Where the sidewalk reads, in which I make a poem out of trash

Chapter 101

The only possibility was

buzzing and festive.

Before,  it was

unfathomable shadows.

A tiny voice

inside the street noise

wouldn't stop—

***

Spooky, right?  Above is a blackout poem, also called an erasure. I learned how to make this kind of thing from Austin Kleon's blog, and here, my source is a page of a paperback that had fallen apart; it was blowing around a sidewalk in New York. Before I made the "new" work, I had no idea which book Chapter 101 had come from, but after googling a chunk of the original text, I discovered it was a novel by James Patterson. It's either Black Market (1986) or a slightly rewritten version, Black Friday (2000). I vote for Black Market because the pages look old and foxed. The original Kirkus review said it's an "abysmally dumb terrorist novel whose plot would embarrass a Superman movie." Ouch. "Chapter 101" makes a fine title, though.

The Poetry Friday roundup is over at Matt Forrest Esenwine’s site, Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme.

Updated to add: the Guardian just looked at erasure poetry, too. "Especially when challenging dust-thick prejudice and received opinion, it has the potential to be transformative." See "Blanked verse: the power of erasure poetry," by Carol Rumens.

Comments

[tanita]

Oh, WOW what a review! I don't care for James Patterson novels, but I can't say that even I'd be that... succinct... I LOVE your blackout poem, though! I should try a novel page; last time I did a nonfiction book, but you get much wilder topics with fiction, I think.

[Susan Thomsen]

Tanita, I’d love to see what you create! Let me know. That review minces no words…

[Matt Forrest Esenwine]

Well, at least something great came out of the novel, ha! Love this - eerie and thought-provoking.

[Linda Baie]

It is fun to read what comes "buzzing and festive", better than the review you found!

[Mary Lee]

I LOVE that your found poem was make on a page from a found book! Chapter 101 is a fantastic title.

I'm getting ready to start a blackout poem project that uses fabric and thread. Stay tuned!

[Linda Mitchell]

That's so cool! Finding a book page blowing around and turning into a poem...perfect for a Poetry Friday share. And, I love that you were able to narrow down what book it is. Isn't it amazing what we can do with a few keystrokes these days? A gem, for sure.

[janice scully]

I agree that you have found something good in Mr. Patterson's work. He might be thinking that novel is long forgotten!

[Susan Thomsen]

Matt, thanks for stopping by and for hosting the Poetry Friday roundup! It's a deadline that gets me writing every week.

Linda B., it was a fun find. That review! Ooof. I doubt it affected sales, though.

Mary Lee, I can't WAIT to see what you're doing. Perhaps I've seen a glimpse on Instagram?

Linda M., it is indeed so crazy that I can google and find the book in seconds. From what I read, I thought it was perhaps a mystery written for children. I was surprised it was Patterson.

Janice, ha! Slate said, "As the scrappy runner-up to PW, Kirkus has long had a reputation for lively, unpredictable reviews that are sometimes outlandishly harsh." Yep!

[Alan j Wright]

I have long been a fan of black out poetry and erasure poetry. Austin Kleon (great name) set me on my way and I remain ever grateful. Love that you found your words out on the streets of NYC. You have re-energized the words with your considered choices. Well done Susan.

[Susan]

Alan, yes, I am so grateful to Austin Kleon, too! Thanks for dropping by.

[Denise Krebs]

Susan, you made magic with the first page of Chapter 101. What a fun post! I love "the only possibility was buzzing and festive." I love how found poems find unusual combinations of words. It's an intriguing phrase and poem.

[Susan]

Denise, thank you for your kind words! The book might not have been reviewed well, but I found plenty to work with. I like the surprise of found poems, too. As you're saying, the combinations of words are intriguing--and usually not even close to something I would have come up with on my own.

[Jone]

I love erasure poetry. This is brilliant.

[Susan]

Jone, thank you! Isn't erasure poetry fun to work on? I am fascinated by it. A super cool one (and heartbreaking) is Nicole Sealey's "'Pages 1-4,' an excerpt from The Ferguson Report: An Erasure." https://poets.org/poem/pages-1-4-excerpt-ferguson-report-erasure