Shadowtime

by Charles Bernstein

Shadowtime is an opera based on the work and life of the German philosopher, essayist, and cultural critic Walter Benjamin. The libretto by Bernstein was written for the internationally renowned composer Brian Ferneyhough. The opera had its premier at the Munich Biennale in 2004 and has been performed in Paris and other German cities. In July of 2005, the opera will be performed by The Lincoln Center in New York City, at which time the published libretto will be featured. Charles Bernstein is one of the most noted poets of contemporary American literature. His books include Islets/Irritations , The Sophist , Dark City (which will be reprinted by Green Integer in 2006), With Strings , and a collection of selected poems, Republics of 1975–1995 (published by Sun & Moon Press and available through Green Integer). He is also acclaimed for his critical essays, which include Content’s Dream (Sun & Moon Press, now available from Northwestern University Press) and A Poetics (Harvard University Press), and, in addition, a collection of essays and poems, My Speeches and Poems . Formerly the David Gray Professor of Poetry and Letters at the State University of New York, Buffalo, Bernstein is now a professor of literature at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in New York City.

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

About the author

Charles Bernstein is an American poet, theorist, editor, and literary scholar. Bernstein holds the Donald T. Regan Chair in the Department of English at the University of Pennsylvania. He is one of the most prominent members of the Language poets (or L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets). In 2006 he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2005, Bernstein was awarded the Dean's Award for Innovation in Teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also been a visiting professor at Columbia University, Brown University, and Princeton University.

Bernstein's highly anticipated new work, All the Whisky in Heaven, will be published in Spring 2010 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Also to be released in the upcoming year is a Companion to Charles Bernstein, which will be published by Salt Publishing, the winner of the prestigious 2008 Nielsen Innovation of the Year award.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a text, it's OK. As a performed libretto, with Brian Ferneyhough's music, it's amazing.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fresh fruit is better than oily pa- / Jamas."