Bruce Andrews
Bruce Andrews (born April 1, 1948) is an American poet who was one of the key figures associated with the Language poets (or L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets, after the magazine that bears that name).
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Early Life and Work
Andrews was born in Chicago and studied international relations at Johns Hopkins University and political science at Harvard. His first book, Edge, was published in 1973.
L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poetry
Together with Charles Bernstein he edited L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E Magazine, which ran to 13 issues between 1978 and 1981 and ( along with other magazines such as This, A Hundred Posters, Big Deal, Dog City, Hills, Là Bas, Oculist Witnesses, QU, and Roof, ) was one of the most important outlets for L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poetry, giving a name to the new movement. In 1984 he and Bernstein published most of the contents of the 13 issues in The L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E Book.
Andrews and Politics
Since 1975, Andrews has been a professor of political science at Fordham University. Consequently, he rejects the classical notion of poetry as the 'direct treatment' of things in language, arguing that the only thing that can be so treated is language itself.
Andrews' courses take an unorthodox look at the political system. Looking outside the mainstream paradigm, he harshly criticizes what he calls the US government's policies of oppression and subversion.
Andrews appeared on the O'Reilly Factor in October 2006 after a Fordham student who interned on the program complained about what he called Andrews' leftist views.
Publications
As well as a number of essays, Andrews has published about forty books of poetry, either on his own or in collaboration with other writers. These include I Don't Have Any Paper So Shut Up (Or, Social Romanticism) (1992) and Ex Why Zee: Performance Texts, Collaborations with Sally Silvers, Word Maps, Bricolage & Improvisation (1995). Designated Heartbeat (Salt Publishing, 2006; ISBN 1-84471-068-8) and Swoon Noir (Chax Press, 2007; ISBN 978-0-925904-48-5) brings Andrews well into the 21st century. Also of note, recent projects (and e-reprints of earlier publications) are also appearing on-line.
Sources
- Chax Press