BAX 2016

BAX 2016: Best American Experimental Writing is the third volume of this annual literary anthology compiling the best experimental writing in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. This year's volume, guest-edited by Charles Bernstein and Tracie Morris, features seventy-five works by some of the most exciting American poets and writers today, including established authors-like Sina Queyras, Tan Lin, Christian Bök, Myung Mi Kim, Juliana Spahr, Samuel R. Delany, and even Barack Obama-as well as emerging voices. Intended to provoke lively conversation and debate, Best American Experimental Writing is an ideal literary anthology for contemporary classroom settings.

Charles Bernstein and Tracie Morris-Guest Editors' IntroductionSeth Abramson and Jesse Damiani-Series Editors' IntroductionSamuel Ace-Private PrisonsDiana Adams-from Oulipo-Pied PoemsSteven Alvarez-tupontuMark Amerika-from Locus SolusJennifer Bartlett-from The Hindrances of a HouseholderLesley Battler-Peak Oil ExileChristian Bök-The Nocturne of OrpheusAnne Boyer-The Animal Model of Inescapable ShockM. K. Brake-Taxidermy for DummiesBrandon Brown-Zedd ft. Foxes, "Clarity"Lonely Christopher-Christmas Day, Mother's Day, and Return to Fire IslandMaxwell Owen Clark-Prosodic RetardationMark Z. Danielewski-from The FamiliarKevin Davies-from FPONathaniel Davis-from "This Is When I'm Speaking"Samuel R. Delany-Email to Tracie Morris, November 21, 2015Erik Didriksen-[My mem'ry gazes back on young romance] and [I notice my belovèd on thy arm]Craig Dworkin-from In Quire, March 27, 2015Kevin McPherson Eckhoff-from Their Biography: An Organism of RelationshipsTim Fielder-from Matty's RocketRichard Foreman-The Roper's DaughterTonya M. Foster-In TonguesPeter Gizzi-SongJody Gladding-Five PoemsMira Gonzalez-from Selected TweetsJean Grae-CruxE. Tracy Grinnell-from "death / is an / innumerable / accuracy"Gabriel Gudding-from "Amnicola"Joseph Harrington-Cotton Still Tops in Area EconomyJen Hofer-from "Interventions: Notes on Translating Intervenir"Erica Hunt-Should You Find MeDarius James and Tân Khánh Cao-Light HeadedPatricia Spears Jones-Self-Portrait as Shop Windowerica kaufman-[how speech might help]Jake Kennedy-Elegy for Harold RamisMyung Mi Kim-from Civil BoundMichael Kirby-from GlossarySonnet L'Abbé-XXIII, XXXIII, and LVIIMonroe Lawrence-No modernismGeorge E. Lewis-Soprano Part for ImpromptuTan Lin-621BCorbin Louis-Buck Moon, Hooves, and Claim Number 1468981Janice A. Lowe-Boy Flower TamirChris Mann-from The UseD. S. Marriott-The BunkerJimmy McInnes-Begin Speech WithK. Silem Mohammad-from The SonnagramsWangechi Mutu-from The End of Eating EverythingA. L. Nielsen-from TrayJenn Marie Nunes and Mel Coyle-from SAGENBarack Obama-from "Remarks by the President at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches"Shelagh Patterson-)-(Julie Ezelle Patton-from "Do Process"Trace Peterson-After Before and AfterSina Queyras-The JailorAoife Roberts-from the fact-check of Valeria Luiselli's The Story of My TeethLisa Robertson-from "Notes on Form and Belief"Metta Sáma-there is no flashJames Sanders-from "Plants (Mistakes)", Mesoscape, and Plants (Jimmy Connors)Jennifer Scappettone-Imagine a Cinder-WenchRichard Schechner-The Humane SocietyCarolee Schneemann-from "A Response to Maura Reilly's 'Taking the Measure of Sexism: Facts, Figures, and Fixes'"Sarah Schulman, Jack Waters, and Stephen Winter-from Jason and ShirleyDread Scott-Runaway Shot and If White People Didn't Invent AirRod Smith-PoemJuliana Spahr-Went Looking and Found CoyotesFakhair Spence-[The last writing of me]Moez Surani-from " Operación Opération Operation O "ko ko thett-the burden of being bamaEdwin Torres-Of Worship and Flight and Bang Bawl Bocconi Birds UnspacedRichard Tuttle-Pain and Construction of EnvyImani Uzuri-no denialElizabeth Willis-PlotMatvei Yankelevich-from Some Worlds for Dr. VogtYoung Paris-Kaké!AcknowledgmentsContributors and Digital-only contributions to BAX 2016 can be found at bax.site.wesleyan.eduDavid Gibbs-This Is Our BusinessRachel Eliza Griffiths-The Undressed Syllable Amy Marengo -wishbone drying; this cloudbank; close lightningTom Mirovski-How to Make a Nature PoemSawnie Morris-elegy for a baby albatross of midway atollAzizaa-Black Magic WomanErykah Badu-Dial'AfreaqKendrick Lamar-The Blacker the Berry