How authorship is made and named: a meta-aggregator / PennSound
PennSound
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/
empirical comparatorAvant-garde and experimental archivesAttribution, credit and identity infrastructureactive
The archive's reading. The archive reads PennSound as a witness of a distinct type: a recording keeps the author's name, the performer's voice and a co-composer's credit as separate attributions, so a reading of one poet's work by another collapses into neither. Its filing rule is the poet's name; whether a chosen name is kept as given is not shown beyond the names it files under.
| Relation to this census | empirical comparator |
|---|---|
| Record type | project |
| The question it answers | authored performance: whose voice a recording carries and under whose name it is filed, with performer and author credited apart |
| Kind | ongoing project committed to producing new audio recordings and preserving existing audio archives; Wikipedia (third party) calls it a poetry website and online archive of recordings of poets reading their own work |
| Operator | the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing, University of Pennsylvania; directors Charles Bernstein, Al Filreis and Chris Mustazza, editor Michael S. Hennessey |
| Evidence | audio recording; catalogue; critical commentary |
| Unit of record | a recording, broken down into singles (one poem) with complete readings also kept, filed on an author page, a series page, an anthology/collection/group page, the singles archive, Cinema, Podcasts or Classics |
| What it records | recordings of poets, historical and contemporary (the home page's selections run from Apollinaire, 1913, to work of 2016), readings and talks at the Kelly Writers House and reading series, radio programming (the Charles Ruas collection, 1970s to 2000s), poetry-and-music albums, video and podcasts |
| Whose authorship it keeps | poets' readings of their own work and of others' work, with the performer named beside the author where they differ (John Clare's 'Vowelless Letter' performed by Charles Bernstein; Hannah Weiner's Clairvoyant Journal performed by Weiner, Sharon Mattlin and Rochelle Kraut); co-composers credited (music by Christopher Reiner, 'included with permission') |
| Under what name | under the poet's name on an author page; Wikipedia (third party) reports the manifesto's rule that sound files be indexed and retrievable 'under the poet's name'; the saved sources state no policy on pseudonyms, heteronyms or collective names; series pages hold work under a series name (Belladonna*, Love Jawns: A Mixtape) |
| Who holds it | the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing at Penn; recordings provided by the poets themselves, universities and institutions and poets' estates (Wikipedia, third party); free to download, for non-commercial use (Wikipedia, third party); the rights terms of individual recordings are not stated in the saved sources |
| Authorial function and responsibility | authorship and performance credited apart: the author is named first and the performer after 'performed by' (Clare by Bernstein; Weiner with Mattlin and Kraut); a co-composer is credited for music and performance, 'included with permission'; the manifesto, per Wikipedia (third party), requires every file to be named and retrievable under the poet's name; responsibility for the rights of a recording is not stated |
| Method | producing new recordings (Kelly Writers House events, Close Listening and other series) and preserving existing audio archives given by poets, institutions, estates and collectors; segmenting readings into singles; adding bibliographic documentation over time, with users invited to supplement it |
| Coverage | geography: not stated; recordings from the United States and elsewhere (Apollinaire, Khlebnikov, Schwitters, Bennett among the home page's selections); period: recordings from the 1910s onward; the project since 2005 (Wikipedia, third party) |
| Count | value: not stated on PennSound's own saved pages; Wikipedia (third party) gives over 1500 full-length and single-poem recordings and, in another sentence, well over 50,000 sound files; as_of: Wikipedia page edited 2026-09-22 |
| Holdings | author pages, series pages, anthologies/collections/groups, singles, Cinema, Classics, podcasts (PennSound Podcasts, PoemTalk, PennSound Rewind); the Charles Ruas collection of radio programming, launched 2026-03-27 with hundreds of recordings; the Eric Mottram Centennial Collection; per Wikipedia (third party), over 1500 full-length and single-poem recordings and well over 50,000 sound files |
| Stated limits | 'We intend to provide as much documentation about individual recordings as possible; new bibliographic information will be added over time'; the Charles Ruas collection 'is still under construction and over time will see more additions and improvements' |
| Data access | free streaming and MP3 download; a search box; author, series, singles and anthology indexes |
| Licence | not stated on PennSound's saved pages; Wikipedia (third party) states the files are intended for non-commercial use |
| Lifecycle | state: active; detail: launched 2005 (Wikipedia, third party); PennSound Daily posts dated 11/12/2025 to 3/27/2026; the New at PennSound list includes a reading dated July 14, 2026 |
| Version and time | latest_daily_post: 2026-03-27; latest_listed_recording: 2026-07-14; wikipedia_edited: 2026-09-22; read: 2026-11-01 |
| Founded | 2005 (Wikipedia, third party) |
What its record can settle
- whether a recording of a named poet is held, on that poet's author page or a series page
- who performs a given recording where the performer differs from the author
- which reading series and events PennSound has recorded or archived
What it cannot settle
- who holds the rights to a recording (not stated in the saved sources)
- complete bibliographic data for every recording (documentation is added over time)
- how an author who writes under several names is filed (no naming policy in the saved sources)
Kept apart
- NOT a commercial service: free download (Wikipedia, third party: commercial 'No')
- NOT a complete bibliography of the recordings: documentation is added over time
- NOT a rights clearance record: the saved sources state no rights terms per recording
- NOT limited to the poet's own voice: some recordings are performances of one author's work by another
Relations
- neighbour: UbuWeb (the About page thanks UbuWeb; Kenneth Goldsmith, UbuWeb's creator, is a PennSound senior editor; Wikipedia (third party) names UbuWeb among PennSound's collaborators)
- neighbour: Electronic Poetry Center (the About page thanks the Electronic Poetry Center; both are served under writing.upenn.edu; Wikipedia (third party) names the EPC among collaborators)
- neighbour: Jacket2 (PennSound Rewind is published at PennSound and at Jacket2.org (the home page); Wikipedia (third party) names Jacket2 among collaborators)
Evidence
- self_description (the resource's own statement):
PennSound is an ongoing project, committed to producing new audio recordings and preserving existing audio archives.
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/about.php · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 9164d92b56f8e207… - operator (the resource's own statement):
PennSound is a project of the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing.
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/about.php · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 9164d92b56f8e207… - directors (the resource's own statement):
Charles Bernstein , Al Filreis , and Chris Mustazza , Directors
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/about.php · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 9164d92b56f8e207… - editor (the resource's own statement):
Michael S. Hennessey , Editor
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/about.php · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 9164d92b56f8e207… - senior_editors (the resource's own statement):
Danny Snelson and Kenneth Goldsmith , Senior Editors
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/about.php · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 9164d92b56f8e207… - documentation (the resource's own statement):
We intend to provide as much documentation about individual recordings as possible; new bibliographic information will be added over time. Please contact us if you can supplement the information already provided.
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/about.php · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 9164d92b56f8e207… - thanks (the resource's own statement):
to UbuWeb and the Electronic Poetry Center.
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/about.php · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 9164d92b56f8e207… - donors (the resource's own statement):
We are grateful to Tom and Lindy Gallagher, Paul Williams, David Roberts and an anonymous donor for their generous support of PennSound.
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/about.php · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 9164d92b56f8e207… - historical_earliest (the resource's own statement):
Guillaume Apollinaire, "Le Pont Mirabeau" (1913) (1:14):
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - performer_clare (the resource's own statement):
John Clare, "Vowelless Letter" (1849) performed by Charles Bernstein (2:54):
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - performer_weiner (the resource's own statement):
Hannah Weiner, from Clairvoyant Journal , performed by Weiner, Sharon Mattlin & Rochelle Kraut (2001) (6:12):
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - contemporary_latest (the resource's own statement):
Julie Patton, "Scribbling thru the Times" (2016) (5:12):
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - ruas (the resource's own statement):
Today we're happy to announce a new home for Charles Ruas's radio programming from the 70s, 80s, and 00s.
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - ruas_date (the resource's own statement):
Posted 3/27/2026
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - ruas_hundreds (the resource's own statement):
this collection at launch features hundreds of recordings with more to come soon
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - ruas_limit (the resource's own statement):
The collection is still under construction and over time will see more additions and improvements
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - nielsen_permission (the resource's own statement):
with the exception of "Self-Organizing Networks," where the music and performance is by Christopher Reiner (and included with permission).
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - nielsen_free (the resource's own statement):
now, thanks to Nielsen, marks the first time they're freely available to the public
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - earliest_daily (the resource's own statement):
Posted 11/12/2025
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - latest_listed (the resource's own statement):
George Quasha reading genius foci , Barrytown, NY, July 14, 2026
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - belladonna (the resource's own statement):
Three new Belladonna* readings from fall 2025 and spring 2026
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - mottram (the resource's own statement):
Eric Mottram Centennial Collection
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - rewind (the resource's own statement):
at our new PennSound Rewind page and at Jacket2.org .
https://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/ · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 2ddc53a3b55b38b5… - wp_description (a third-party account):
PennSound is a poetry website and online archive that hosts free and downloadable recordings of poets reading their own work.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_count (a third-party account):
The website offers over 1500 full-length and single-poem recordings, the largest collection of poetry sound-files on the internet, all of which are available free for download.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_count_files (a third-party account):
Well over 50,000 sound files [ 4 ] are available for streaming and downloading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_hd (a third-party account):
including historic recordings by poets such as Ezra Pound , Wallace Stevens , Guillaume Apollinaire , William Carlos Williams and H.D. ,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_noncommercial (a third-party account):
The files are intended to be used non-commercially by anyone interested in listening to them, and are furthermore available for use by teachers and libraries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_manifesto_name (a third-party account):
Sound files must be indexed and retrievable from a library catalog under the poet’s name and from search engines on the web.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_manifesto_files (a third-party account):
All files must be named.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_providers (a third-party account):
generously provided to PennSound from the poets themselves, universities and institutions such as Harvard University's Woodberry Poetry Room , and from poets' estates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_launched (a third-party account):
Launched 2005
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_commercial (a third-party account):
Commercial No
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_collaboration (a third-party account):
PennSound works closely in collaboration with the Kelly Writers House , UbuWeb , The Electronic Poetry Center , Jacket2 magazine,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd… - wp_edited (a third-party account):
This page was last edited on 22 September 2026, at 03:16 (UTC) .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PennSound · read 2026-11-01 · http 200 · sha256 62bae6f428eacddd…
Unchecked
the author pages, series pages and singles archive themselves; the PennSound Manifesto and the launch press release (linked from the About page; the manifesto is known here only from Wikipedia); any rights or permissions statement for the recordings; the About page's commented-out staff list, which the saved text carries alongside the live one
Cite: Lee Sharks, ed. "PennSound." How authorship is made and named: a meta-aggregator, leesharks.com, compiled 2026-11-01. https://www.leesharks.com/apparatus/aggregators/pennsound