by "the poetry sequence", "A Calendar" (including Creeley reading Chaucer, Wyatt), more prose, "The Cabeza" (for Ramon S)", poems again: "Heaven Knows", "New England", "Too Late", "Dogs", Four for John Daley ("Mothers Things", "Echo", "Leaving", "Buffalo Afternoon"), "For Ted Berrigan", "Hotel Heidelberg", "Ich Bin…", reading from Mirrors (from section 2 and 3) including "O Love", "Stone", "Hearts:", "Sad Advice", "Wishes", "Echoes:", "Summer:", "If…", "Some Echo", "Poems Written in Buffalo, February", "Buffalo Evening", "All the Way", "Kid", "Early Reading", "Beside Her to Lie", "Circles", and "On Phrase from Ginsberg’s ‘"Kaddish’" - "Eat, drink, be merry, you fink"
  
  
  • Side B (47:14): MP3
  • Includes "So careful of…so slow to move without it…", "Coming Home", "Be of Good Cheer", "Help Heavens", "She Is Far From Me", "O Like a Bird", "Provincetown:", "North Truro Light:" "1946", "R Had Said", "Tell Story:", TC talks continues (elegiac remarks on Alex Trocchi, "a great Scot maintainer", and notes on Max Feinstein (Poem to MF)

  Reading with Joel Oppenheimer, who is not on this recording.

Bernadette Mayer on PennSound Daily

• February 13, 2011: "New PennSound Featured Resources Selected by Marcella Durand"
• January 17, 2009: "Bernadette Mayer and Lee Ann Brown: KWH 2007, Now Segmented"
• January 21, 2009: "Bernadette Mayer and Lewis Warsh: Segue Series Reading, 1979"
• November 12, 2007: "Bernadette Mayer and Lee Ann Brown Visit UPenn"



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