Intellectual Curiosities and Provocations

May 2004

LitKicks @ LitFest: Bethesda, MD April 25, 2004

Gallery Neptune was the home-base for LitKicks @ LitFest. Elyse Harrison opened her beautiful art space for the LitKicks Action Poets to accompany the exhibit The Influence of Curious George and Other Literary Icons of Our Childhood. We took the theme and ran with it... covering everything from nursery rhymes to Harry Potter, from The Giving Tree to classic fairy tales. All with our own unique spin, naturally.

When Corso Dropped his Bomb

 
Gregory Corso listening to "Bomb" in Puerto Rico, 1970
 

Litkicks is proud to present, for the first time ever, an original 1970 recording of Gregory Corso performing his classic poem 'BOMB', courtesy of Graham Seidman.

Gregory Corso listening to 'BOMB'
1970, San Juan, PR

Litkicks is proud to present, for the first time ever, an original 1970 recording of Gregory Corso performing his classic poem 'BOMB', courtesy of Graham Seidman.

Graham Seidman is an artist who presents culture and history as beauty through his photography and mosaic presentations. As a Beat Hotel "alum", he has generously shared his memories and stories of Corso, Allen Ginsberg and others with the LitKicks community. Here Graham tells the story of how Gregory Corso visited Puerto Rico and recorded the reading of BOMB available on this page.

Play or download mp3 of 'BOMB' by Gregory Corso

Gregory Corso - Paris, 1958

Gregory Corso, Puerto Rico -- 1970

"One day I asked if he would record a tape for me of the BOMB. He had given me the original manuscript in Paris in exchange for a painting I made.

"Ok" he said. He first made a fake phone call to a friend in order to set the time and place, then he disappeared into the guest room alone, there was a piano in that room and he employed it into the taping. Unfortunately, the cassette tape ran out just at the end, otherwise it's perfect.

I'm happy to share this tape with the world." --Graham Seidman