This - Barrett Watten and Robert Grenier (1971-1982)


This 9 (Winter 1978–79). Cover and photographs by Barrett Watten.
"In his landmark critical history, The Marginalization of Poetry: Language Writing and Literary History, Bob Perelman stressed the importance of the creation of literary venues (magazines and small presses) for the nurturing of new writing, singling out This for particular attention, as 'the first self-conscious journal of what would become known as language writing. The name and character of the movement were uninvented at the time, nor were many of the future participants in touch yet, but the magazine was clearly motivated by a sense of literary progress.' In his discussion, Perelman places This and language writing in the context of literary history, providing for it a distinguished genealogy: 'At the time there were many writers, involved in different social formations and providing various formal models, from which language writing would arise. A short list would include figures associated with Black Mountain, the New York School, the San Francisco Renaissance: Charles Olson, Frank O’Hara, and Jack Spicer, each of whom had recently died but whose work was still appearing.' ..."
From a Secret Location

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