About Writing In Our Time
In 1979, UBC poetry professor, Warren Tallman organized Writing in Our Time: seven benefit readings for west coast literary presses. In 1963, Tallman along with Robert Creeley organized UBC’s 3-week summer session credit course, later known as The Vancouver Poetry Conference. The 1979 event was a fundraiser for small presses, primarily Vancouver’s blewointment press.
Venues included the Italian Folk Centre (now the Italian Cultural Centre), Scandia Hall, and the UBC Student Union Bulding Ballroom. Each reading featured three writers, one Friday night per month between February and August. The Best Of Times, Worst of Times companion series were held each Thursday before the readings. Writers were to express their hopes and fears for writing “in our time”.
About the recordings
The Best of Times, The Worst of Times combines panel and performance documenation. The other videos document the readings and musical events.
Video producers were Lenore Herb (then Coutts), Peg Campbell, and Sara Lee James. Herb has been identified as the lead. Vancouver artist-run centres Metro Media, Video Inn, and Pumps Gallery, provided 3/4″ U-matic video recorders and other equipmnent for the recording. You’ll notice that some of the videos conclude before the end of the reading. This is the result of readings running over the one hour record time limitation for the 3/4″ cassettes.
Below are the videotapes we have identified in the Lenore Herb Archive to date. As we identify others, they will be uploaded. There is no indication that the Lenore Herb Archive contains any other The Best of Times, The Worst of Times series than what is uploaded here.
22 February 1979
Steve McCaffery, bpNichol, and bill bissett talk about McCaffery and bpNichol’s collaborations (including the Four Horsemen), sound and Concrete poetry more generally. Includes several excerpts from readings including Contributions to Futility No. 4: A Demonstration of the Principle of Equivalence Applied to Maximization and Minimization (McCaffery and bpNichol); Chain 5 (bpNichol); [unidentified] bill bissett; Say Kiddo, when we dined with friends did we dine alone [McCaffery].
Title: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Director]
Contributor(s):
Artists: bill bissett, Steve Mcafferty, bpNichol
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Credit and Thank Yous: Without the assistance of Metro Media, Pumps, Video Inn this program would not have been possible. And Canada Council.
Date Created: 22 February 1979
Location: Scandia Auditorium, 828 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 60:00
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Writing in Our Time-1
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
22 February 1979
Steve McCaffery, bpNichol, and bill bissett talk about McCaffery and bpNichol’s sound poetry collaborations (including the Four Horsemen) and Canadian sound poetry more generally. Includes footage of a McCaffery and bpNicol’s performance.
Title: [Best of Times, Worst of Times – short edit]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: bill bissett, Steve Mcafferty, bpNichol
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 22 February 1979
Location: Scandia Auditorium, 828 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 12:00
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Box5_Writing in our Time and Best of Times Worst of Times
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
[Date unknown] 1979
00:00-14:10 Roy Kiyooka reading
22 June 1979
14:11-42:26 Ed Dorn reading
20 July 1979
42:27-01:01:33 Lional Kearns reading
Title: [Roy Kiyooka, Ed Dorn, Lionel Kearns]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Roy Kiyooka, Ed Dorn, Lionel Kearns.
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: July 1979
Length: 61:00
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Reading #1, Roy Kiyooka, Ed Dorn, Lionel Kearns
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
6 April 1979
02:00-32:14 George Bowering reading
Title: [George Bowering]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artist: George Bowering
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 6 April 1979
Location: Italian Folk Centre, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 32:14
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_George Bowering
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
20 July 1979
01:00-19:22 Margaret Atwood (Life Before Man)
19:45-39:14 Fred Wah (Among, Severance Spring Water, How To Disappear, (river poems; poems written in Greece)
39:15- 57:47 D.G. Jones (Under the Thunder of Flowers Light Up the Earth)
Title: [Margaret Atwood, Fred Wah, DG Jones]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Margaret Atwood, Fred Wah, DG Jones
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: July 1979
Length: 1:01:02
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Margaret Atwood, Fred Wah, DG Jone
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
21 July 1979
00:18-01:07 Robin Blaser introduces Fred Wah
01:08-06:25 Fred Wah reading
23 February 1979
06:26-07:00 Robin Blaser introduces bill bissett
07:21-36:24 bill bissett reading
Title: [Fred Wah, bill bissett]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Fred Wah, bill bissett
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 21 July 1979
Length: 1:02:35
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Writing in Our Time-Fred Wah, Bill Bissett, July 21, 1979
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
23 August 1979
00:00-20:40 Group
20:41-30:15 Peter Orlovsky
31:19-1:00:20 Anne Waldman
Poor audio quality.
Title: [Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Anne Waldman]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Anne Waldman
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 23 August 1979
Location: Italian Folk Centre, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 1:02:27
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_WRITING IN OUR TIME_Allan Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Anne Waldman
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
24 August 1979
00:18-04:40 Allen Ginsberg reading [partial]
04:41-30:00 Peter Orlovsky reading
30:00-33:36 Allen Ginsberg [evening wrap-up]
Title: [Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 24 August 1979
Location: Italian Folk Centre, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 33:58
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_WRITING IN OUR TIME_Allan Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
21 July 1979
00:00-30:04 New Orchestra Quintet
30:23-57:00 Margaret Atwood reading from Regional Romances; or, Across Canada on Pornograph
57:01-1:02:20 New Orchestra Quintet
Title: [Margaret Atwood]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Margaret Atwood, New Orchestra Quintet
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 21 July 1979
Length: 1:02:20
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Sat Nite SUB Ballroom_1979-07-21
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
6 April 1979
Frank Davey reads The Battleship.
Title: [Frank Davey]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Frank Davey
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 6 April 1979
Location: Italian Folk Centre, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 30:00
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: Writing In Our Time – Frank Davey
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
[Date unknown] 1979
00:00-13:01 Colleen Thibodeau reads The Tin Shop, The Glass Cupboard, Walk 3, The Elastic Moment.
16 March 1979
13:02-15:49 Brian Fawcett reads The Hand [recording ends abruptly]
Title: [Colleen Thibodeau, Brian Fawcett]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Colleen Thibodeau, Brian Fawcett
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: July 1979
Length: 16:36
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: Colleen Thibodeau & Brian Fawcett
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [Colleen Thibodeau, Brian Fawcett]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Colleen Thibodeau, Brian Fawcett
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: July 1979
Length: 16:36
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: Colleen Thibodeau & Brian Fawcett
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
16 March 1979
00:00-04:45 Lawrence Ferlinghetti reading.
05:03- 21:51 Warren Tallman introduces Colleen Thibodeau; Thibodeau reads from the series The Planned Wood Lot to the Freedom of Mrs. Fields. [Thibodeau replaced Margaret Laurence’s place in the original program.]
Title: [Lawrence Ferlinghetti Colleen Thibodeau]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Warren Tallman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Colleen Thibodeau
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 16 March 1979
Location: Italian Folk Centre, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 21:51
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Ferlinghetti & Colleen Thibodeau
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
.
16 March 1979
A compilation of complete readings by Colleen Thibodeau
00:00-15:31 Full reading of The Planned Wood Lot to the Freedom of Mrs. Fields 15:32-20:50 The Tin Shop
20:51-23:50 The Glass Cupboard (written on Vancouver Island)
23:51-16:25 The Elastic Moment
Title: [Colleen Thibodeau Compilation]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Colleen Thibodeau
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 16 March 1979
Location: Italian Folk Centre, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 26:25
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Colleen Thibodeau
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
18 May 1979
00:00-17:21 Fred Wah reads How Does the Jazz Go? from the book Pictograms from the Interior of BC; selections from his upcoming book Breathing My Name With a Sigh.
Title: Fred Wah
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artists: Fred Wah
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: 18 May 1979
Location: Italian Folk Centre, 3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver, Canada
Length: 17:21
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: LHA_Fred Wah
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
[Date Unknown] 1979
00:00-17:13 Maxine Gadd reading.
Title: [Maxine Gadd]
Creator: Warren Tallman [Executive Producer]
Contributor(s):
Artist: Maxine Gadd
Video Production: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Editing: Lenore Coutts [Herb]
Technical Assistance and Crew: Peg Campbell, Sara Lee James, Shawn Preus, Dany Singer, Pat Fiendel, Lenore Coutts [Herb].
Date Created: July 1979
Length: 17:13
Type: Moving Image
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 3/4 inch videotape: U-matic
Format: video/mp4
Language: English
Identifier: Writing in Our Time (1979) Maxine Gadd Reading
Is Part Of: Lenore Herb Archive
Series: Writing In Our Time
Source: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Lenore Herb Archive.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.