Derrida/Coleman

Were it possible, I would be naked. Of the nude philosophy:
consider the globalization of the expensive american sound.

Should we worry? We should work. I believe you’re right.
I distrust the word “white.” It’s sanctified propaganda.

Repetition is my language of origin, the highest technology. Anyway
the body is only mine provisionally. For reasons that I’m not sure of,
I am convinced that before becoming music, music was only a word.

I prefer to destroy the composer, renew the concept.
Extraordinary limitation playing freedom.

Credit

Copyright © 2019 by Taylor Johnson. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on August 26, 2019, by the Academy of American Poets.

About this Poem

“I improvised upon a 1997 interview between Jacques Derrida and Ornette Coleman, the PDF version of which I read was an english translation of the interview which was transcribed into french from the original audio of english. I was trying to play out Coleman’s concept of harmolodics. In the interview, Coleman describes the brain as ‘a conversation.’ And I like when Derrida asks, ‘What is the strategy of your musical choice for Paris?’ I wanted to see what kind of conversation could happen if I put Derrida and Coleman in one head. Sometimes the language turns on itself, and turns itself over. Listen to ‘Civilization Day’ off The Complete Science Fiction Sessions.”
—Taylor Johnson

Author

Taylor Johnson

Taylor Johnson’s first book of poems, Inheritance, will be published November 2020 with Alice James Books.

Date Published: 2019-08-26

Source URL: https://poets.org/poem/derridacoleman