My translation of Isidore Isou’s “Considerations on the Death and Burial of Tristan Tzara” is published by Black Scat Books, as the eighth in their elegant chapbook series, “Absurdist Texts and Documents.”  Isou, founder of that unusual literary movement, Letterism, describes his hilarious, often embarrassing, behavior at Tristan Tzara’s funeral.  It’s published in a limited edition of fifty, and available from Black Scat Books.

Jim Moore created the character of Baron Otto von Tu, an aristocratic hermit.  The Baron, in turn, founded Club Recluse, a society for the anti-social.  I wrote the handbook, which included information about the society, tributes to great recluses, and tips for solitary living.  Jim tried to sell membership kits, containing this manual, a certificate, a membership card, a pen and other trinkets.  He got few takers; but then, the motto was “If you want to join, you don’t belong.”

Orpheus may not be a good role model, but I suspect all musicians identify with him.

There have been many hymns to belief, and to disbelief, but not enough to suspension of judgment.  Here’s one.

The “Nine Settings” are for voice and piano. The texts are by Giordano Bruno, Marsilio Ficino, Tommaso Campanella, Le Comte de Saint-Germain, Christopher Smart, Guillaume Apollinaire, Francis Picabia, Jean-Pierre Brisset, and James Joyce. I wrote them back in 1983, and have occasionally revised them. They’re based on my occasional praxis of four-pitch diatonic chords, randomized or re-ordered in different ways, with the vocal part written from the three remaining pitches. Here’s some of the first one.

An illustrated verse.  I also set it to music, so I can sing it as it’s projected.

I wrote a couple of rounds on snippets from Remy de Gourmont; here’s one of them.

“Trash Cash” was another commission from the Tallgirls. I devised a series of interrelated scenes, accompanied by slides of my drawings. The floor was covered in pennies, which sparkled in the light, and crunched underfoot. I costumed the Tallgirls in white minidresses and go-go boots, which they all looked lovely in. There was also a sweater, which nobody wore, but which was left behind, picked up, and passed around throughout the piece. It was performed in San Francisco in 1985.