OULIPOST #15: PRISONER’S CONSTRAINT

The prompt:
Imagine a prisoner whose supply of paper is restricted. To put it to fullest use, he will maximize his space by avoiding any letter extending above or below the line (b, d,f,g,h,j,k,l,p,q,t and y) and use only a,c,e,m,n,o,r,s,u,v,w,x and z. Compose a poem using only words that can be made from these letters AND which you source from your newspaper text.

The process: 
I thought..oh boy this will be tough. I will need the Scrabble Word Finder. I didn't. Today, is the one year anniversary of the Marathon Bombing. They had a special wrap-around cover and on the inside a short article and quotes. I went through the short article and quotes and found short words and pulled something together. It's a bit commemorative. My apologies. I live about a mile away from where "he" was found. I went to the same university he went to and taught there. I was held captive that Friday in April and watched unmarked patrol cars scour my street for hours. 

The result: 


one
we are more aware
we survive
we move
we run
we rise—sun


we see issue
we own

since,
we want same
we mean more
now, even more

runners, survivors,
men, 
women,
move
run
race
rose…

Source:
A special piece: "One year late." The Boston Globe.  15 Apr 2014, V1-V4.
Contributors: Mark Arsenault, Billy Baker, Anica Butler, Maria Cramer, Liz Kowalczyk, Eric Moskowitz, Shelley Murphy, Martine Powers, Dina Rudick, Andrew Ryan, David L. Ryan, and John Tlumacki. 

OULIPOST #14: COLUMN INCHES

The prompt:
Refer to the advertising section or the classifieds in your source newspaper. Create a poem by replacing all of the nouns in your chosen ad segment or classified listing with nouns from one article in the same newspaper. You may use multiple ads/classifieds, presented in the order of your choosing.

The process:
My colleague, the nice man who gives me the paper everyday, drew my attention to this very cool ad. 

It has a cute raccoon in it. I was sold. So..I had my ad. Then I saw this wonderful profile on the front page and I exclaimed, "NOUNS!!!." This article contained many nouns but it's a difficult read. It's a profile of the family of the marathon bombings' youngest victim. I had to stop reading it. I could barely get through each line without a tear. Due to this, I got a little creative with the text. I chose which lines I wanted to replace the nouns. I chose the main ad text. Also, I ate a lot of M&M's while writing this and dinner. It was a bit emotional!

It's not perfect..but it's what I could muster.

The result:

Finding the rearview

Family flying refined
1 home only
It’s your quick memory
To save up to 50% off regular base life 
Book by tears, tonight 
No rehabilitation

Save on strength
And
Pain,
Drugs at 
physcialescapes.com

Source:

Abel, Dave. "Finding the Strength: Part 2 of 2." The Boston Globe. 14 Apr 14. A1-A19. Print. 

OULIPOST #13: EPITHALAMIUM

The prompt:
An Oulipian epithalamium, or marriage song, is one composed exclusively with the letters of the names of bride and groom (bride and bride, groom and groom, etc). Visit the engagement or wedding announcements section of your newspaper and select a couple. Write a poem using only words that can be made with the letters in their name. You may choose to use first names only if you prefer anonymity or full names if you’re desperate for more letters.

The process:
Well, The Boston Globe did not have engagement announcements published this week. That was last Sunday but never fear I persevere! I started searching other "local" newspapers and then called my mom. She said, "The Cape Cod Times." I said, "Let me Google that." And tada!! I found 1 single engagement announcement. Now my dear friend, Katy over at somethingkaty uses this source text so we might have the same set of names for today. Also, the reason I am still calling this paper local is I've grown up with this paper on the weekends when my family and I would spend time at our house on the Cape and it's still in my tiny little state so..there you have it. 

I changed my source text and I also used the Scrabble Word Finder but in all honesty I found most of the words I used in the an article or two from The Cape Cod Times. How neat is that??

The result:


The engaged couple:
Allison Thompson & Jon Nickerson

CASH-CENTRIC SELECTIONS

All the ties
Inspire men to reason
Contracts trick criminals into 
Technical teams and short poker palms

Rematch the masters
Clap for them
The site near the canal
Lost three men

Hitch into aerials
Reasons for the scene
Reports arise to see
Titles are not as they seem

A lack of heart
Conceals a problem
A major loss
Cash can’t help ‘em


Sources:
Various headlines from The Cape Cod Times. http://www.capecodonline.com/ 13 Apr 2014, Web.
http://www.scrabblefinder.com/solver/

Bragg, Mary-Ann, Orecchio-Egresitz, Haven. "Two workers die in fall when truck tumbles into ditch." The Cape Cod Times. 13 Apr 2014. Web.

Shemkus, Sarah. "How many women authors do you read?" The Cape Cod Times. 13 Apr. 2014, Web. 

OULIPOST #12: SONNET

The prompt:
Write a sonnet sourced from lines found in newspaper articles. You may choose your own sonnet type ( Examples here) and should feel free to be creative with the rules. One known Oulipo variation is “sonnets of variable length,” in which one must compose a sonnet in which the lines are either as short as possible or as long as possible.

The process:
Creativity. Making it your own. I wanted to build on the length of the lines as I went along. It started off okay but then...tapered off. I also decided early on that I wanted it to be a true sonnet...one about love. The other rules I sort of threw out the window but I did want it to have a rhyme scheme.

I pulled quotes, lines and words and just formed the poem. Also, the last line made me giggle. I am a 12 year old boy. I present to you Sonnet #12.

The result:

Sonnet  #12

I may
Love you
more each day
My love I give to few

I’m just so happy, even in my dreams
Keep calm, I am sensitive, my heartbleeds
Thing won’t be resolved by extremes
You and I both agreed

Come on, let’s get a grip
I believe we must be very strong
I consider the usual aids: slutty nurse –sex tip
Although, I may be very wrong

Post battle, we have a vision
Of a sexual collision

Source:

Various articles from The Boston Globe, 12 Apr 2014, Sections A-B, G Magazine. Print.

OULIPOST #11: UNIVOCALISM

The prompt:
A univocalic text is one written with a single vowel. It is consequently a lipogram in all the other vowels. If he had been univocally minded, Hamlet might have exclaimed, “Be? Never be? Perplexed quest: seek the secret!” All words used must be sourced from your newspaper.

The process:

At first, I wanted to use 'e' and then I wanted to use 'i' and then I wanted to use 'a'. I finally stuck with A. I was a little ambitious and wanted to do 3 poems: one with a, one with e and one with i. I then realized....that wasn't a good idea. I am not prepared for that yet and plus...I would never be satisfied with all three of them. I decided I'd write 3 short stanzas and try to rhyme the last 2 lines..little couplets. I got creative with the punctuation at the end. Does this poem make sense? Hmmm..not entirely sure. I even stuck with the A section of the paper. Waa waaa!

The result:

I am not choos-E

Mass land blasts
A day grasps back
Data plays part
A man wants art 

Act as plan
Martha adapts that talk
Ads pay
Ran away

Half fatal 
And half mammal
Sad class play 
A ban: gay

Source: 
Various articles throughout the A section of The Boston Globe. 11 April 2014. Print.

OULIPOST #10: SNOWBALL

The Prompt:

This procedure requires the first word of a text to have only one letter, the second two, the third three, and so on as far as resourcefulness and inspiration allow. The first word of a snowball is normally a vowel: in English, a I or O.

From your newspaper, select a starting vowel and then continue adding words of increasing length from the same source article or passage. Challenge yourself further by only using words in order as you encounter them in the text.

The process:

I tried to follow the rules but towards the end of the second stanza..I found words I liked that sort of went with the ideals of the poems. This was challenging and again with the counting!!!  I have to say ...I liked how i capped some and others I did not and then I didn't and needed consistency.

The result:

Jesus

I
In
the
Long
First
Gospel
Swiftly
Document
Spiritual
Originally
Composition
Significance

Christianity
Specialists
Meticulous
Meanwhile
Fragment
Critics
Gospel
Grasp
That
One
In
I

Source:
Wangsness, Lisa. “Finding adds to “Jesus’s Wife’ These’”. The Boston Globe. 10 April 2014. A1-A10. Print.

OULIPOST #9: HEADLINES (VARIATION OF JEAN QUEVAL’S “CENT ONS”)

The prompt:

Compose a poem whose body is sourced from article headlines in your newspaper.

The process:
I pulled the headlines from today's Boston Globe and also pulled some pull out text and sub-headlines throughout the paper. I also cut some headlines up, just used one word or two or partial phrases. 

It was quite fun and surprising and even flows! 

The result:

Broader Plan

Legacy of a dreamer
Refuting stereotypes
Confirming stereotypes
With tributes and salutes

Key flaw laid to rest
Honors unity in death
With fascination of the unknown
Our yearning for mystery and surprise

A great human being...


Source:
Various headlines. The Boston Globe. 9 Apr 2014. All sections. Print and web.