I am fascinated by
Black Out Poetry, a form of found poetry. Last week writer and artist
Austin Kleon posted this on his Instagram feed.
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| Austin Kleon's Newspaper Blackout Poem |
He often posts
Newspaper Blackout Poems (and he even has a
book!) I adore them. He even includes a great tutorial and gallery on his website, and he writes about his process
here. I am so intrigued and impressed with his daily practice of writing.
Although I don't subscribe to a printed newspaper anymore, I receive magazines, so I used the same concept with an older article from
Educational Leadership. To create a black out poem, you simply need an old text (like a magazine article or newspaper or advertisement) and a black marker.
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| My Black Out Poem |
I am always amazed at the challenge of creating a found poem. Ultimately, it is about noticing words and creating something new from those words. (Writing all begins with noticing, right?) I think that the process is engaging, but it takes some time, playing with words, and brain power.
Below is the third Black Out Poem I created yesterday. After my first two attempts, I finally came up with something I liked:
Acknowledge
teaching.
Devote
resources
to spur teacher growth.
Wonderful blackout poem. I’m a fan of Austin Kleon. Love “Steal Like an Artist.” Have you tried blackout poetry w/ students? I’ve used it to teach Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Those opening letters can be tough for kids to read.
ReplyDeleteI have used it with students before, but no this year yet! I think Austin Kleon has so many smart things to teach writers!
DeleteI'm also a big fan of blackout poetry. Last semester in my Methods class, we made writing gifts for each other at the end of the semester, and mine was to take a blog post from each of my students, print it, and create a blackout poem with their words. It took soooo much longer than I thought it was going to! It's actually quite challenging! But so much fun.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great idea Elisabeth! Can I be in your methods class, please?
DeleteSuch a fan. What a challenge for such beauty.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI've never tried black out poetry.I'd like to try it sometime soon. You've inspired me to put it on my list for a future Poetry Friday post.
ReplyDelete