Bill Berkson's 'Sudden Address' Lectures Explore Art and Poetry Through Personal Connections

Bill Berkson's 2010 publication 'Sudden Address: Selected Lectures 1981-2006' collects his distinctive art writing that blends poetry and criticism. Published by Cuneiform Press in New York, the 109-page volume spans 25 years of lectures. Berkson writes about painter friends including Philip Guston, Willem de Kooning, and Fairfield Porter, while also engaging with historical figures like Chardin, Cézanne, and Piero della Francesca. His approach connects literary figures such as Frank O'Hara, John Ashbery, and W.H. Auden with visual artists. The book includes generous excerpts from Berkson's own poetry alongside his art writing. One lecture, 'Travels with Guston,' offers close commentary on Philip Guston's work, analyzing paintings like 'If this be not I/The Studio' and 'Shoe (Cellar).' Berkson positions himself within a tradition of notable art writers including Diderot, Walter Pater, Adrian Stokes, Roger Fry, Clement Greenberg, and Arthur Danto. The text contains no illustrations, requiring readers to engage deeply with his descriptive language. Priced at $14.95 with ISBN 978-0-9827926-0-5, the work demonstrates Berkson's unique voice in art criticism.