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Bob Holman


photo courtesy of Lawrence Schwartzwald

Reading in the Wexler Studio at Kelly Writers House, October 9, 2024

  1. That's Why (3:40): MP3
  2. Levitating in Levittown (3:11): MP3
  3. Poets Eat (2:33): MP3
  4. Ten Most Wanted (3:13): MP3
  5. After A Hard Rain (3:18): MP3
  6. Inspiration (0:19): MP3
  7. Saying Goodbye (0:36): MP3
  8. Perfect / Harmony (1:07): MP3
  9. Malcolm Lowry Song (1:04): MP3
  10. Water Man (1:14): MP3
  11. Picasso in Barcelona: The Dance Mix (4:23): MP3
  12. Who Knows (0:17): MP3
  13. Performance Poem (3:51): MP3
  14. It Is Night (0:33): MP3
  15. Hold The Night (0:18): MP3
  16. Just Think (0:13): MP3
  17. Every Word (0:59): MP3
  18. You Are The Corner Of My Eye (3:42): MP3
  19. The Happy Wanderer (0:47): MP3
  20. introduction to Life Poem (2:30): MP3
  21. from the beginning of Life Poem (2:30): MP3
  22. from the conclusion of Life Poem (1:10): MP3
  23. 1990 (7:59): MP3
  24. Sweat And Sex And Politics (4:28): MP3
  25. Sing This One Back To Me (1:52): MP3
  26. My Heart Is A Real Thing (2:16): MP3
  27. Memory Made Real (1:17): MP3
  28. We Met In Managua (0:47): MP3
  29. The Two Minutes Poem (0:56): MP3

Complete recording (1:02:18): MP3

Reading for What Is Undug Will Be: A Digital Archive Launch for XCP (1997–2010), Virtual Program, February 27, 2021

For full list of readers and more information, see complete listing.

The Cutouts, 2019

Complete recording (23:37): MP3

28th Annual Subterranean Poetry Festival, September 8th, 2018

    from The Cut-Outs (Matisse) (6:02): MP3

PoemTalk #7, discussing Jerome Rothenberg's "A Paradise of Poets," May 28, 2008

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

Performing with Papa Susso at Kelly Writers House's Poetry and Music Festival, September 17, 2017

Watch on Media.sas

Bob Holman with Papa Susso (34:20): MP3

For full performance list, see the Poetry and Music Festival calendar entry at Kelly Writers House.

Tinfish Press Monthly Poetry Reading, Na Mea Hawai`i, Honolulu. February 1, 2016

  • Bob Holman (31:09): MP3
  • Full Recording (1:14:38): MP3
  1. Introduction (2:39): MP3
  2. Raining in Helo (5:33): MP3
  3. C.D. Wright's "Everything Good Between Men and Women" (2:11): MP3
  4. The Other Thought (4:05): MP3
  5. How Kora was Born (4:34): MP3
  6. I am the Red Dragon (6:12): MP3
  7. Box (1:20): MP3
  8. You are the Corner of My Eye (4:39): MP3

Discussion of Language Matters at the Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, February 19, 2015

  • Complete Recording (36:23): MP3
    • Watch on Media.sas

      Khonsay: Poem of Many Tongues, a film by Bob Holman and Steve Zeitlin, 2015

      • Directed by Bob Holman
      • Produced by Steve Zeitlin
      • Edited by Lee Eaton
      • Music by Saul Simon MacWilliams

      Media.SAS direct URL: MP4

      Reading from Poems for the Millenium III, Bowery Poetry Club, NY, March 29, 2009

      • Complete Reading (10:26):MP3

      Performing "Bow Falls" at Spoken Word Summer Intensive at the Banff Center for Arts, Alberta, Canada. June 15, 2008

      Complete recording (3:00): MP3

      Ian Ferrier on guitar

      The Awesome Whatever, 2007

      1. She Never Phoned Me Back (2:06): MP3
      2. Love Lake (4:34): MP3
      3. The Meaning of Meaning (2:59): MP3
      4. January (4:14): MP3
      5. Pasta Mon (4:49): MP3
      6. For Paul, And Everybody Else (7:59): MP3
      7. On The Street Named Pedro Pietri (2:39): MP3
      8. Sweat&sex&politics (5:43): MP3
      9. Picasso in Barcelona (7:12): MP3
      10. (Secret Track): MP3

      A Couple Ways of Doing Something, 2006

      1. Introduction (1:12): MP3
      2. All Those Other Portraits of Me (0:41): MP3
      3. James Turrell (0:55): MP3
      4. Man Standing Outside by Campfire (1:03): MP3
      5. Praise Poem by Elizabeth Murray (2:18): MP3
      6. Kiki Smith (2:08): MP3
      7. Goodness Gracious Sakes Alive (0:55): MP3
      8. Praise Poem by James Sienna (6:46): MP3
      9. Ambling Family Willingly Deconstructos (1:44): MP3
      10. Talk Normal or Twist (1:05): MP3
      11. Staff Holds Pitch in Place (1:28): MP3
      12. What Cecily Says (1:03): MP3
      13. The Circle (0:59): MP3
      14. January 3, 2002 (0:24): MP3
      15. Tim Dunham (1:27): MP3
      16. I've Had it with the Sexes (0:54): MP3
      17. This Brown Room (1:16): MP3
      18. It's Always About the Person (2:06): MP3
      19. Terry Winters (1:34): MP3
      20. I Would Sit on a Porch Swing (0:32): MP3
      21. Not Looking at Something is Looking at Something (0:10): MP3

      Appearing on Cross Cultural Poetics, Episode #101, "Mr. Holman tells all," with host Leonard Schwartz, 2006

      Complete recording (54:48): MP3

      Appearing on Cross Cultural Poetics, Episode #98, "Macular Hole and Other Oralities," with host Leonard Schwartz, January 22, 2006

      Complete recording (29:15): MP3

      from Rattapallax, 2005

      She Never Called Me Back (2:01): MP3

      Appearing on Cross Cultural Poetics, Episode #12, "Carved Water," with host Leonard Schwartz, December 8, 2003

      Complete Reading (22:04): MP3

      Reading at the Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, October 17, 2002

      1. "Praise Poem: Elizabeth Murray" (2:22): MP3
      2. "Bridget Riley Poem" (0:58): MP3
      3. "Big Praise; Big Poem for Big Sir and Jack Kerouac" (3:56): MP3
      4. "Poems from Short Fuse" (5:13): MP3
      5. "How Kora was Born as Sung by Papa Suso to Bob Holman" (3:39): MP3
      6. "Whatever I Was Thinking Of" (7:03): MP3

      In With The Out Crowd

      1. Sung to the Tune of "The Weary Road" (0:51): MP3
      2. We Are the Dinosaur (Holman/Kramer-Ricci) (3:54): MP3
      3. For Jorge Brandon (Holman/Spedding) (6:55): MP3
      4. The Death of Poetry (6:52): MP3
      5. Impossible Rap (The Other Thought) (7:21): MP3
      6. Fire:Friend or Foe? (Holman/Ricci) (5:02): MP3
      7. Later for Now (Holman/Spedding) (1:56): MP3
      8. Forgotten Melody (The Poet and Peasant Overture) (2:59): MP3
      9. Cowboy Heaven (3:16): MP3
      10. Poetry By Number (1:53): MP3
      11. Levitatin' In Levittown (Holman/Spedding) (4:30): MP3
      12. I'd Rather Be Crazy Than Stupid (So How Come I'm Crazy for You?) (Holman/Neuwirth) (5:12): MP3
      13. That's Why (Holman/Spedding) (3:46): MP3
      14. Storyline (7:46): MP3
      15. Perfect Harmony (Holman/Neuwirth) (1:36): MP3
      16. After Li Po (0:47): MP3

      Produced by Hal Willner

      Bob Holman - poems/voice....Hal Willner - samples/needle-drops....Chris Spedding - guitar/bass....Wayne Kramer - guitar/bass....Bob Neuwirth - guitar/banjo/percussion....Brock Avery - drums....Ken Deifik - harmonica....Vito Ricci - sequencer....Tim Gennert - bass....Jenni Muldaur - voice....Bill Adler - sine qua non

      cover art: Carroll Dunham

      Reading at The Knitting Factory, NYC, December 4, 1988

      As captured in the film Jack Kerouac's "Mexico City Blues", produced by Vivien Bittencourt and Vincent Katz

      High quality YouTube mirror: link

      For full credits and list of readers, click here

      Reading for the Bloomsday Readings Series, St. Mark's Church in the Bowery Poetry Project, February 24, 1980

      with Maureen Owen

      • Complete reading (20:48): MP3

      Appearing on Public Access Poetry with Rochelle Kraut, Barbara Barg, Jim Brodey, Daniel Krakauer, Steve Levine, Greg Masters, Alice Notley, Simon Pettet, Michael Scholnick, Jeff Wright, and Gary LenhartJuly 27, 1978

      Appearing on Public Access Poetry with Sara Miles, September 1, 1977

      Recorded Poem on Harry's House Vol 2 CD

      • Thrill - Bob Holman (00:17): MP3

      Reading at St. Mark's Poetry Project

      • Complete recording (1:19): MP3

      Also of Interest:

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