Lyn Hejinian

LINEbreak radio program with Charles Bernstein (1996)

PoemTalk #15, Discussing Lyn Hejinian's "constant change figures," feat. Tom Mandel, Bob Perelman, and Thomas Devaney

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

A celebration of the life and work of Lyn Hejinian, Kelly Writers House, March 18, 2025

Hosted by Julia Bloch and Laynie Browne; featuring Charles Bernstein, Laynie Browne, Pattie McCarthy, Jena Osman, Ron Silliman, Claire Marie Stancek, and Syd Zolf.

Media.SAS mirror URL: MP4

Grand Piano Reading: Episode 10, January 13, 2023

Watch on media.SAS

Lyn Hejinian: I was originally scheduled to appear on one of the first GP TV shows and chose to focus on my contribution to GP 5 because of its recurring evocations of the 1978 performance of “A”–24, which was the first explicitly collaborative project undertaken by participants in the Bay Area Language writing scene (although it could be argued that the Grand Piano reading series was itself a collaborative project and preceded the “A”–24 performance by several years). The “A”–24 performance was a beginning of sorts; much grew out of it (including Poetics Journal). It was a beginning with a future, and when I ended up appearing on the final GPTV show, it was the futurity of the collective (and not yet complete) Language writing project writ large that I wanted to celebrate. Sections of my GP 5 essay with a few interpolations added still seemed appropriate to the occasion.

Hejinian on Scalapino’s Deer Night, Leslie Scalapino Memorial Lecture, Pratt Institute, NY, March 21, 2021

Media.SAS mirror URL: MP4

Lyn Hejinian on Arkadii Dragomoshchenko, Zoom meeting, Oct. 22, 2020, hosted by Alexander Skidan and Ivan Sokolov, presented by Word Order

YouTube Link
Part One:
Watch on Media.sas
Part Two:
Watch on Media.sas

Talks with Jennifer Scappettone and Haun Saussy, UChicago, January 23-24, 2018

• Graduate seminar in Exploratory Translation, discussing translation and Oxota: A Short Russian Novel (1:44:32): MP3
• Graduate seminar in Exploratory Translation, cont. (1:44:52): MP3
• Graduate seminar in Radical Documentary, discussing My Life (1:02:24): MP3

Exploratory Translation: Across the Iron Curtain, at the University of Chicago, featuring Lyn Hejinian and Ilya Kutik, hosted by Jennifer Scappettone and Haun Saussy: Readings and Conversation (1:50:20): Video

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, Norman Fischer, Jack Foley, Kathleen Frumkin, George Hart, Kit Robinson, and Stephen Ratcliffe.

Complete recording (1:52:07): MP3

Convergence on Poetics, University of Washington Bothell, North Creek Events Center, September 27-30, 2012

• Lyn Hejinian reading from The Book of a Thousand Eyes (8:40): MP3
• complete recording (1:55:03): MP3


• Listen to the entire event here

Reading with Carla Harryman, The Wide Road Reading & Book Release Party, Belladonna* Reading Series, New York, December 14, 2011

• Complete reading (1:11:30): MP3

Speaking at the Kenneth Irby Colloquium, Lawrence, Kansas, November 3, 2011

Complete Talk (28:49): MP3

Recordings courtesy of Benjamin D. Cartwright

Reading from The Book of a Thousand Eyes, January 15, 2011

Complete recording (16:42): MP3

Lunchtime reading with Jennifer Scappettone and Rachel Levitsky at the Kelly Writers House on February 26, 2009

1. reading from "Six Positions of the Sun" (7:15): MP3
2. on "The Positions of the Sun" (8:11): MP3
3. on Landscape (3:47): MP3
4. on Project timing (1:40): MP3
5. on Lateness (1:11): MP3
6. on Aesthetic practice (0:50): MP3
7. on Bonnard (1:53): MP3
8. on The peripheral (0:29): MP3

Complete reading and discussion (1:05:18): MP3

Lyn Hejinian on A Voice Box, BRL Reading Series, McNally's Irish Pub, Oakland, March 29, 2008

1. Introduction to "Happily" (1:35): MP3
2. from "Happily" (8:05): MP3
3. from "Oblivion" (7:29): MP3
4. from "The Person" (2:05): MP3
• Complete reading (19:16): MP3

Reading for Double Change, Paris, January 29, 2007

• film available from Double Change archives.

The Holloway Poetry Series; University of Berkeley, October 12, 2006

• Complete recording with Lisa Robertson, Geoffrey O'Brien, and John Shoptaw (55:59): MP3
1. From "Slowly" (7:14): MP3
2. From "The Book of a Thousand Eyes" (2:29): MP3
3. "There in your hand..." (1:39): MP3
• Lyn Hejinian's portion of the reading (12:07): MP3

Lecture and Reading - produced by Poem Present, University of Chicago, May 10 and 11, 2005

• Lecture (51:23): MP3, Video
1. Introduction (6:41): MP3
2. Introduction to "Lola" (4:54): MP3
3. From "Lola" (19:58): MP3
4. Introduction to "Slowly" (3:51): MP3
5. From "Slowly" (9:26): MP3
6. From "The Book of a Thousand Eyes" (5:06): MP3
• Complete reading (49:47): MP3, Video

Kelly Writers House Fellows Reading, February 21, 2005

Reading:

1. Introduction from My Life in the Ninties (11:04): MP3
2. "This is a hazard of happiness" from The Book of a Thousand Eyes(6:59): MP3
3. "Once a poignant catalyst..." (0:30): MP3
4. "The sea as it receives..." (1:10): MP3
5. "The D baby and her brother..." (1:25): MP3
6. "I could instruct the children..." (0:22): MP3
7. "There in your hand..." (1:23): MP3
8. "I ran to pack..." (0:17): MP3
9. "The fallen grass in winter..." (1:20): MP3
10. "Here in a sudden of this to Caesar..." (0:41): MP3
11. "Once there was a village..." (1:12): MP3
12. "A woman is expressing sympathy..." (1:04): MP3
13. "I have this to say..." (0:14): MP3
14. "Lyn?" (0:05): MP3
15. "When we want something..." (1:31): MP3
16. "Constant change figures..." (0:45): MP3
17. "Walking around, posing..." (2:07): MP3
18. "My mother keeps her folded bicycle..." (1:55): MP3
19. "Optically riveted..." (0:33): MP3
20. "The wife of the merchant George..." (1:27): MP3
21. "I have lived aboard a ship..." from The Unfollowed(0:43): MP3
22. "Every minute proves..." (1:01): MP3
23. "All that the girl thought irrelevant.." (1:25): MP3
24. "To begin with, I am faced..." (1:29): MP3

"constant change figures" is also featured on PoemTalk Episode 15.

Question and answer session with Al Filreis:

1. Introduction (5:37): MP3
2. on Carl Rokosi (1:55): MP3
3. on "The Fatalist" (15:31): MP3
4. on Barbarism (4:18): MP3
5. the western desire to describe (4:11): MP3
6. "My Life" and compositional practice (2:09): MP3
7. younger poets and politics (3:21): MP3
8. poetry and ordinary language (4:08): MP3
9. terminology in contemporary literary history (4:05): MP3
10. social aspect of the language movement (1:47): MP3
11. truncated words (2:44): MP3
12. poetic practice and technology: engaging texts (3:51): MP3
13. the anthology process (4:36): MP3
14. wordplay vs. syntax in "Scheherazade" (4:08): MP3
15. theory and poetry: shared spaces (4:04): MP3
16. on Charles William Beebe (6:51): MP3
17. on Russian influences (4:08): MP3
18. reading from "the Fatalist" (2:09): MP3

Complete reading: (1:20:22): MP3

Reading for the Burning Deck 40th Anniversary Celebration, Providence, May 2001

1. Introduction (2:30): MP3
2. Book 14 of A Border Comedy (12:11): MP3

Reading as part of The Line Reading Series, March 13, 2001

Complete reading (33:38): MP3

Readings at SUNY-Buffalo, November 10, 1999

• Introduction (2:31): MP3
• Happily (7:09): MP3
• A Border Comedy (9:32): MP3
• The Beginner (8:22): MP3
Lyn Hejinian on Gertrude Stein

Kelly Writers House, October 12, 2000

MLA Poetry Reading, with David Bromige and Leslie Scalapino, 1998

• Hejinian recording (23:48): MP3

Complete recording (1:06:36): MP3

Talk at Kings College, 1998

From the Talk Series curated by Bob Perelman

• Tape 1 (46:01): MP3
• Tape 2 (45:55): MP3

Reading with Ron Silliman, November 6, 1995

Moderated by Bob Perelman

Watch on Media.sas

Alternate angle Watch on Media.sas

Reading with Michael Palmer, Library of Congress, Mumford Room, November 2, 1995

Full Recording: External Link

Readings at SUNY-Buffalo, October 23, 1991

• Reading (46:25) (Incomplete): MP3
• Excerpt from "The Cell" (10:27): MP3

Reading by Ray Di Palma and Lyn Hejinian, St. Mark’s Church, NY, May 17, 1989

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

1. Side A (47:02): link
2. Side B (22:58): link

Reading at The Kootenay School of Writing, Vancouver, 1988

• Talk on October 6, 1988 (34:24): MP3
• In Conversation, Clark Coolidge and Lyn Hejinian, October 9, 1988 Part 1 (31:36): MP3
• In Conversation, Clark Coolidge and Lyn Hejinian, October 9, 1988 Part 2 (32:07): MP3

Reading with Stephen Ratcliffe and Bill Berkson, Bolinas, 1987

• Complete recording (47:27): MP3
• My Life (9:08): MP3

Woodland Pattern, Milwaukee, September 2, 1985

1. from "The Guard" (7:05): MP3
2. from "The Person" (13:50): MP3

New Poetics Colloquium at The Kootenay School of Writing, Vancouver, 1985

• Reading The Person on August 23, 1985 (20:40): MP3
• Talk at the New Poetics Colloquium Part 1 (53:55): MP3
• Talk at the New Poetics Colloquium Part 2 (26:12): MP3

St.Mark's Talks, March 30, 1985

• only the last ten minutes of the talk were recorded


• Discussion (9:03): MP3

Guess Language

• Audio cassette published by Audio Muzixa Qet #C-60 (Madison: 1986)
• Hejinian reads Redo (Grenada, Miss.: Salt-Works Press, 1984)
• complete reading (20:38): MP3
Cassette publication included Charles Bernstein reading Ambliopia on other side.

Talk on The Rejection of Closure, April 17, 1983

• Part one (48:49): MP3
• Part two (48:16): MP3

Reading at St Mark's, New York, April 8, 1981

1. Introduction (2:07): MP3
2. Two Cities (4:24): MP3
3. The Green (13:50): MP3
4. Six Short Poems (6:52): MP3
5. Section 37 from My Life (7:02): MP3
6. Supplement/Section 38 to My Life (6:07): MP3

Complete reading (40:51): MP3

Reading from My Life at San Francisco State University, 1979

Note: Each section of this work marks a year in the life of the poet. At this reading, Hejinian read a sequence of four sections, starting with the one "about" her fifth year of life (from 4-5 years old). The sections are untitled but below we identify them by the brief epigram-like phrase or sentence set off from the main text.
1. Introductory comments (0:52): MP3
2. "What is the meaning hung from that depend" [pp. 20-23; pp. 16-18; 4-5 years old] (4:10): MP3
3. "The obvious analogy is with music" [pp. 24-26; pp. 19-20; 5-6 years old] (3:06): MP3
4. "Like plump birds along the shore" [pp. 27-30; pp. 21-23; 6-7 years old] (3:41): MP3
5. "The inevitable sentiment is a preliminary" [pp. 31-34; pp. 24-26; 7-8 years old] (3:33): MP3
The first page references are for the Green Integer edition of My Life. The second page references are for the Sun & Moon edition.

Complete reading (15:27): MP3

Appearing on In the American Tree, hosted by Alan Bernheimer, December 7, 1979

1. Introduction (0:45): MP3
2. Slack Key (1:03): MP3
3. Eye brown study no stars (1:02): MP3
4. Punctual 1 (1:12): MP3
5. Natural Room (3:33): MP3
6. on Natural Room (1:06): MP3
7. on Punctual 1 (0:38): MP3
8. Number Present (7:52): MP3
9. on Number Present (4:05): MP3
10. Easy Go (0:50): MP3
11. Lower Row the Colors (0:24): MP3
12. Windows is screens (0:19): MP3
13. on Easy Go and Windows is screens (1:07): MP3
14. Not That Car (3:03): MP3
15. on Not That Car (0:20): MP3
16. Severed Page (1:51): MP3

Complete recording (30:35): MP3

Listen also to episodes hosted by Hejinian with Kit Robinson during the 1978 season.

"Lines" Talk Given at the San Francisco Art Institute, July 22, 1979

From the Talk Series curated by Bob Perelman

• First part (47:55): MP3
• Second part (48:23): MP3
• Third part (11:25): MP3

"Chronic Ideas," 1220 Folsom Street, San Francisco, September 29, 1977

From the Talk Series curated by Bob Perelman

• Tape 1 (44:10): MP3
• Tape 2 (44:27): MP3

Reading My Life at UCSD Date Unknown

• Complete Recording, (39:16)MP3
• Recording courtesy of Michael Davidson

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Also of Interest:

• To be linked: On Lyn Hejinian feature at Jacket2
• New Poetics Colloquium, Vancouver, 1985
• UC Berkeley Lunch Poems: Videos
• Lyn Hejinian remembers Leslie Scalapino (follow link to read the complete essay)

Lyn Hejinian on PennSound Daily

• March 9, 2009: "PoemTalk 15: Lyn Hejinian's 'constant change figures'"
• July 5, 2010: "Lyn Hejinian Remembers Leslie Scalapino, 2010"

These sound recordings are being made available for noncommercial and educational use only. All rights to this recorded material belong to the author. © 2017 by Lyn Hejinian. Used with permission of Lyn Hejinian. Distributed by PennSound.