Description: In September of 1966, shortly after publication of his fourth novel, GILES GOATBOY, the then-36-year-old John Barth gave the best reading ever by a novelist of his own material, to a wildly enthusiastic audience at the University of Illinois. For fifty years that recording was known only to friends of the graduate student who rescued it from destruction. In 2015, in honor of John Barth's 85th birthday, the Dalkey Archive Press invited a celebration of his work, a "Festschrift", which is now in print and offered with this CD in a different eBay listing (see seller's inventory). In conjunction with that publication, the ex-graduate student arranged restoration of the 50-year-old recording so that 85 CD copies could be sent to Barth in celebration of his 85th birthday -- inspired by Guy Davenport's gift of 80 copies of a hand-printed limited edition of Ezra Pound's CANTO CX to Pound on Pound's 80th birthday. All purchasers of the book, A BODY OF WORDS, can listen online via their computers to the voice of young Jack Barth reading from and commenting on his first four novels. A BODY OF WORDS includes a link to the recording at the Dalkey Archive website. The website version of Barth's reading is continuous, not divided into tracks. The CD's tracks (see track list among images accompanying this offering) allow the listener to play favorite passages conveniently. Note, by the way, that the recording includes a passage from THE FLOATNG OPERA that appeared only in the book's original edition. It does not appear in the revised version currently for sale. It happens to be an especially funny passage. The CD version is available for purchase exclusively here on eBay. In this listing, the CD is sold by itself. In a companion listing, the CD can be purchased with a copy of A BODY OF WORDS. Forty percent of the limited CD edition have already found homes with Barth fans, so don't dally if you want one.
Price: 7.92 USD
Location: Champaign, Illinois
End Time: 2024-08-13T03:01:21.000Z
Shipping Cost: 3.79 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money back or replacement (buyer's choice)
Features: Limited Edition
Format: audio compact disc
Length: 57 minutes
Topic: Author reads his own work
Year Printed: 2016
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Origin: American
Narrator: John Barth
Printing Year: 2016
Language: English
Publication Year: 1966
Book Title: Readings from Barth's first four novels
Author: John Barth
Publisher: Eisenmania
Type: Audiobook
