T. L. Cowan
Playing with Words: The Spoken Word in Artistic Practice (review)
Theatre Journal – Volume 62, Number 3, October 2010, pp. 492-493

The Johns Hopkins University Press

Project MUSE – Theatre Journal – Playing with Words: The Spoken Word in Artistic Practice (review) Project MUSE Journals Theatre Journal Volume 62, Number 3, October 2010 Playing with Words: The Spoken Word in Artistic Practice (review) Theatre Journal Volume 62, Number 3, October 2010 E-ISSN: 1086-332X Print ISSN: 0192-2882 Reviewed by T. L. CowanUniversity of Saskatchewan Playing with Words: The Spoken Word in Artistic Practice. Edited by Cathy Lane. London: Creative Research into Sound Art Practice (CRiSAP), 2008; pp. 206. £12.99 paper. In this collection of thirty-nine essays, textual installations, scripts, and scores, editor Cathy Lane has produced a book that is at once beautiful, thought-provoking, frustrating, and instructive. Playing with Words: The Spoken Word in Artistic Practice might be most accurately described as an exhibition catalog for an imaginary all-star poetry, composition, design, sound art, and performance extravaganza. Indeed, as an interdisciplinary showcase for this impressive array of artistic experimentation with, and exploration of, the spoken word, it will be of great interest to anyone invested in pushing the limits of the spoken word as sound in all aspects of creation. As a textual manifestation of sound art, sound design, linguistic experimentation and ethnography, experimental theatre, and performance poetry,…