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Seven Poets Chosen By John Ashbery (1983)

Dennis Cooper

English as a Second language

Ti­tle of the com­pi­la­ti­on: English as/a Second language
Ti­tle: Seven Poets Chosen By John Ashbery
(Dedicated to Tim Dlugos) (Track A14)
Publisher: Harvey Robert Kubernik, Freeway Records, Los Angeles
Da­te: 1983
Me­di­um: 2 re­cords 30 cm
Cover: Raymond Pettibon

 

In his piece Seven Poets Chosen By John Ashbery (Dedicated to Tim Dlugos), poet and artist Dennis Cooper not only thematically references New York School of Poets poet John Ashbery, but also mimics his nasal way of speaking. Both the New York School of Poets and Cooper's poem are characterized by humor, spontaneity, and social criticism, providing an avant-garde counterpoint to the academic, traditional poetry of their time.

In his piece, Cooper lists a number of characteristics and attributions that he seems to relate to the seven poets selected by Ashbery. Ashbery is considered one of the most important post-World War 2 U.S. poets. Cooper's evaluation of these seven unnamed poets (among whom he could include himself, since he always speaks in "we") as avant-garde trailblazers full of positive, alternative, and progressive qualities seemingly elevates them to the semantic proximity of one John Ashbery.

The compilation English as/a Second language, on which Seven Poets Chosen By John Ashbery was released, is considered an outstanding compilation of avant-garde poetry and music from the 1980s and was compiled by music journalist and record producer Harvey Robert Kubernik.

PS