From an interview by Sonnet L’Abbé with Sarah Dowling and me in Canadian Literature 210/211 (Autumn/Winter 2011)
As long as Christian Bök and Darren Wershler remain influential figures in conceptual poetics, would you consider conceptual writing a practice that has its origins "in Canada," perhaps with 'pataphysical roots? Can Canadianist scholars stake that territory?
Burckhardt is well known for his cityscape photographs and what's best in the films is an extension of what is great in the photos: the street signage, the criss-crossing motion of people walking in the street, the buzz and hum of the sidewalk. The DVD collection also includes a selection of Burckhardt's zany narrative films, starring Edwin Denby, John Ashbery, Mimi Gross, Alex Katz, Neil Welliver, Larry Rivers, Jane Freilicher, Paul Bowles, Aaron Copland, John Latouche, Fairfield Porter, Anne Waldman, Virgil Thomson, Yoshiko Chuma, Grazia Della-Terza, Douglas Dunn, Harry Sheppard, and Red Grooms, among others, and music or texts by Joe Brainard, Kenneth Koch, Frank O'Hara, and Ashbery.
1974 oil painting by Lee Sherry. Collection: David Reed.
I am sad to report the news that the painter Lee Sherry has died. Lee went to Reed College with David Reed, Leslie Scalapino, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Nina Wiener, and James Sherry, whom she later married. A marvellous painter, Lee had solo shows in the 1970s at the Susan Caldwell Gallery (NY). She designed ROOF magazine, where she was also the art editor. In addition, Lee designed a number of early Roof Books covers. She had significant relationships with the artist Porfirio DiDonna (1942-1986) and the poet Peter Seaton (1942-2010). She wrote a piece in tribute to Porfirio DiDonna for M/E/A/N/I/N/G #1 (1986) and wrote an essay, "Painting the Painting" for L=A=N-G=U=A=G=E #12 (1980). She is survived by her father and step-mother Bernard and Jane Sahlins. Her mother, Fritzie Sahlins, who with Bernard Sahlins was a founder of the legendary Chicago improvisational troupe Second City, died in 1991.
Richard Baker showed his paintings of book covers at a show that opened tonight in Provincetown at the Albert Merola Gallery. Gertrude Stein covers were featured, including four different editions of the Autobiography and the cover to the LP (hear the recordings on the Stein PennSound page).
