The Transcripts

by Charles Stein

Originally published in 1983 by Xerox Sutra Editions. Hand-drawn, the text acts both as graphic poetry & score for sound-poetry (which the author himself is a delightful wiz at). I saw Chuck give an extraordinary performance of this score at Woodland Patterns in Milwaukee accompanied by George Quasha.

Genres: Poetry

49 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[mwpm · Rating 4 out of 5]

We met Charles Stein at the Milwaukee '82 bookfair & he suggested that we might be interested in these sound poetry texts, which when performed he translates into varietyes of singing & speech textures. In my hearing it often has the alphabet as its ostinato bassline with multiphonic timbres layered around it. It exists within a tradition of poly considerations, a learned fragmentation, & this work as prototype for new literatures no longer has historic barriers. We can read it for what it is & not be harried to shelve it in a particular ism & localize our understanding of it. Or we might. But I think the temptation these days is toward valence, or spending & extending accurate designs & proportions. We stand at an edge & the horizon is incorrectly shifted that moment but we have learned to ingest our disturbance. THE TRANSCRIPT is nuclear literature & it includes many peoples in its readings.
-- mICHAEL aND, 1983




Read the full text here: http://xexoxial.org/pdf/transcripts_web.pdf