The British Council's Peter Orr and Woodberry Poetry Room's Jack Sweeney collaborated on the Poet Speaks series throughout the 1960s. The intent was to capture the poet as a person, relaxed and unrehearsed. In addition, by recording and having copies archived in London and Cambridge, Mass., it would ensure that the legacy of the spoken word was accessible in intellectual environments internationally.
The majority of the readings and interviews took place at the BBC's offices at Albion House, 55 New Oxford Street, London, pictured here.
Did you know that Sylvia Plath was the only American woman (that I could find) who read poems and was interviewed in the Poet Speaks series? Plath's reading and interview was held on 30 October 1962.
In 1966, a selection of interviews was published under the title The Poet Speaks. Simultaneously, selected recordings were released by Argo on a series long playing records. Plath appears with Thom Gunn, Ted Hughes, and Peter Redgrove. Plath's poems included on this LP are: "Daddy", "Lady Lazarus", "Fever 103", and "Ariel".
The majority of the readings and interviews took place at the BBC's offices at Albion House, 55 New Oxford Street, London, pictured here.
Did you know that Sylvia Plath was the only American woman (that I could find) who read poems and was interviewed in the Poet Speaks series? Plath's reading and interview was held on 30 October 1962.
In 1966, a selection of interviews was published under the title The Poet Speaks. Simultaneously, selected recordings were released by Argo on a series long playing records. Plath appears with Thom Gunn, Ted Hughes, and Peter Redgrove. Plath's poems included on this LP are: "Daddy", "Lady Lazarus", "Fever 103", and "Ariel".
and did you know that i knew it for years and that you can now find the interview with Mr. Orr here? ;) please enjoy.
ReplyDeletepart1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6RRWf8woPM
part2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFLNL5EyPOg&feature=related
greetings from Italy,
from a big big fan pf Sylvia.
Ale.
Do you know if any of the recordings SP and TH made for the BBC are available? Does anyone know if you can make requests or appointments to listen to the recordings at the BBC?
ReplyDeleteDo you know if any of the recordings SP and TH made for the BBC are available? Does anyone know if you can make requests or appointments to listen to the recordings at the BBC?
ReplyDeleteHi Catty,
ReplyDeleteThe Plath was released in 1975 on Credo records. Some of these were also include in the 1999 Voice of the Poet series published by Random House.
I'm pretty sure the Hughes recordings were released too, but am not too sure.
Cheers
Peter
Not far from The French House down the road, then known as the York Minster where Plath drank (previously frequented by Dylan Thomas who left the MS drafts of 'Under MIlk Wood' there one drunken night) and signed her first contract for The Colossus.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity that SP was the only American woman interviewed for this series-it's not like they didn't have a wonderful array of poets from which to choose.
ReplyDeleteThen again, Sylvia did occupy an unusual niche in the poetry world at that time, an American married to a much-heralded British poet, and so on. In the 1962 interview, Orr refers to her as a poet who "straddles the Atlantic" and she laughs and says "It's an awkward position. . . but I accept it !"
I'm going to try and sniff out more of these interviews.