Jesse Bernstein: The Sad Bag
Released: 1990 (Trigger Recordings)
I’m stealing this post from the excellent blog Kick to Kill because it’s such an interesting piece of audio. Please visit said blog because it’s probably my favorite piece of digital publishing.
I know very little about Steven Jesse Bernstein and I have no idea why. His poetry reminds me of a schizophrenic Allen Ginsberg ala Howl or Kaddish. Supposedly he was featured on the Sub Pop release Prison featuring music by Steve Fisk (who produced albums by Nirvana, Low, Unwound, Three Mile Pilot, etc.) but I haven’t heard that little platter. Here’s a quote taken from Kick to Kill about Mr. Bernstein (Click here to read the original post on Kick to Kill):
“He read poems from a stage with a live rodent in his mouth, its tail twitching as baseline punctuation. He tried to cut his heart out in order to hold it in his hands and calm it down. He once urinated on a heckler and tended to throw things: beer bottles, manuscripts, drumsticks, his wallet, a sandwich.”
Holy shit!
This tape, The Sad Bag, features a bunch of Bernstein’s poetry and work. Enjoy.
Here are a few videos of Bernstein.
I had this cassette and loved it, but then it broke, or got wet. Thanks for sharing this.
My pleasure. I actually found it through a great blog I read called Kick to Kill. Check them out at http://kicktokill.blogspot.com
You won’t regret it.