CLASSIFICATION
Swallow ID:
1280
Partner Institution:
Concordia University
Source Collection Label:
SGWU Reading Series-Concordia University Department of English fonds
Series:
The Poetry Series
Sub Series:
SGWU Reading Series-Concordia University Department of English fonds
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Title:
bill bissett at Sir George Williams University, The Poetry Series, 31 October 1969
Title Source:
Cataloguer
Title Note:
"BILL BISSETT Recorded October 31, 1969 3.75 ips, on 1 mil. tape, 1/2 track" written on sticker on the back of the tape's box. "BILL BISSETT I006/SR83" written on sticker on the spine of the tape's box. "I006-11-083" written on sticker on the reel
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Genre:
Reading: Poetry
Identifiers:
[]
Rights
CREATORS
Name:
Bissett, Bill
Dates:
1939-
Role:
"Author",
"Performer"
Notes:
Poet, artist, painter and editor bill bissett was born in Halifax in 1939, but was most actively associated with the Vancouver poetry renaissance of the 60s. He has often been associated with bpNichol as a founder of the concrete poetry movement and a sound poetry practitioner. bissett has published dozens of collections of poems over thirty years, many of them self-published with his own art on the cover. A selection of his titles include we sleep inside each other all published in 1966 by Island press, which was followed by awake in the red desert (TalonBooks, 1968), selected poems: nobody owns th earth (House of Anansi Press, 1971), pomes for yoshi (blewointmentpress,1972), Medicine my mouths on fire (Oberon Press, 1974), Sailor (TalonBooks, 1978), Seagull on Yonge Street (TalonBooks, 1983), Canada gees mate for life (TalonBooks, 1985), Animal uproar (TalonBooks, 1987), Hard 2 beleev (TalonBooks, 1990), Th last photo uv th human soul (TalonBooks, 1993), Th influenza uv logik (TalonBooks, 1995). bissett founded Vancouver’s blewointmentpress in 1963. His poetry and alternative lifestyle often caused bissett to have legal problems, which rallied support from his community. what we have (TalonBooks, 1988) won the Milton Acorn People’s Poetry Award in 1989, and much of his art and activism privileges the democracy of poetry. He is most famous for his poetry readings, as his printed text lifts off the page through chanting, visual and sound poetry techniques. bissett currently lives in London, Ontario.
CONTRIBUTORS
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Reel to Reel
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Extent:
1/4 inch
Playing Speed:
3 3/4 ips
Track Configuration:
Half-track
Playback Mode:
Mono
Tape Brand:
Scotch
Sound Quality:
Good
DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION
File Path:
files.spokenweb.ca>concordia>sgw>audio>all_mp3
Duration:
01:14:13
Size:
178.1MB
Content:
bill bissett
00:00:00
Reads “3. i have evn herd uv thee” [from Of Th Land Divine Service].
bill bissett
00:01:12
Performs “4” [from Of Th Land Divine Service].
bill bissett
00:04:44
Reads "The molecular robbery" [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:11:09
Reads unnamed poem.
bill bissett
00:13:40
Reads "Killer Whale" [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:18:04
Performs “5. And that light is in thee is in thee and” [from Of Th Land Divine Service].
bill bissett
00:19:20
Performs “6. And in all things did even as Adam had done” [from Of Th Land Divine Service].
bill bissett
00:20:48
Performs “and the green wind is mooving thru th summr trees” [from awake in th red desert].
bill bissett
00:22:54
Reads “Circles in th Sun” [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:24:13
Performs “Walrus Song” [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:33:09
Reads unnamed poem [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:37:14
Reads [“the flaming end: 8 beautiful people on a bus”].
Unknown
00:47:44
[Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed].
bill bissett
00:47:44
Resumes reading [possibly still “the flaming end: 8 beautiful people on a bus”].
bill bissett
00:50:25
Reads unnamed poem.
bill bissett
00:51:09
Reads ["Another 100 warrants issued" from Nobody Owns th Earth].
bill bissett
00:53:36
Performs "th water falls in yr mind nd yu get wet tooo" [from liberating skies].
bill bissett
00:58:25
Performs unnamed poem.
bill bissett
01:02:02
Reads unnamed poem.
bill bissett
01:02:32
Performs “tarzan collage” [from drifting into war].
Audience
01:04:37
Applause.
bill bissett
01:05:08
Just as you leave I'll just do this little thing, just keep going though.
bill bissett
01:05:11
Performs unnamed poem.
bill bissett
01:06:18
Performs [“moss song” from Of Th Land Divine Service].
END
01:14:13
Notes:
bill bissett reads and performs poems from Awake in th red desert! (1968),
Of Th Land Divine Service (Weed/Flower Press, 1968), lost angel mining company (Blew Ointment Press, 1969), Liberating Skies (1969), and Nobody Owns th Earth (House of Anansi Press, 1971), some of which were later collected in Selected Poems: Beyond Even Faithful Legends (Talonbooks, 1980).
TRANSCRIPTION NOTES: Initially transcribed as two separate parts; this digital file combines two recordings. Timestamps reflect the single recording.
List of Poems Read and Time Stamps [Part 1]
00:00 - Recording starts mid-sentence, reading “3. i have evn herd uv thee” [INDEX: from OF TH LAND DIVINE SERVICE, line “...I had even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee...”]
01:12 - Reads “4” [INDEX: from OF TH LAND DIVINE SERVICE, first line “a chain of gold which art of the children...”.]
04:44 - Reads “The molecular robbery” [INDEX: from lost angel mining company]
11:09 - Reads first line “Sung to the tune of Michael rowed his boat ashore...”
13:40 - Reads “Killer Whale”
18:04 - Reads “5. And that light is in thee is in thee and” [INDEX: from OF TH LAND DIVINE SERVICE.]
19:20 - Reads “6. And in all things did even as Adam had done” [INDEX: from OF TH LAND DIVINE SERVICE.]
20:48 - Reads “and the green wind is mooving thru th summr trees” [INDEX: from lost angel mining company and from OF TH LAND DIVINE SERVICE.]
22:36 - Reads “Circles in th Sun” [INDEX: from lost angel mining company, first line “In the mushroom village, all the little children, brightly smiling...”]
24:13 - Reads “Walrus Song” [INDEX: from lost angel mining company, first line “Drink all the lime you can...”.]
33:09 - Reads first line “So that even yourself becomes a serene stranger...”
37:14.17 - END OF RECORDING
List of Poems Read and Time Stamps [Part 2]
00:00 - Reads first line “The flaming end, eight beautiful people on a bus...”
10:30 - [CUT] continues reading “...absolutely nothing there but to do with living...”
13:11 - Reads first line “Could we grow [inaudible] in the bomb shelter?...”
13:55 - Reads “Another 100 warrants issued” from NOBODY OWNS TH EARTH
16:21 - Reads first line “The water falls in your mind and you get wet too...”
21:11 - Reads first line “The moon is [inaudible] she screamed, listen closely she said...”
24:48 - Reads first line “Sparrows dream of the endless sun...”
25:17- Reads “tarzan collage” from drifting into war, first line “Speaking, speaking, speaking, the I is speaking...”
27:48 - Reads first line “Bright, yellow, sky...”
29:04 - Reads “moss song” from OF TH LAND DIVINE SERVICE , first line “See the berries ripen in the trees...”
36:59 - END OF RECORDING.
Content Type:
Sound Recording
Featured:
Yes
Title:
bill bissett Tape Box - Back
Credit:
Drew Bernet
Content Type:
Photograph
Title:
bill bissett Tape Box - Front
Credit:
Drew Bernet
Content Type:
Photograph
Title:
bill bissett Tape Box - Spine
Credit:
Drew Bernet
Content Type:
Photograph
Title:
bill bissett Tape Box - Reel
Credit:
Drew Bernet
Content Type:
Photograph
Dates
Date:
1969 10 31
Type:
Performance Date
Source:
Accompanying Material
Notes:
Date written on sticker on the back of the tape's box.
LOCATION
Address:
1455, Boul de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Venue:
Possibly, Hall Building Room H-651
Latitude:
45.4972758
Longitude:
-73.57893043
Notes:
Location specified in previous written announcement "Poetry Four: Sir George Williams Poetry Series," but not confirmed
CONTENT
Contents:
bill_bisset_i006-11-083.mp3
bill bissett
00:00:00
Reads “3. i have evn herd uv thee” [from Of Th Land Divine Service].
bill bissett
00:01:12
Performs “4” [from Of Th Land Divine Service].
bill bissett
00:04:44
Reads "The molecular robbery" [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:11:09
Reads unnamed poem.
bill bissett
00:13:40
Reads "Killer Whale" [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:18:04
Performs “5. And that light is in thee is in thee and” [from Of Th Land Divine Service].
bill bissett
00:19:20
Performs “6. And in all things did even as Adam had done” [from Of Th Land Divine Service].
bill bissett
00:20:48
Performs “and the green wind is mooving thru th summr trees” [from awake in th red desert].
bill bissett
00:22:54
Reads “Circles in th Sun” [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:24:13
Performs “Walrus Song” [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:33:09
Reads unnamed poem [from lost angel mining company].
bill bissett
00:37:14
Reads [“the flaming end: 8 beautiful people on a bus”].
Unknown
00:47:44
[Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed].
bill bissett
00:47:44
Resumes reading [possibly still “the flaming end: 8 beautiful people on a bus”].
bill bissett
00:50:25
Reads unnamed poem.
bill bissett
00:51:09
Reads ["Another 100 warrants issued" from Nobody Owns th Earth].
bill bissett
00:53:36
Performs "th water falls in yr mind nd yu get wet tooo" [from liberating skies].
bill bissett
00:58:25
Performs unnamed poem.
bill bissett
01:02:02
Reads unnamed poem.
bill bissett
01:02:32
Performs “tarzan collage” [from drifting into war].
Audience
01:04:37
Applause.
bill bissett
01:05:08
Just as you leave I'll just do this little thing, just keep going though.
bill bissett
01:05:11
Performs unnamed poem.
bill bissett
01:06:18
Performs [“moss song” from Of Th Land Divine Service].
END
01:14:13
Notes:
bill bissett reads and performs poems from Awake in th red desert! (1968),
Of Th Land Divine Service (Weed/Flower Press, 1968), lost angel mining company (Blew Ointment Press, 1969), Liberating Skies (1969), and Nobody Owns th Earth (House of Anansi Press, 1971), some of which were later collected in Selected Poems: Beyond Even Faithful Legends (Talonbooks, 1980).
NOTES
Type:
General
Note:
Year-Specific Information:
In 1969, bissett published Liberating Skies (Blewointment Press), Lost Angel Mining Company (Blewointment Press), and Sunday Work? (Blewointment Press). He was working on S the Story I to (Blewointment Press, 1970), Blew Trewz, Nobody Owns th Earth both published by Blewointment Press in 1971, along with Dragonfly (Weed/Flower Press, 1971), Drifting into War (Talonbooks, 1971), I.B.M. (Blewointment Press, 1971), Tuff Shit: Love Pomes (Bandit/Black Moss Press, 1971), and Rush (Blewointmeint Press, 1971).
Type:
General
Note:
Local Connections:
bissett’s blewointment press and its magazine has published (then) up-and-coming Vancouver poets Gerry Gilbert and Maxine Gadd. His own work was first published by Eli Mandel, and anthologized by Margaret Atwood and Dennis Lee. Though his poetry was radical and a rejection of conventional styles, bissett has become an important figure in Canada’s literary history. He was also connected to George Bowering from Sir George Williams University through the Vancouver poetry scene in the early 1960’s.
Type:
Cataloguer
Note:
Original transcript, research, introduction and edits by Celyn Harding-Jones
Additional research and edits by Faith Paré (2020) and Ali Barillaro (2021)
Type:
Preservation
Note:
Reel-to-reel tape>2 CDs>digital file
RELATED WORKS
Citation:
bissett, bill. Liberating skies. Vancouver: Blew Ointment Press, 1969.
Citation:
bissett, bill. Selected Poems: Beyond Even Faithful Legends. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1980.
Citation:
bissett, bill. lost angel mining company. Vancouver: Blew Ointment Press, 1969.
Citation:
bissett, bill. Nobody Owns th Earth. Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 1971.
Citation:
bissett, bill. Of Th Land Divine Service. Toronto: Weed/Flower Press, 1968.
Citation:
Bowering, George, ed. The Contemporary Canadian Poem Anthology. Toronto: Coach House Press, 1984.
Citation:
Davey, Frank. From There to Here: A Guide to English-Canadian Literature Since 1960, Our Nature-Our Voices II. Erin, Ontario: Press Porcepic, 1974.
Citation:
Mandel, Eli (ed). Poets of Contemporary Canada 1960-1970. Montreal: McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1972.
Citation:
Stephen Scobie "Bissett, Bill". The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature, 2nd edition. Eugene Benson and William Toye. Oxford University Press, 2006.
Citation:
bissett, bill. Awake in th[e] red desert! Vancouver: Talon Books, 1968.