Charles Bernstein's most recent book is Girly Man, from the University of Chicago Press. More info can be found at his EPC author page.
First Car?
Eyes.
[1968 Volkswagen bug, red; or was it 1957 Chevy Impala, dark green? Or that orange Edsel of the heart?]
What was your favorite book and band in high school?
Henny Youngman, The Complete One-Liners.
Henny Youngman with strings.
[Bande à part]
[Country Joe and the Fish &/or Hootie and the Blowfish &/or Phish &/or Thing-Fish]
Which crowd did you hang out with in high school?
I just hang on, for dear life.
First job?
Get up.
[On graduating college, 1972: Sloan’s Furniture Clearance Center #45, 85th and Third, NY: floor sales at $2.50 per hour, then promoted to night office manager, $2.75 per hour. Walked out one day, unannounced, into the cloudy, wild, unpredictable New York night.]
Car now?
Ears.
[ATITV: All Terrain Imaginary Transport Vehicle]
[Blue Ford Taurus wagon with roof rack, hatch back, rumble seats, 2000 model, now discontinued. Good for transporting paintings up to 44 inches wide.]
Favorite book now?
I keep Mr. Emerson on my nightstand. He gives me comfort.
What's new on your iPod or CD player?
4'33" downloaded from PennSound.
[Note to editor: neither minute nor hours take smart quotes.]
[William Shatner’s sprechstimme version of “Mr. Tambourineman” (with girl chorus)]
What's the best DVD you've rented of late?
I always return videos on time.
Now I am hooked on my DVR.
Boston Legal on tap.
What are you working on these days?
This.
Anything coming out soon?
I’m pretty sure this is coming out.
What are you reading that's fun?
You mean all that other stuff I have been reading isn’t fun?
[I read The Yellow Pages for fun, the white pages for information.]
What's your favorite exercise?
One person writes down a question privately; simultaneously, another person writes down an answer, also without showing it. Interview is formed by a series of these questions and answers. For example: First Car? The reason why it is so cold this week. // Favorite band? / “I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion."
What's your favorite piece of clothing?
The hem.
What are some of your guilty pleasures?
404 – Answer not found
The answer you are attempting to load may have moved or may not exist.
Favorite recipe?
It’s all about the ingredients.
[See “Cooking by Number.”]
What's on your desk?
Books and bills.
Buckles and bullets.
Boats and billows.
Bids and bets.
Boxers or briefs?
Boxers: Arthur Cravan
Briefs: “I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion."
Stones or Beatles?
I prefer minerals to insects but have been working on this with my ontologist.
[Looking forward to Cirque du Soleil production of Their Satanic Majesty Requests.]
– Nina Simone (Ne Me Quitte Pas. Jamais.)
Porn name (first pet’s name + first street you lived on)?
I was never allowed pets.
The reason why it’s still cold this week.
[With thanks to Joel Kuszai & Susan Bee for the memories].
December 18, 2006
Quickie Interview #11: Charles Bernstein
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10 comments:
Mr. Bernstein's interview answers are as shallow, cute, and prententious as his poetry. I would rather be fucked by a wild zombie than take a "language" poet to bed. And that hat. That hat!
Cool interview, very entertaining. (And I dig the hat).
You're a grad student and as such your brain is unformed, not fully cooked.
Not fully cooked and screwed.
it takes a lot of gut to attack people anonymously, pal. you're one of the heroes, for sure.
So, unfortunately, we've decided to suspend anonymous comments for the moment. You have to be registered with blogger to contribute. But hopefully this will be temporary.
Kind of silly, suspending anonymous comments. Not like there's an out-of-control debate going on. Not everyone has a blogger account.
Maybe I'm just sympathetic 'cuz I kind of agree with anonymous' first comment. Except the zombie thing, because zombies tend to take the term "brain" very literally.
So, like, what, you shouldn't say "Fuck my brains out" to a zombie?
people should learn to read and process criticism of their art, and respond, since these are usually the same people who criticize others for not reading and not processing or responding to criticism in politics
or maybe not, since art is supposedly about the 'mysteries of the universe,' the 'arbitrary nature of the universe,' which precede politics, since it gives nothing more weight than anything else, or something
still, no one actually creates art that is about the 'mysteries of the universe,' the 'arbitrary nature of the universe,' so perhaps criticism should be accepted, as if the art were politics, as if it was someone debating how to make the world a better place, and it was just everyone working together to make the world a better place--a situation that would be open to criticism as a means to a better ends (making the world a better place)
i feel really articulate tonight, i feel okay, this is strange
"brain" is also a term for fellatio.
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