The Golden Book of Words

by Bernadette Mayer

Poems. Cover by Joe Brainard.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Bernadette Mayer (born May 12, 1945) is an American poet, writer, and visual artist associated with both the Language poets and the New York School. Mayer's record-keeping and use of stream-of-consciousness narrative are two trademarks of her writing, though she is also known for her work with form and mythology. In addition to the influence of her textual-visual art and journal-keeping, Mayer's poetry is widely acknowledged as some of the first to speak accurately and honestly about the experience of motherhood. Mayer edited the journal 0 TO 9 with Vito Acconci, and, until 1983, United Artists books and magazines with Lewis Warsh. Mayer taught at the New School for Social Research, where she earned her degree in 1967, and, during the 1970s, she led a number of workshops at the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church in New York. From 1980 to 1984, Mayer served as director of the Poetry Project, and her influence in the contemporary avant-garde is felt widely, with writers like Kathy Acker, Charles Bernstein, John Giorno, and Anne Waldman having sat in on her workshops.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely perfect in every way. Thank you my Jennie Betty!!

[Grace Ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There’s always a crack in the world to excite me”

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is a past each of us is given, no not given as if it's wrapped and then presented but given in exchange for a moment of silence in the present, as each moment of love is past as I fear so heartily the loss of it wishing it only to begin again as quickly as the fire becomes the vivid red you cannot see but only see in those bright tones that could be any other color, I love you then in bright red, a color become out of necessity a denial, my sheer impatience with the past has made me the genius of the tight palms, in the future I must open them and bring out the shared color that hits me when I dare to simplify and be brief in the heart that now, is looking at time, and stumbles horribly, you are looking too, we speak these words aloud, in the words that my mouth can form independently, I needlessly love you."

pg. 63

[Josie Ingall]

Do not normally input poetry or plays in here but I was so so happy to find the New Directions re-release of this at an awesome San Francisco bookstore (thank you Yonatan). Essay" (this is a tumblr link sorry) is I think my favorite poem of ever. I also just found this" tribute while looking for an online version of Mayer's "Essay" which is awesome also. Not everything in Golden Book resonated with me, some is frankly too weird, but I love this woman.

[meggggg]

I have literally been reading this SINCE BEFORE I WENT TO EUROPE. Lmfao. I dragged it out in part because I loooove Bernadette badddd. But also, her work demands such active, careful, attentive reading and I wanted to go ham on annotations. Trust me, she deserved the full five months.

[joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Have another beer, smoke, jerk off & be thankful."

[isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

woah

[Mic Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

like she’s reading to you as you fall asleep

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wintry poems, coy
old springs healing cracked joints
where neighbors shovel

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Do water fountains have beards?”

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this felt disorienting like trying a new amusement park ride. Some lines are genius but others are very odd and clunky.

[jane bro]

on a bernadette mayer kick

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, I love Bernadette Mayer so much. Her writing a poem to Alice Notley is like the Dwyane Wade-Lebron James dunk photo.

[Mackenzie Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes beautiful, sometimes manic.