Literature, traditionally shaped by visual dominance and ocularcentric discourse, has increasingly embraced intermedial forms in response to cultural and technological shifts. Since the 1960s, efforts to democratize sensory perception and challenge the hegemony of visuality has led to the development of sound studies, now exerting a growing influence across the humanities. In today’s media-saturated society, auditory analysis has gained renewed relevance, as writers and artistes experiment with new communication channels, notably in contemporary intermedial literature. This presentation investigates contemporary music-literary works that resist classification within established generic categories. Recently, intermedial forms integrating word and sound have become a dynamic space for collaboration between writers and musicians, creating new modes of coexistence between text and sound. These works often take the form of performative events or phonographic realizations, frequently presented in acousmatic settings. Over the years, notable examples include collaborations between Wisława Szymborska and Tomasz Stańko, Adam Zagajewski and Włodek Pawlik, as well as projects by Laurie Anderson and Robert Ashley. The paper explores the interpretive and theoretical potential of hybrid forms, drawing on literary studies, musicology, performance theory, and voice studies. Focusing on contemporary intermedial works that combine music and spoken word, I examine how these artistic configurations respond to the audial turn in the humanities and challenge traditional notions of textuality, embodiment, and media specificity. These works redefine orality within today’s media environment. Based on my dual perspective as a literary scholar and performing musician, I propose an analytical approach that synthesises literary interpretation, musical analysis, and close listening.

Authors:
Maria Szczepańska, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland

About the Presenter(s)
Maria Szczepańska is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, an international concert violinist, and holds Master’s degrees in Literary Studies and Arts.

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