Imagining Language: An Anthology

by Jed Rasula (Editor), Steve McCaffery (Editor)

When works such as Joyce's Finnegans Wake and Stein's Tender Buttons were first introduced, they went so far beyond prevailing linguistic standards that they were widely considered "unreadable," if not scandalous. Jed Rasula and Steve McCaffery take these and other examples of twentieth-century avant-garde writing as the starting point for a collection of writings that demonstrates a continuum of creative conjecture on language from antiquity to the present. The anthology, which spans three millennia, generally bypasses chronology in order to illuminate unexpected congruities between seemingly discordant materials. Together, the writings celebrate the scope and prodigality of linguistic speculation in the West going back to the pre-Socratics.

Genres: Poetry, Literature, Language, Art, Theory

Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Evan Pincus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable going forward - every citation a new rabbit hole to fall down!

[Bret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a reference book for me. I'll pick it up and randomly read a chapter/entry. This is the study of language in art/literature/things experimental/world history. I use this often in relation to my art.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

another book i am frequently pulling off my shelves. a very engaging, truly unique (and beautiful) anthology of experimental literature.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

really really worth it for the rare copies of poems, plus it made me feel super smart just to be reading it -- always a plus!