Actualités du surréalisme et ses alentours
Number 154, mars-avril 2021
http://www.infosurr.net/
Paris, 1959 (photo. William Klein)
Review by Laurens Vancrevel
In the Blink of a Third Eye (Valery Oisteanu)
The new book of the master of performance poetry, Valery Oisteanu (cf. Infosurr, n° 121) is entitled In the Blink of a Third Eye and is composed of rhythmic poems for declamation aloud, amazing collages and whimsical prose. The section of the collection called “Jazzoetry Labyrinth” could be a tribute to that other poet of jazz and surrealism, Ted Joans, with whom Oisteanu often co-presented programs of poetry-jazz. A very interesting section, “Ghost Purgatory,” contains intense and nostalgic memories of his influences and his dead friends, such as Nanos Valaoritis, André Breton, Hedda Sterne (the Romanian painter), Steve Cannon (the black writer) and others. A wonderful section is “Beat Travel Blues”, which is the opening of the book, with poems from travels in Arabia and Egypt, Romania, Italy, Portugal. The book presents undoubtedly the most inspired and exuberant texts of Oisteanu. He celebrates his creations, transforms the world into a labyrinth of passion and humor, changing life into an absolute dream. (L.V.)
Valery Oisteanu, In the Blink of a Third Eye , “Poems, Flash-Fiction, Drawing-Collages”, New-York (USA), Spuyten Duyvil , November 2020.