I just went on Amazon today to purchase a book by Kenneth Goldsmith. It turns out this is totally unnecessary. When I looked around to see which book might be best to buy first, I found that his EPC page has a great deal, if not all, of his published poetry in their complete forms. I found myself running into his essays and interviews in various places, and I have quoted his ideas about poetics and publishing in a few posts and essays for the Craft of Poetry class I took last year for my degree. I should have used Day or The Weather as examples of “craft,” along with the Flarf poets, but I had not read them yet.
I encourage you to read about him, and especially to take note of the directions he is taking poetry in.
Some suggested texts/resources on Goldsmith:
- Poetry on his EPC page: Head Citations, The Weather, No. 111.2.7.93-10.20.96
- A documentary (also free for online viewing and download): “sucking on words”
- The King of Boredom: A Tribute to Jackson Mac Low
- Jacket 21: Marjorie Perloff, A Conversation with Kenneth Goldsmith
- “Petty Theft: Kenny G Gives A’s for Uncreativity”