Coffee Coffee

by Aram Saroyan

Aram Saroyan's "minimal" poems of the 1960s demonstrated a completely unprecedented handling of words-often single words-that combined astounding economy with palpable textural warmth. Untitled poems that read in their entirety "eyeye" and "lobstee" evinced a pleasure in words that everybody could recognize-except Senator Jesse Helms, who publicly objected to Saroyan's poem "lighght" when its author received an NEA award-but which nobody else (except perhaps Gertrude Stein) had quite nailed until Aram Saroyan came along. In every one of Saroyan's page acts, the sound of typewriter keys inscribing blank paper are as audible to the mind's ear as the words themselves. "Coffee Coffee" was published as a mimeograph edition by Vito Acconci and Bernadette Mayer's 0 To 9 imprint in 1967, and was one of Saroyan's earliest collections, containing such gems as "guarantee," "added" and "rinse." Acconci has since recorded his admiration for these "In the late sixties, when I called myself a poet, Aram was the poet I envied."

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

First published February 28, 2010

About the author

Aram Saroyan is an American poet, novelist, biographer, memoirist and playwright. There has been a resurgence of interest in his work in the 21st century, evidenced by the publication in 2007 of several previous collections reissued together as Complete Minimal Poems. He is the son of author William Saroyan and actress Carol Grace, and the father of Strawberry Saroyan.

Reviews

[mwpm · Rating 4 out of 5]

though

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building

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ring

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o r

o r

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hard

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lookout

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guarantee

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oh

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bird
bird
bird

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city

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added

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haircut

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area

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cigarette
cigarette
cigarette
cigarette

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 '
aren't

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usual

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phone

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rinse

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fall over

fall over

fall over

fall over

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smoke

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sheer

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office

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ly ly

ly ly

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kiss

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acre

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oxygen

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people
people
people
people

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nightgown

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hotdog

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thirsty

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air
air
air
air

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sleep

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darkest

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down

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winter
winter
winter
winter

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medicine

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heavy

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crying

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velvet

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favor

Read the full text here: http://eclipsearchive.org/projects/COFFEE/coffee.html

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

These minimal poems are best in a large compendium like 'the Complete Minimal Poems' but here still have a nice rhythm. Works almost like a flipbook of words/mental images.