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---
title: "Uncreative Writing by Kenneth Goldsmith"
type: "reading/books"
date: 2022-08-23
draft: false
summary: "Via Poem Talk and Christian Bök"
---
<img src="uncreative_writing_cover.jpg" align="left" style="padding: 8px;">
When in the poetry mood (which isn't always), I have a penchant for listening to the podcast [Poem Talk](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/podcasts/series/74633/poemtalk), who manage to find meaning no poet could possibly intend in their own work.
I listen to podcasts in one of two situations: listing in a hot bath or driving, alone.
Enjoyment of the forensic analysis espoused by the roundtable of planet-brained academics on Poem Talk is, after a time, soured by their inevitable inclination towards identity politics, something that seems to infect much of the mainstream poetry coverage I've found online nowadays, so on this particular occasion I pulled in at [Southwaite Services](https://motorwayservices.uk/Southwaite) for a slash and a takeaway cuppa at Greggs.
### Christian Bök
Sipping my brew and scrolling through alternatives before setting off, I found a podcast whose production values were such that (as I found out ten minutes later) the audio was barely audible above 40mph - but the poet being interviewed was a breath of fresh air.
It was [Christian Bök](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_B%C3%B6k), a conceptual, experimental poet who's matter of fact talk of process-driven objectivity, poetry-infused DNA, univolics, visual poetry and poetry in science was a shot in the arm after the political platitudes from the sisterhood at Kelly Writers House. Go and read about Christian Bök - he's the real deal.
### Kenneth Goldsmith
To cut a long story short, and because I want to get this post up as soon as possible, I found Kenneth Goldsmith linked from a web page on Christian Bök.
Kenneth was a concept artist who switched to poetry and.... To be continued.
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