This book investigates how the live poetry reading emerged as a distinct, influential medium in the twentieth century, fundamentally altering the relationship between the poet, the text, and the audience. Peter B. Howarth, a scholar of modern literature, examines the intersection of performance and textuality. He argues that the live reading environment—shaped by the author's physical presence, social context, and institutional frameworks—created a unique space that challenged traditional notions of poetic ownership and authorship.

Scholars and critics identify this work as a significant intervention in the study of modern poetic performance. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous framework for understanding the often-overlooked mechanics of the live reading circuit.