After Kenneth Goldsmith

Dedicated to Simon Morris and Rob Lavers

Matthew Lee Knowles

January 2009
The following text is a new version of
four blogs by Kenneth Goldsmith:

“A Week of Blogs for the Poetry Foundation”

Words, punctuations, names and numbers have been

separated into the following sections:

WORDS
1)Conceptual Poetics - PART I
2)Uncreative Writing - PART II
3)Information Management - PART III
4)Boredom - PART IV

PUNCTUATION
1)Conceptual Poetics - PART I
2)Uncreative Writing - PART II
3)Information Management - PART III
4)Boredom - PART IV

OMITTED NAMES

OMITTED NUMBERS

(NB: only the end notes have been completely omitted from this writing)
PART I

a a and anything and analysis another a an a alphabet a a are an a a

and another an a a a a a as a a are a a amount attention a avant-
garde an a a and and although and are about and art and a are as and
a and are assumes any a and any as a avoiding anthology all and
appropriation and as and as and and as as as a and across again as as
archiving advertising are and adds a a avant-garde and and allegiance
art as as aspects appropriation arts appropriated and aren’t agenda
author a am an any accept agitation all a and art appropriation apart
after and approach again as a as and acknowledge a any are a a and
are as a and a an a amount and always about a a a a a a a a at and
and

book by been book by by bacterium book broad been be bound between

book blog by by between be boredom be be based borrowed be be be
based blast bits but boring beauty but beauty be being be be by by
back been better but been better

century confession contents chemical creating creating copy

conceptual conceptual century century continually celebrates come
constraints commerical constraints computing create can conceptual
concerns concept conceptual construction conceptual carry conceptual
conceptual claims contrary cataloging concerned conceptual
compositions conceptual century constellation certain century
concerned concerns concrete concrète conceptual claims conceptual
consumerist conceptual conceptual choice copy claimed could certain
cage content conceptual celebrates circumstance century’s continue
cracks correct conceptual conceptual claiming considered consider
could could conceivably

do diagramming DNA dollars decides day’s disciplines discourse

drives designing designs databasing detritus debased did densely
dictate day’s deconstruction disorientation don’t don’t direct
done done

ever exciting entire every example embedded enough even earth entire
edition everywhere examples expanded exclusively economy economics
emotion enough emotional each employs ego effacing extreme ethos
entartete everyday epically embrace every exclude editorial
everything enough even employ epigraph ethos experience expressive
emotion exhaustively ego

finds from from for finished fantasy fair fusing field for from from
from flux from framed freed from flourish further from familiar fraud
falsification films futurist fine far from filter fodder familiar
fresh few for from feelings

grammar gallery generally grammatically good good grammatical

has holocaust humanity himself he has his how his high hand how had
had heart have have have

inspired I index its infusing into is implanted into in is it is is

is is impulses it’s instability its is in in image is in it its
interventionalist is is it in it is in introduction if it it is it
intentionally illegibility its information its its into illegibility
influences invented it in in inherent inherited it in is in I its is
intact is is into intact in in in in is interested in is is idea is
idea is interesting I if is I if I if I’ll it intellect in image
itself in itself it it

junk

know key known

late letter living later lifespan letter like like lately last lab
literature language language language language language language
language language language language language language languages
language literary left language legacy language language linguistic
language last literature look like language logical language longer

more medieval movement moment morphs market manifested materiality

materiality meaning metaphor matters machine mere morphemes meddling
machine makes management methodologies material machine meaningless
machinistic media more much movements materiality musique morally
machine makes motion morally music moral music music model made
method more mind much more moments many mundane much mixed metaphor
meticulous

not nuclear new numeral no not new non notions non necessity no
nutritionlessness nutritionless new not no need new need need
normative name non no

of own of of of of of organism outlast of of of or onto over out of

of or of of of one of of of of one often outside of of of of or of of
on of of on of or on own one of obviates of of obstinately on
originality on only once obsessive of of of on of of of of or or
often or of of on of or on other of of often our out of or or old of
or other of order of opposites of order our on only often of of of of
on of of one of of overflow of onto of of of

poet proceeds parse page poet poetry process poem poem perhaps planet
poet page poet published page poetry poetics present proposes poetry
pages printed page poetry poetics practitioners poetry poetry poetry
perfectly pronged poem’s physicality poem’s poet preset plan posits
plagiarism precepts processing process pages paragraph primary
procedural prong page poetry plunderphonics pataphysics process
politics politically poem political politically pop politics
permeability practices process pulverization pound proceed poetry’s
philosophical poetics perspectives poet poet poet poet poet poet
poetry poetry procedure process poet’s poem poetry

quantity quality quotidian question

really research retype resulting receiving reading received readers

raw recycled repetition rap reflexive reprehensible retyping
reflectivity regardless rise reframed reconstructed re-imagine
relationship rather readership readability resultant rhythms
repetition reframed reorientation readerliness rather replaced
representation regard reflexive

sentences system scientist sequence strong survive scribe sequesters

sounds something satisfied space science social space social space
studied science space side song subservient side sentences semantic
subjective subjectivity sounds self something shovelled spread
sprache speech say sound spatialist sound sampling side self sets
sound sounds sounds silver strange semantically syntax sentence
sentence should smaller should some syntactically surface strategy
speech sentiments sometimes some structural spectacle so shocking
siphoned substitutions spontaneous supplanted self self so

the that than to the the table to the teams to then thousand they the
this to thereby the the to the times there transcribed the the text
these that the the the the technologies the that to the this the to
the the to the the the to the that the through the these the the the
the the these two the tensions the traditional to the the the that
the the that the trace the tactic to that the turn thus the that the
to the the tactics theft to to the than that texts to that the the
the to the the their the the to that theirs the that the the to the
the the times to that too to to the transparency turned to this the
the to the the to the that the to take the to to the the the
therefore to to to to the thinkership than the thing this the the
than the texts there the the the to the time to there’s to these
texts to to than the the the the the turned the the that the test the
the

up until uncreative uncertainty using uncreativity unoriginality

unloved unreadability unreadable unwatchable use unsavory unsavory
unfamiliar unboring uncreative used unanticipated

valueless valueless valuelessness violence view vessel valueless

valuelessness

word with which with which will works writing writing with writing
webpage work works written world worlds which works writing’s what
writer work words will weight without work with way work work writing
writing word with weighed writing’s writing were with works well
writers words writers words which word while was were was was world
world writing with when we we whole we writing writing writing when
wonderful want was want was what would which were with which were
were whether workshop whether

yet York year you York yet

PART II

a at a are any and are and at and a ask always a a and a an army any
all are aside arrives an another about another and absolutely are and
a a actually aware act actually an act a act aware and as as around a
and amnesia an amnesiac alternatively and act a about a act
assignment another act another a and and airtight accountability
angle a and a about adjusting a a articulated and accurately a are
arise among about aesthetic and another a a ago a at after a about a
about and an author asked author answered added assignment and a
assignment actually a across a all away a a and a a aspiring art a
ambitious a an at ask and at and accountable are able attitudes a and
a another another and

become brought become be believer be before be but became become be

became body became began but be better broken but by be because
before been better by bourbon been by bound but bring buy becomes be
become best benzedrine

class called creativity creativity can creativity creative could

creatively creative creative copy can cast creation can considered
creative creative creative choice characters cramps choice complete
can choices can comma circumstances considered computer circumstances
class class came complaining come chose country convertible
completely copying chunk class can come class completely conservative
claim crap careers course

Did don’t down debased direction do do dictum durational down desire

differentiates discover during defend doomed do did does do do does
differently down down down desert different different drifted day
disbelief duration draw dedicate

extension expert explored environment express either even exercise

enlightening ever experience ever embodying even ever each ended even
entered every executed examination everything edition economic
exactly end example‘em even experience every enough enough entirety
each exercies
for for freer follow fiction fall five full find famous formal for
first find finding for favourite for from fail fact flow from for few
fiction for favourite felt fulfil for fistful furiously fill for for
for fully fortified for frankly found fine from for

go give goal generic group get gulping going good good good

happier hour hackneyed hitting having had hands having having her
high how herself her hating hating her hand have here have her had
her head his have hour highway hours have have her have had had have

I is in it instead identity is into in in instead I if individuals

I’m in is I is imitates imitate is it’s in is I is instructions it
I it intense is involving in in intensely in inducing in is inability
it it it in it into in is if is if is is insist in is it it if it is
in I in imagination in in I inside in it in in it instead if it’s
isn’t it I if in I in I into I is is in is

just job justification

known known kind known

let like laws lay lives like live lose learn longer layout lecturing
lack learning learned least long load life

my might mean more more mind manual many magnificent more my machine
machine most many moved memoirs memory meaning mans metaphor menu
more methodology must me me most meaningless me manual miles mention
my mind metropolitan museum masters my

not needs not nobody nobody notions need no not noticing not no
normally never next night not no

of of own of originality out open of of only of otherwise of or only

of original one one our of opposite or of one of of others of or of
of of of only opaque objects others of or of of one only of order
orientation on other or of outside of of of on original on original
or one or of one of of original of one of of off on of of of old or
of on original of of of one out of of own of of of of one
pedagogical poetics penalized plagarism papers patch plundering place
pursuits props poem pages performance physically properties perfect
poorly purposefulness process people procedure proceed paper paper
pulpy political page page page processing program pick piece occurred
per piece painters profound piece positions period

question questions quite

rewarded repurposing reframed responsibility recklessness relax

result reads romanticized run really rise retype responses
revelations reading retyping regain retyping retype retyped retyped
retyping retype restaurants rigorous reproduce received roman road
roof ribbon retyped road really really retyped reject result rest
result

students showing shred sampling stealing surprisingly suddenly

surreptitiously safe strong something system so scripted sentimental
sunlight spectacular students simple some say several students some
students space student student story sexual student school short
story she spell success sloppy scope stock say social simply so
seemingly simple small students she style students she she she
scribbled style student style she spending should student she she
style stick she something she she start semester students simply
suspend spent

teach the they theft they thrive they’ve the terms the to themselves
they’d the therapeutic to to the the to the this this this this this
this time to the the the table that tracks the the to them the to
their their to to that the they the they that the typing their to the
their the the text’s the time their to think texts transparent to
the task to the text then the their to to the the this to the took to
to the task the the the trick then the the the to there that the
through the that the to them the thick the text’s the to the the
texts times task the to the to to tell that they talking the they
them their the that the they then that the to the tried to to the to
that this to the taking trip the the the the typing typewriter then
to than to those the the them think that this the the that to think
to the to their the the to tell them that thing that the that they
this their they to that they time these time they’ve them to that
the tool their toolbox they the their the the that they their to

university uncreative use uncreative upon up uncreative use up up us

understood uncreative uncreative upon unlikeliest uncreative

value varied very very

writing which writing what well what’s wrong with we world work when
writer who whom when what we way writing work with without want was
with were writing whole white without without what what written was
was waitress who work was when writing writing work workshop where
worry word was well we writing with writing what why white when was
what words way word will was workshop were with well writers were
writer week with work which write would with washing with while
would’ve writing who why would was wouldn’t way was with would
writing writing way working with writing writing which will writing

you your you you your yet you your your you you you yellowed you your
you you your years yet

zen
PART III

am a a amount after a act another a act and artist as add any an

appropriate a an amount available a attitude a archiving and along a
and acquire a and and a alchemical another as a as and active a and
and all a as a a and a a and and ah accumulation a as anonymous a
away a art all about and a and again and approve all and as add
anymore are a audience artificially already at are a already any
among anthropoid a an act an aliens

be bootlegging become bookstore better brute book’s be back balance

between begging be broadcast by broadcaster blizzard back be be being
because because beginning be bothered by because but because build
but because

cartoon claiming constitutes cultural content containers call

conceptual come condition contemporary crossed clandestine cut
collation copying carnal clipboard cycle columns corporate cast
captured cruising cursor catching can conferences can can culture
commit consider clones

day downloading day different do demons dedicated drive drive dumped

dormant designs decisions document dumped dumping data do do do
digital drone do

exhausted each embrace exists expertise exacting excitement endless

emancipation expanse ephemeral every every ever evanescent encounter
environment everybody everybody everybody every expect evident
exalted era exhaustion exist evolved

from fair full faced for file find few from from fluidity from freed
frozen from fonts flattened form for from filed fantasy finally for
full first for for from for formal for

gigabytes generated grind generic goes gradual generation great great

have hours hoarding heat holding have have have heretofore have
I I information in itself I it’s into in I’ve ideas it is
interesting I it in is it instead is in is into intellectual in in is
in it it it imprisonment imprisonment in in is its its its into into
into is into increasing it into is I I interviewer is is it’s
interviewer is it interviewer it’s is it’s is interesting I
intellectual is it if inevitably if innovation in imagined inhuman it

junk just

less learn love local lair laboratory language language liberating

locally language language language language language like local like
liking liking like less literature likely lacks lose

megabytes moving most might more more more must mirroring more master
more more museum matter manifested magic more melted machine
materialized made made mining mind machines machine machine minding
machines mind more machinic meaningful must may

not new not needing negotiate needed new nothing no networked now
newspaper nonhierarchical new new not not not not nevertheless not
not

of of of of one of of of of or of of of of organising or our of of

one of of of of of off of once on out of of of of of onto of of of of
on our over over of of objects or of of out on of out of our own our
own of of option or

processor protagonist physically place problem pirate proclivity

plundering pasters physicality poetry peels page play play play paper
prison political potentiality permanent pages pop poet probably poets
peers presence poetics poets programmers poems poems poetry
population poetry poetic prohibited poetry

quantity

retooled response requires replicating reprinting released repurposed

reconditioning radio rendered record residual returned ready
reemployed reasonably resemble readership robotic readers robots
read
sympathize simple significant say spend shifting some seems secretary
sharing skill set satisfying staples solitary sensuality sound
supercomputing service suspension scanner sheer sexiness sucks
stealth sticky scrubbed soap state sculpting sucking simply should
should same soon small succeed such

the to transferred the to today think to that this the to though the
texts to to today text the to to the that the the to typists there’s
than transcription things than there the than the transformed to the
textual transference the to the the the the the the to the the the
the the thawing the textual to to then the text text the the text
thousands text to text the the the textual the the the the the the
those the text to their to text task to the think think that things
things the thing time that to the to the they themselves the to the
to that the tomorrow to they they to to that to to this to

us us unprecedented utterance um up up us

vast virginal

word with writing wrote world wish writing with write we writing with
with we’ve whole we’ve we we world writer’s whirr weight worth
waiting warehoused web words web words web words with with with words
what writing we will will world wish we who write write words write
what we writing we want we writing who

yes yes you you you yes yet yet

PART IV

am an a are asleep about am any anything after at all a and and a a

an afternoon at aunt a a a a an arm and actual a avant-garde as a
around a and art around all a art and after a and a again and again
are all a an American action assume again and at a a and a a as as a
a and a as a a artists audiences a artists action a a about also
actions audience and and as a a audience actors a Americans at all
appeared and and a as avant-garde’s a a and a at a and a a and
appropriation and all and a and as a and ask am actually as answer

boring boredom books before books boiled but by book boring boring
boring boredom boring boring boring boring boring boring boring
boring boring boring boring boring boring being be boring boring
boring boring boring boring boredom because be bored boredom be be
boring by boredom boring boring boredom became be bailed boredom
boredom boring became boring be bored but boredom boring boredom
boredom boring boredom broadcast boredom boredom but boring back
boring boring books books book book body book book broadcast boring
but building better be be be be book be boiling but been by by but be
book

concept contrast certain call client cross complete century

considered culture combat crap circles condition changed changed cut
constructed can’t conditions can’t cover cover can course copy
cycle century claimed catalysts conversation conceived compilation
closely cliff Cantos came couldn’t copied computer

don’t down don’t discovers downright don’t doing don’t do do

decades dull dullness don’t day dry drunk day day’s do didn’t
durational during deploying densely designed delight down dense
deconstructed didn’t doing

ever extreme every existing even eight eventually engrossing endure

early exciting ever embrace excitement early expressionistic
excitement embraced example early ennui engagingly ever existed eyes
expect each every every end every ever expect engage early empire
eight epic every eye extended each every
for fact fall for for four fascinating for forced from four for
forced few for family for forever for for for fully feel freedom fond
for films films for for films films for films for few fact for field
found front

get gold get general go good getting glad go got guy go get gridlock
going gave

has have has he he’s having having having hours hour have here has
his has his had halfway hour having have handful his he’s happened
hours his he happened heads his her how have her holding habits his
he he handful he habit he have have

I if I impossible in I I idea I’ve in I independent I invent I if is

it if it is it is is indulgent is is is is is is is I it in itself I
it I’ve it it in I’m I it it in it’s in into it is in its is is I
it’ll I I it’s I idea in instance I I in it in I it I’ve in I it I
in intentionally it in it’s I instance in image it is impossible in
in in in in in in in into in in I incredulously I in in in
intervention it into I if I is I in is invariably

just just

know knowledge keep kind kind kind know know knowing keys

lived like let’s liked literature late later look life last like
linearly life’s language

most medal my my my my more masterpiece minutes meeting minimalist

music met middle most music more modified more most my my move my
made make minute minutes made man moviegoers members many making
magnificent much meant means modernist mere me moment management more
me mediated machine my may myself

need need not norm no new new no new now nothing nearly not never
notes never
olympic off of over original of of one of other of one of ourselves
of once of one of other of of opposite of of often of or out of or
once out of of old one our off of own our once of one of or of over
of order or of of of one of of of of of on of often other of out of
of or objects on often of of of of of of of our of other of one of
often of

proofread past practice practice poetry piece piece people popular

powerful purposely people punk painting parts packed presence predict
process published page predicted place performance people prescient
predicting proved page pages page punching

read repeatedly really read retyping relation reinvented rewriting

right reading recall restaging raised rock ready reality reasons read
reason retyped reports reports resulting read real right reading read
remarked read rather reading repetitive reading remixed reduced
reduced reading recently reader right retyping really

sport straight sending simply same said something still sixteen sexy
someone’s self seder somewhere something state sort surrender say
see seen stage stabbed stabbing seen such sit stuff seems started so
strutting stumbling someday soon sentence spoke so sense sort so said
screen static state sleeping six straight seen said screening staging
superstars screen set situation skimming straight scholar she skimmed
sense slim said said sure sense sense sampling sometimes sometimes
sometimes slight stop sit screen

the that there to through time to them them to to the they’re to the
the ten today to texts thought to than the two try then then then
thirty two that there’s that’s transcendent then there’s the to to
toddler the to to the to to the took two to the they the them their
the the took to to the thing the to to the to to the to the this type
the to to through that theatre the to then things to to this time the
TV the the the the there’s tedious than television the tedium that
take the through the taste the that to though this time to to that
the that there’s the the the tedious that to through the to to the
the times transcribed traffic ten textual to think that there the
their to these the that today that the the the the to them through
that thought than that the types that took the theatre the the
thoughts that the the the the the the too that to through the the the
that to to to to the the to the through tome to through the to the to
thought the traditional the today transcribed these their the there
the the

unboring unboring unboring unboring unboring unedited unboring up

unreadable usual up uncreativity

voluntary volunteered vapid visual visual

writer was would what was word word watch we want we want we when we
when was way what way was was wasn’t wonder while we we’ve with was
we won’t word which worth weather what without word were who work
with who we’re wasn’t watch were were walking which were were works
word writings work was was what was while was works writing wake
writing work words write word what was which we wrong word was
written without works would way world when what writing

you you years you you York year’s you you you yes
 PART I a

, , “ , ” - , - .
, . , , , .
. , . , . .
? . , . , , . , , , . , . , : , , . & , .
, . , , , , , . , . - , , - , . . ; . , :
, . . , , , , , , , , ; , , , ; , , . , , ,
.
, . , , , , , , , . & , & ;. ?
, & , . - : , , , . , ‘ , , , & , - .
- , : . , ( , ? ) . , , , , . , . , , - , ,
; , . . .
- , . . ¹ . ? - - - - . , , : , , - - .
: . . ; . … , , , : , , - , , . , .
… “ ” - - ? ? - , ‘ ’ ? - ’ - ? ( ) , . ” ¹
 PART II a

“ , ” . , . , , , , - , , , . , . , , - .
, , ? “ , . ” ¹ “ . “ . ¹ ” , , . ” ¹ “ . ” ¹
“ , , . ” ¹ “ . . ” ¹ “ , . ” ¹
, , , , … , . “ ” ? . “ ” ? .
- . : ( “ ” ) , . , ( ) . , . - - ( “ ” ) ,
.
, . , . , , . . . - .
. , . , , . . .
, , . , :
? , , ? : , , , ?
, ? ?
, .
. , - . . , “ ” . . . “ ” “ ” . , ‘ , , ,
, . , , , .
, - , . , ? - , - . ? . . “ ” .
, . . - ; , . , . , - - .
 PART III a

. , . .
. .
, , “ , ; . ” ¹
, : “ , ; . ” : , ; , .
: , , , , , , , , - . : , - - . . ; .
.
, . : , . .
: .
, , . : , , . . . . . .
, , - , - .
, . ; - - - . ; .
. , . , , ; , , , .
.
.
.
.
: . . : ? : . . : ? : , . . : ? : , . ¹
. . . :
. , , , ? , ? , , , : , , , , . ¹
“ , ; .”¹
. , , , ? , ? , , , : , , , , . ¹
 PART IV a

. , . . , , . ; .
, . , : , , ’ . ¹ , . .
, “ , . , . . - . . ” ¹ : , , , . : . ; - ;
; . ; . ; . , , . . ; , . . , .
- “ ” . , . ’ ’ - - . . , , , , , , . ’ ’ -
. , . , , : . , . , . , , . , , . , ’ - - ;
- - - . , . , . . , .
. . , . , . . - - , .
.
, . , , . , , . . : , . . . : , , . , , . ,
, , ( ? ) . , , , . , , , ( ) . ¹ , , . - ,
, ; - , - .
, , “ . ” , - - ; , , , , . “ ” : , , ; , ,
. , . , , , .
 Omitted names:

Gertrude Stein’s, Borgesian, UBUweb, Craig Dworkin,

Gertrude Stein’s, John Cage, Jason Mac Low’s, Andy
Warhol’s, Mallarmé’s, Zaum’s, Marcel Duchamp, James
Joyce, John Cage, Andy Warhol, Warhol’s, Andy’s, David
Antin’s, Robert Lowell, Robert Frost, Socrates, David
Antin, Pennsylvania, Warhol’s, Satie’s, Duchamp’s,
Verdana, Princeton, America, Jack Kerouac, Kerouac’s,
Kerouac, Buick, Kerouac’s, Kerouac’s, Kerouac, Douglas
Heubler, Heubler’s, OCR, Andy Warhol, Warhol, Warhol,
Warhol, Warhol, Christian Bök, Borge’s Pierre Menard,
Menard, Don Quixote, Cervantes’, John Cage, Fanny’s,
Robert Wilson, Osbournes, Ozzy Osbourne, Andy Warhol,
Warhol, Warhol, Warhol, Gertrude Stein, Ulla Dydo,
Gertrude Stein, Stein’s, Stein, John Cage, Evelyn Wood,
Finnegans, Ezra Pound’s,

Omitted numbers:

19th,, 185, 900, 21st, 21st, 20th, 1980’s, 20th, 48, 85, 1969,
1970’s, 20th, ‘60’s, 70’s, 70’s, 80’s, 70’s, 900,
24, 20th, 628, 39, 824,