[Wgcp-whc] WGCP--Minutes for 2/25, David Jakson visit

[richard.deming at yale.edu]

March 8, 2005

Dear Group,

My apologies for a (now very) belated set of minutes representing our 
last regular meeting.  March did indeed come in like a lion.  In any 
event, on Feb 25, the group welcomed David Jackson who led a discussion 
on the work of the Brazilian concretistas, especially that offered by 
Haroldo de Campos (1929-2003) and his brother Augusto. 

These writers began to receive serious attention in the 1950s when they 
established themselves as the both extension of the prevailing 
Modernists poetics and as an overcoming of that Modernism.  They saw 
their project has being initiated by various Modernist iconic artists 
and writers but the older generation was skeptical if not outright 
hostile to the Campos bothers, who blurred the line between lexical and 
visual texts.

In 1958 the Campos bothers, along with Decio Pignatrai presented 
their “manifesto” in the form of their “Pilot Plan for Concrete Poetry” 
in which they define their poetics and their praxis.  They 
write, “Concrete Poetry: product of a critical evolution of forms. 
Assuming that the historical cycle of verse (as formal-rhythmical unit) 
is closed, concrete poetry begins by being aware of graphic space as 
structural agent. Qualified space: space-time structure instead of mere 
linear-temporistical development. Hence the importance of ideogram 
concept, either in its general sense of spatial or visual syntax, or in 
its special sense (Fenollosa/ Pound) of method of composition based on 
direct-analogical, not logical-discursive juxtaposition of 
elements. ‘Il faut que notre intelligence s’habitue à comprendre 
synthético-idéographiquement au lieu de analytico –discursivement’ 
(Apollinaire). Eisenstein: ideogram and montage.” (The entire text, 
translated into English, is available here: 
http://www.ubu.com/papers/noigandres01.html).

They can then be considered “postmodern” in that they actually do 
follow the era of international high Modernism and because they seek to 
make the boundaries between texts and images (thereby taking the notion 
of ‘sign’ more literally than the Modernists could have, seeking out 
the palpable side of the sign) more porous.  Professor Jackson informed 
us of the relationship between Haroldo and Roman Jakobsen, the famous 
linguist, which establishes the connection between the concretistas and 
the Russian formalists.  In the play of the phonemes, the breaking down 
of words into component sounds, visual puns, and so forth, we see 
sympathies to the Russians’ interest in creating the conditions of 
estrangement or “ostranenie” by which the artifice of language could be 
maid opaque rather than transparent (for an example of this see 
http://www.ubu.com/historical/decampos_h/decampos_h2.html).

Professor Jackson also played for us several examples of the sound 
poetry produced primarily by Augusto, making clear the dialogue these 
writers were also having with the work of John Cage in terms of both 
his writing and his musical compositions. Examples of Augusto’s sound 
poetry can be found easily here: http://www.ubu.com/sound/decampos.html

It was a fascinating session and the group sends it’s thanks to David 
Jackson for his thoughtful and compelling presentation of these 
writers.  

I should also briefly mention the special session that the group had on 
Feb 18.  This was a trip to the Beinecke where we were able to look 
(and touch, even) primary materials of Walt Whitman.  These included 
various editions of Leaves of Grass (form the first whose text is 
printed like a newspaper tear sheet) to the second (with its “blurb” 
from Emerson printed directly—and without Emerson’s knowledge or 
permission—on the spine) to the “death bed editions.”  We also were 
able to look at various letters and notebook entries as well as copious 
amounts of photographs of the writer in various stages of his life.  
The group was ably assisted and advised by Michael Forstrom, Beinecke 
archivist, who has recently completed a through and exceedingly useful 
finding aide for Whitmaniana at the Beinecke. 

Because of spring break, the group will not meet again until March 25 
when we will be joined by poet, translator, and provocateur Kent 
Johnson.  Sometime soon (I’ll announce when) a reading packet will be 
available at the usual spot at the Whitney Humanities Center.  Sometime 
next week I will also send links to useful sites online that will give 
a further sense of Johnson as a translator and especially in terms of 
his role in the now notorious Yasusada affair.  Having piqued your 
interest there, I’ll leave off this installment, wishing everyone who 
has one a productive and restorative break.

“The Working Group in Contemporary Poetry and Poetics meets every other 
Friday at 1:45 PM in room 116 at the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale 
University to discuss problems and issues of contemporary poetry within 
international alternative and /or avant-garde traditions of lyric 
poetry. All are welcome to attend.”  

---R. Deming, group secretary