Conceptual Poetry Symposium and YouTube Challenge

Conceptual Poetry and its Others
Keynote Speaker Marjorie Perloff
May 29-31, 2008

The forthcoming publication of Craig Dworkin and Kenneth Goldsmith’s Anthology of Conceptual Poetry (based on the online Ubuweb Anthology of Conceptual Writing) is only one sign of the recent interest in the “tensions between materiality and concept” (Dworkin), in a “new new formalism,” based on constraints, both the Oulipo and Cagean variants, on citationality and found text, on sound play, and visual device. Is such “non-expressivist” poetry too extreme? Conceptual Poetry and Its Others brings together a variety of leading poets to debate the issue. Featured artistis: Caroline Bergvall, Charles Bernstein, Christian Bok, Craig Dworkin, Peter Gizzi, Kenneth Goldsmith, Susan Howe, Tracie Morris, Cole Swenson.

YouTube Challenge!
Videographer Jonathan VanBallenberghe built this YouTube video for the Conceptual Poetry and Its Others Symposium. We are struck by the endless possibilities of the form, and so have decided to create a challenge for you, the audience, to create your own video to answer the question, “What is conceptual poetry?” The only constraint is that somewhere in the video, this text should be included:

“Conceptual Poetry and Its Others. May 29-31, 2008. www.poetrycenter.arizona.edu.”

Upload a video to YouTube by May 21 and let us know about it. Top videos will be featured on the Conceptual Poetry webpage (and may be screened at the Symposium keynote address) and the winner will receive a cash prize, provided by someone, to be announced soon.