Category Archives: Reading and Writing Electronic Text

Beatnik Box

Eamon O’Connor

Generate poetry by banging out rhythms on drum pads.

Description

A Python script reads serial data from two sensors to as stressed or unstressed syllable, then searches the dictionary for words that conform to the established metrical pattern. For one lazy coin (cf Sam Lavigne) a real poet (me) will edit the computer generated output into a “real” poem, that show attendees can cherish forever.

Classes

Reading and Writing Electronic Text

Centrality

Aankit Patel

Procedural poetry that invites the reader to take a more intuitive approach to 'meaning'.

http://www.aantiks.com/centrality/

Description

Meaning often lies in seemingly random events, in the chaos and messiness of life. Yet when we read, we try to get at the meaning by digging deeper, getting to the core or the center of the author's message.

Centrality uses the Wordnet lexicographical corpus, the dadaist cut-up technique, and Jabberwocky-esque nonsense to write a poem modeling the meaning of a single user-inputted verb. Using the very common statistical measure of centrality, the normal distribution, the poems juxtapose difference usages or senses of the verb with each other and nonsense. The effect hopefully invites the reader to treat text and language more intuitively, allowing context instead of deterministic definitions guide their understanding.

Classes

Reading and Writing Electronic Text, Coding for Emotional Impact