CLASSIFICATION
Swallow ID:
9050
Partner Institution:
Simon Fraser University
Source Collection Label:
Roy Miki Fonds
Sub Series:
Roy Miki Fonds
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Title:
The Astonishment Tapes Talks on Poetry and Autobiography with Robin Blaser and Friends in Vancouver, 1974 Tape 3 of 20
Title Source:
Cassette and J-card
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Identifiers:
[]
Rights
Rights:
Copyright Not Evaluated (CNE)
CREATORS
Name:
Blaser, Robin
Dates:
1925-2009
Name:
Tallman, Warren
Dates:
1921-1994
Name:
Marlatt, Daphne
Dates:
1942-
Name:
Nichols, Miriam
Dates:
1952-
Notes:
Nichols has edited the transcripts only minimally, allowing readers to make their own interpretations of Blaser’s intentions.
CONTRIBUTORS
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Image:
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Cassette
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Extent:
1/8 inch
Sound Quality:
Excellent
Physical Condition:
Good
Other Physical Description:
Black and white clear jewel case with J-card
DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T00:32:18
Size:
744.2 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV files
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T00:32:21
Size:
745.2 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV files
Dates
Date:
1974
Type:
Production Date
Source:
Internet
Notes:
We found the date online through this link: https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/x/Blaser.php
LOCATION
Address:
City Vancouver, Metro Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Latitude:
49.2600
Longitude:
-123.1149
Notes:
We found the location online through this link: https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/x/Blaser.php
CONTENT
NOTES
Type:
General
Note:
Although multiple people are present, only the voices of Warren Tallman and Daphne Marlatt are distinctly identifiable.
Type:
General
Note:
Robin Blaser provides an in-depth autobiographical account in a series of tapes (201 to 220), reflecting on his life and experiences.
In this tape, he continues reflecting on his youth, providing insights into his high school years, his pivotal moment in literature, and individuals with a natural talent for writing in his family
On side two, he elaborates on his keen ability to listen to the world around him, emphasizing his sharp auditory perception; he also talked about the poets who had huge influences on him
Type:
General
Note:
We found the info through the following link on https://www.amazon.ca/Astonishment-Tapes-Poetry-Autobiography-Friends/dp/0817358099
Robin Blaser moved from his native Idaho to attend the University of California, Berkeley, in 1944. While there, he developed as a poet, explored his homosexuality, engaged in a lively arts community, and met fellow travelers and poets Robert Duncan and Jack Spicer. The three men became the founding members of the Berkeley core of what is now known as the San Francisco Renaissance in New American Poetry.
In the company of a small group of friends and writers in 1974, Blaser was asked to narrate his personal story and to comment on the Berkeley poetry scene. In twenty autobiographical audiotapes, Blaser talks about his childhood in Idaho, his time in Berkeley, and his participation in the making of a new kind of poetry. The Astonishment Tapes is the expertly edited transcript of these recordings by Miriam Nichols, Blaser’s editor and biographer.
In The Astonishment Tapes Blaser comments extensively on the poetic principles that he, Duncan, and Spicer worked through, as well as the differences and dissonances between the three of them. Nichols has edited the transcripts only minimally, allowing readers to make their own interpretations of Blaser’s intentions.
Sometimes gossipy, sometimes profound, Blaser offers his version on the inside story of one of the most significant moments in mid-twentieth century American poetry. The Astonishment Tapes is of considerable value and interest, not only to readers of Blaser, Duncan, and Spicer, but also to scholars of the early postmodern and twentieth-century American poetry.
RELATED WORKS