Gegensatz Press books analyze, satirize, tantalize, but do not compromise.
ISBN 978-1-933237-12-1 (paperback), $8.95 |
The Gas Heart: The Dada Anti-Masterpiece of Drama by Tristan Tzara; introduction, commentary, staging, and a new translation by Eric v.d. Luft The curse of youth from each generation is to believe that they invented "cool." If you are 24 years or under right now, you probably believe this. But the truth is you invented nothing. You were invented. Every band you love, every poem you write, every magazine picture you dwell on, was shaped by your great-grandfather. His name was Tristan Tzara. Fortunately for you, Eric v.d. Luft (your distant uncle) has remembered your great-grandfather's play, The Gas Heart. He has translated the play gorgeously; all you have to do is read it to understand where you come from, how you were invented. - Robert A. Varisco Author of several articles on Tristan Tzara This translation is a vast improvement over Benedikt's, the only other English version. It is a more accurate rendering of the original French and reflects more authentically the true Dada spirit. I suspect Tzara would have approved of this simple edition which, like Dada, is without pretension. The binding is sturdier and more handsome than most of the scripts that sell for three times as much in shops on Broadway. The translator's lively introduction alone is worth the price of the book. Tzara cryptically defined Dada as a "state of mind" which "transforms itself according to races and events" ... "a virgin microbe that penetrates with the insistence of air into all the spaces that reason has not been able to fill with words or conventions." He countered inquiries regarding the explanation of Dada with, "You explain to me why you exist. You haven't the faintest idea." Luft sees Dada as essentially political and makes sense of this crazy movement as no one else can. If he had lived 100 years earlier he probably would have been a major Dadaist himself. - Mary Wehrheim, historian Any purchaser of ten copies of this book may perform the play without paying royalties. Otherwise, please contact the publisher about performance rights. |
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