Dave, I guess we tend to think of poems like newspapers or books, ie written, to read oneself. But I'm pretty sure writing came after talking, so talking (and listening)is the more primary communication channel. Thing is, talking is so transient, and writting has a rather more permanent nature. But just as books got serialised on radio ie made into sound and of course more recently we've had "talking books" (on tape etc) so we now have sound poems (ie spoken). They are often accompanied by background musak which is sort of supposed to set the scene. Now when books "talk" you have someone elses interpretation via their intonation and delivery control thus robbing you of your chance to do that via your own reading, but it's better than making it into a video! I guess most of us have been in situations where we've read parts of a book to a class or group, or had to listen to someone else do that. So it's just a different kind of experience. You read a book, you can hear someone read a book, or you can go and watch a film of the book (granted not all books). Because poems are so short, is there any future in sound poems? I reckon they can be quite a good teaching and learning aid (but then I would, being a teacher).

Well I reckon that kept my kids off my computer for a few more minutes. Brad