Islets/Irritations

by Charles Bernstein

Poetry. " As the book's title implies, ISLETS/IRRITATIONS is frustrated with personal isolation-but also irritated with 'eyelets,' or any tight limits imposed from the outside. Bernstein attempts to create an inclusive and universal space by transcribing the transpersonal and instantaneous chunks of matter. that surround us in contemporary human society every day. A remarkable and demanding poet, associated with a tendency that may be the foundation for a major change in the way we write and read poetry"-Kenneth Funsten, Los Angeles Times Book Review.

Genres: Poetry

101 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

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

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my top 3 Charles Bernstein books. Great work, challenging. Bernstein started working with language as a plastic thing right away, taking off from Coolidge, I always thought. Wacky, awkward & compelling at its best, Charles' poetry continues to throw the balance off at every opportunity.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

there are moments that seem, personal, personal moments of isolation or alienation, mixed with this sort of professional or jargony language that also reeks of alienation, also a good bit of I don't understand but I love it, also the word "eyelets"

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so much and it is unique and some amazing imagery which saves it from being terrible but for the most part it is rambling and chaotic and not in the endearing way that makes it memorable and magical! It's not terrible but merely just ok!