A groundbreaking art installation that once delivered poetry through telephone calls in the 1960s has now expanded to the internet, allowing listeners worldwide to access random poems with just a click. The Dial-A-Poem project, originally created by poet and performance artist John Giorno, continues to operate under the guidance of Giorno Poetry Systems, bringing this innovative multimedia poetry experience to a new generation of audiences.
John Giorno launched Dial-A-Poem in 1969 with a revolutionary vision to transform how people experienced poetry. Frustrated that poetry had fallen behind other artistic disciplines and was confined to books and magazines, Giorno sought to create an interactive multimedia experience that would make poetry more accessible. He recorded poets, artists, and musicians whose work he admired, then placed these recordings on a series of answering machines connected to a telephone number that anyone could call.
The original 1969 collection featured prominent voices of the era, including renowned poets Allen Ginsberg, Frank O'Hara, and Giorno himself. When callers dialed the number, they might hear anything from William Burroughs reading from his unpublished work "Ah Pook Is Here" to experimental compositions that challenged traditional definitions of poetry. The project's scope expanded beyond conventional poetry to include avant-garde musical compositions, speeches by Black Panther Party members, and spiritual mantras in various languages.
As Dial-A-Poem gained popularity and added more voices to its collection, it also attracted significant attention from institutions and authorities. In 1970, New York's Museum of Modern Art featured the project in an exhibition, cementing its place in the contemporary art world. However, this visibility also brought unwanted scrutiny from federal agencies, with both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission investigating the project following indecency complaints and concerns that certain political poems could potentially incite violence.
Anthony Huberman, executive artistic director of Giorno Poetry Systems, explains the project's enduring appeal and mission. Although John Giorno passed away in 2019, the nonprofit organization he founded continues to support and expand his work. The new internet-based version functions similarly to the original telephone system – visitors to the website can click on an image of a phone and instantly hear a randomly selected recording, maintaining the element of surprise that made the original so compelling.
The modern iteration of Dial-A-Poem has grown to include phone lines around the world and features hundreds of recordings from a new generation of poets and artists. Many of these contemporary contributors read in their native languages, reflecting the project's evolution into a truly international platform. Recent additions include Spanish-language poetry and works from diverse cultural backgrounds, expanding the project's reach and cultural impact.
Huberman emphasizes that moving the collection online represents the natural progression of Giorno's original democratic vision for poetry. "John Giorno was someone who was constantly trying to democratize poetry, constantly trying to bring it to a wider audience and constantly inventing new ways to do it," he notes. The internet platform removes geographical barriers and makes the collection accessible to anyone with an internet connection, fulfilling Giorno's goal of bringing poetry into everyday life.
The project continues to embody what Huberman describes as art's unique ability to "add a sense of delight and discovery and surprise into the everyday." For those who prefer the original experience, the traditional phone line remains active at 917-994-8949, allowing callers to access the same random poetry experience that captivated audiences over five decades ago. The dual accessibility through both internet and telephone ensures that Dial-A-Poem remains true to its roots while embracing new technology to reach contemporary audiences.
