Jackson Mac Low: Doings: Performance Works 1955-2002

by Jackson Mac Low

Poetry. DOINGS: ASSORTED PERFORMANCE PIECES 1955-2002 presents a comprehensive collection of the poet's handwritten, drawn, typographic and musical notations—works composed through nonintentional methods and which operate simultaneously as visual art, literature and scores for performance. Termed "America's most indefatigable experimental poet" by Publishers Weekly, Mac Low has been recognized internationally as a master innovator for nearly five decades. "A genius of his art"—Robert Creeley. "..one of our true inventors..."—Jerome Rothenberg.

Genres: Poetry

248 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2001

Reviews

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, Granary Books has done the world a service by publishing this fantastic collection of performance scores by the maestro. If MacLow had not done these works, poets everywhere would have a much smaller palette to work with. He pioneered the performance poem, and invented so many amazing ways of doing so. Here are Gathas galore, and huge word-works that look more like paintings than traditional poems, and Granary includes detailed performance instructions, even a few fold-out pages. Having performed with Jackson a few times in some of these pieces, I can attest to the rigor involved. Jackson used to say, listen to each other! Let the silences be silent! Participate when you feel that it is needed, not just to be performing. Listen!
What a generous selection of works herein, and it includes a CD of Jackson performing some of these poems, along with Anne Tardos, who is probably the best collaborator and interpreter of his performance works alive. Great cover by Ian Tyson, too.