Jackson Mac Low's departure is a great loss indeed. The radiant yet
earthy energy with all its lovely curmudgenius knots, the absolute
clarity of the man's human, social, political engagement with this
world in this world, relentless, day after day working to change this
world despite what his friend John Cage had said about that desire, and
just as relentless, day after day, the light of the poems -- ah, who
will write the light poem for Jackson?
Here is some of what Jerome Rothenberg & I wrote about Jackson in the
"commentary" of the Millennium book:
All light is relevant to each light / & each light to every light / &
each light to each light / & every light to each light / & all light
to every light / & every light to all light / & each light to all light
/ & all light to all light.
Is that lucid?
Yes.
(JML)
Mac Low stands with John Cage as one of the two major artists to have
brought systematic chance (aleatoric) operations into our poetic &
musical practice since the Second World War. The resulting work raises
fundamental questions about the nature of poetry & the function of the
poet as creator. It also sums up & greatly extends the experiments of
many earlier avant-garde poets, not only with !objective chance! but
with the introduction into poetry of asymmetric structure, serial
techniques, & simultaneity of performance, along with a continuing use
of traditional & improvisational methods of composition. All of this
has finally brought a recognition by many (Cage among them) of Mac Low
as the principal experimental poet of his time...
Pierre
p.s. note new zip code in snailmail address below:
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"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents,
more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some
great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their
heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by
a downright moron." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956)
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For updates on readings, etc. check my current events page:
http://albany.edu/~joris/CurrentEvents.html
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Pierre Joris
244 Elm Street
Albany NY 12202
h: 518 426 0433
c: 518 225 7123
o: 518 442 40 85
email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.albany.edu/~joris/
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