Peter Seaton


Peter Seaton was an American poet associated with the first wave of Language poetry in the 1970s. During the opening and middle years of Language poetry many of his long prose poems were published, widely read and influential. Seaton was also a frequent contributor to L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, one of the influential magazines and theoretical venues for Language poetry, co-edited by Charles Bernstein. In 1978, Bernstein published Seaton's first book of poetry, Agreement, the same year that L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E magazine made its first appearance. Some of Seaton's work from this time has been reprinted in The L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E Book.
Seaton became an active participant in the thriving poetry scene in New York City during the 1960s. He shared this keen interest with Nick Piombino while both were attending City College of New York in the early-1960s, and they were to form a close friendship in the 1960s and 1970s. After graduation in 1964 both he and Piombino, who would himself become an important member of the Language poets, often attended "readings together at St. Mark's Poetry Project, reading The World magazine and other poetry magazines and discussing them avidly". They also did some writing collaborations and film experiments together in the late-1960s and early-1970s, heavily influenced by Stan Brakhage who would deeply influence the work of many of the poets involved in the Language movement. Piombino and Seaton's friendship continued up through to the establishment of This magazine in the early-1970s, and L=A-N=G=U=A=G=E magazine up to the early 80's.
Peter Seaton died in New York City on May 18, 2010 of an apparent heart attack.

Selected bibliography

  • The following three books of poetry are available complete and online courtesy of Eclipse Archive:
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  • Appearances in L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E magazine:
  • *"Signification", Volume 1, Number 3 ;
  • *"Whole Halves", Volume 1, Number 6 ;
  • *"An American Primer", Volume 2, Numbers 9-10 ;
  • *"Texte", Volume 3, Number 11 ;
  • *"How To Read IV", "Special L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E issue of Open Letter"
  • Appearances in "This" magazine:
  • *"Men on the Roof", "This": no. 8, San Francisco, CA , edited by Barrett Watten
  • *"Side Tone", "This": no. 9, San Francisco, CA , ed. Barrett Watten
  • *"Apprehension", "This": no. 10, San Francisco, CA ed. Barrett Watten
;Other publications:
  • "The Correspondence Principle"
  • Piranesi Pointed Up in "Roof VIII"; Roof: Volume 2, Number 4: Winter 1978. James Sherry, editor.
  • "How To Read II",
  • "Need from a Wound Would Do It", Paris Review No. 86
  • "Frey's Landing", in "Charles Bernstein Issue", The Difficulties, Vol. 2, No. 1. Tom Beckett, ed.,
  • "The Pyramids of Elysium", in Temblor: Contemporary Poets, Issue Number 3; edited by Leland Hickman. North Hollywood, CA, 1986
  • "Antonville", in "Language" Poetries. Edited by Douglas Messerli.
  • *"Two Words"
  • "Who Writes?", in Aerial 9: Bruce Andrews, Contemporary Poetics as Critical Theory, Volume 2. Edited by Rod Smith..
;Further reading
  • Bernstein, Charles and Bruce Andrews, ed. The L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E Book. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1984.
  • "Peter Seaton Feature", L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, Volume 3, Number 11
  • Price, Larry. "Aggressively Private: Contingency as Explanation", Poetics Journal 6, edited by Barrett Watten and Lyn Hejinian
  • Silliman, Ron. In the American Tree. Orono, Maine: National Poetry Foundation, 1986; reprint ed. with a new afterword, 2002. This groundbreaking anthology of language poetry serves as a very useful primer, and includes an extract from Seaton's The Son Master and a "Contributor's Note" penned by Seaton himself.
  • "Ward on Seaton", L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, Volume 3, Number 13