Poems, Performance Pieces, Proses, Plays, Poetics (Border Lines: Works in Translation) by Kurt Schwitters

by Kurt Schwitters

Kurt Schwitters' stated goal was to "erase the boundaries between the arts." This collection, culled from the five-volume German edition of Schwitters' writings, introduces the total work of art that is Merz through Schwitters' words. Included is the complete text for the "Ursonate," Schwitters' legendary and lengthy epic of sound poetry, which, as poets, editors and translators Jerome Rothenberg and Pierre Joris comment, "is to sound poetry what Joyce's Ulysses is to the twentieth-century novel."

Genres: Poetry, Art, Drama, 20th Century

Hardcover

First published April 1, 1993

About the author

Kurt Schwitters was a painter, sculptor, designer and writer and worked in several genres and media, including Dada, Constructivism, Surrealism, poetry, sound, painting, sculpture, graphic design, typography, and what came to be known as installation art. Between 1923-32, Schwitters edited the magazine Merz.

Reviews

[Jeffrey Bumiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurt Schwitters is an inspiration! Uncompromisingly absurd, endlessly playful. I often find myself just silently contemplating the Cathedral of Erotic Misery. Also, I imagine the Ur sonata would be a hit at parties, or would get me thrown out of parties. Either is fine. If you desire some more DADA in your life seek out PPPPPP. This is probably not something you're going to want to read cover to cover straight through, but it's the right amount Kurt Schwitters to keep diving into whenever you find you need it.

[Philippe Malzieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the complement with the book of Schwitters. Ursonate phonetic poem. There is first the importance of graphism. The choice of the words, spacing of the lines, sizes and police of the text takes part in work.
After, it's nécessairy to read aloud to understand the difficulty of the exercise. Raoul Haussmann, other dada's artist write also good phonetic poems.

[Chandra Shukla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schwitters is the Pope of DADA!

[Al Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun EC book (with lovely Naomi Yang cover).

I think the ursonate is up on Ubu.

http://www.ubu.com/sound/schwitters.html

[J. Gonzalez- Blitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've learned to do the Ursonate, now I've found the rest of his written work enjoyable too.

[Kevin S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Okanenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant man. Very funny too. What would it be if we more of these people on this planet? One of my favorites.

[Josef Horacek · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think that dada is all about nonsense and nihilism, read this book.

[Miami University Libraries]

King Library (2nd floor) | PT2638.W896 A27 1993

[PEN Center USA · Rating 5 out of 5]

1994 PEN Center USA Award Winner for Translation

[Cooper Renner · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology like this is almost always a mixed bag, some very good stuff, some yawns.