The Crystal Text

Clark Coolidge's book-length meditation on a crystal, The Crystal Text, is considered a masterpiece of American avant-garde poetry. It is a multifaceted and elusive poem composed over 10 months, constantly interrogating itself. This new edition includes a preface by Peter Gizzi and an afterword by Coolidge, discussing the text with Jason Morris and Garrett Caples. Coolidge remains one of the most singular and original American poets of our time.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 28 December 2023
Publisher: City Lights Books

Clark Coolidge's renowned book-length meditation on a crystal, hailed as a masterpiece of American avant-garde poetry, has been reissued in a new edition. "No other poet has ever so exquisitely and occasionally also tumultuously written sheer sonic wonder into poetry," remarked Lyn Hejinian, author of My Life and My Life in the Nineties.

In the summer of 1982, Clark Coolidge received an unexpected gift—a small, clear, entirely unexceptional crystal. However, this ordinary object ignited a profound creative spark within the poet, leading to the composition of what has been widely regarded as his masterpiece, The Crystal Text (1986). Spanning ten months, this durational poem is a multifaceted and elusive work, composed in daybook-like entries of varying lengths. The Crystal Text constantly interrogates itself, posing questions such as whether it serves as a meditation on its titular object, akin to Keats's "Urn," or an exploration of the boundaries of language as a signifying system. Is the poet channeling the crystal to access its message, or is the crystal channeling the poet, drawing language from him to fill its colorless emptiness? Is it a dictation or improvisation? Does the poem document its crystalline growth or capture the very process of consciousness itself?

Rather than seeking resolution, The Crystal Text embraces its various possibilities simultaneously, resulting in one of the significant achievements of late 20th-century American avant-garde poetry. This new edition features a preface by poet and scholar Peter Gizzi and an afterword in which Coolidge discusses the text with poet Jason Morris and City Lights editor Garrett Caples.

Coolidge, associated with the New York School and subsequently influencing the Language Poets, remains one of the most singular and original American poets of our time. His work continues to resonate with readers, challenging the boundaries of language and perception, and leaving a lasting impact on the literary landscape.

Weight: 234g
Dimension: 214 x 141 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780872869042