Charles Bernstein

In their most unusual move yet, hosts Glenn O'Brien and Max Blagg gave center stage to Charles Bernstein- only their second studio guest in twelve episodes - and listened politely (even more unusual!) when he played several rare recordings - some even more obscure than their usual choices (George Oppen, the anti-Sandburg, for one) - which the charismatic Bernstein had brought from the University of Pennsylvania's massive poetry archive, PennSound. He is its director. Language poet Bernstein is also the author of 22 books, including With Strings and My Way: Speeches and Poems, (both University of Chicago Press). From a grainy recording of Robert Creeley in the early fifties, to a home made tape of an 80-year-old Barbara Guest declaiming in her Berkeley living room, Bernstein's choices fit right in with the motto of Bald Ego Online: "If we like it, you'll hear it," embracing and endorsing the infinite possibilities and wild diversity of language and words. Pip-pip!

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