Hugo Ball and the Fate of the Universe: Adventures in Sound Poetry

by Lane Chasek

Born in the chaos of WWI Europe, sound poetry is a genre which defies common sense and interpretation, a poetic system in which nonsense syllables take the place of words. Hugo Ball, founder of sound poetry and the Dada movement, viewed his creation as both artistic and political. Ball's innovations went on to influence poets and musicians throughout the world, from the scat singing of Ella Fitzgerald to today's algorithmic poets. Hugo Ball and the Fate of the Universe follows author Lane Chasek's journey to write their own sound poem. Along the way, they face the challenge of piecing together sound poetry's legacy--how it transformed our relationship with meaning and language, and how language itself wields the power to both heal and destroy us.

93 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2020

About the author

Lane is the author of the nonfiction novel Hugo Ball and the Fate of the Universe, the poetry collection A Cat is not a Dog and a forthcoming poetry chapbook. Lane's work has appeared in North Dakota Quarterly, Taco Bell Quarterly, perhappened, The Daily Drunk and many other publications. Lane is an editor at Jokes Literary Review, where he sometimes blogs, and is the founding editor of the sci-fi webzine Warp 10 Lit.

Reviews

[D.L. Kaiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mind was blown away by the richness of language, it’s use for protest, exploration in sound, and the thoughts of this deep thinker. I went through so many interesting experiences including the confusion of the arbitrary meaning of sound itself. I recited aloud some passages and laughed at some of the language we take so seriously when they actually sound ridiculous to me. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone who would like to explore and open their mind.

[Gabriel Congdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cool book.



Part history, part autobiography, you get to hang out with the Dadaists, with Ella Fitz, and you get to take apart the sensory stimulus known as sound. Meaning too, gets separated from its signifier, and is inspected like the odd creature we all are. Chase’s writing is very relatable, very accessible, while still pulling down high-level stars. There are some sound poems in here that were hella fun to read aloud to the forest. A fine book, a fun read, and an elucidating text. Man, sound poetry, who knew?

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and highly entertaining book about the history and significance of sound poetry. I'd never realized how sound poetry is connected to such a wide range of artists, musicians, and artistic movements. Chasek's writing is always engaging and personal, but there's also a playfulness in many of the chapters that really brings the prose to life.

[Willie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gifted writer and thinker. Great addition to a home library.