Algebra — Blackout Poetry
Creating poetry from prose through redaction
Lady Reborn says Blackout Poetry is her jam. She inspired me to try it out.
The appeal of poetry through redaction is strong. Creating light through the elimination of darkness.
That is how sculptors do it, right? They start with a block of wood, or stone, and chisel away.
Some might argue that when the block of words you start with is from one of history’s greatest poets — it is sort of cheating. Especially when the poet is known for lengthy digressions in his prose. Yes, I’m talking about Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.
Oh, yes, also…I was not about to deface one of my copies of the text. I have several copies, in multiple translations. I created the website Victor Hugo Central back in 2000. I became somewhat obsessed with the author after seeing the musical on Broadway in 1988. So, no. No books were defaced. This redaction was 100% digital.
Some might say that I did nothing to Hugo’s words except condense them. For me, it was difficult…
