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Notes

Below are some preliminary notes we've gathered from the interviews related to our coded subjects. We used these notes to write the Findings section of the website, and we believe exposing them here is consistent with one of the project's main aims, i.e. that the various modes of looking at this material and its interpretations will lead users/readers to their own discoveries and new questions to explore.

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Poet Topic Note
gluck between
Though all composition is done on paper, digital proofs are reviewed. But then it's back to paper for any changes or fixes.
Though all composition is done on paper, digital proofs are reviewed. But then it's back to paper for any changes or fixes. I cannot imagine typing poems on that board. between gluck
pinsky between files
An individual digital file of every version of a poem is stored, numbered, and referenced throughout the evolution of a draft.
An individual digital file of every version of a poem is stored, numbered, and referenced throughout the evolution of a draft. I think in some things I've gone up to DR104 in the file menu. between; files pinsky
pinsky between paper
The process of a poem's creation involves both digital and analog methods, but physical engagement with the poem—printouts, oral recitation, etc.—is most integral.
The process of a poem's creation involves both digital and analog methods, but physical engagement with the poem—printouts, oral recitation, etc.—is most integral. I do all of the above. I write longhand on paper, I compose on a computer, more process of revising. between; paper pinsky
wrigley betweenearlypromptpaperchange
Even in the days of the typewriter, composing with keys rather than longhand has been done cautiously, as such a method might improperly influence stazaic structure, line length, etc.
Even in the days of the typewriter, composing with keys rather than longhand has been done cautiously, as such a method might improperly influence stazaic structure, line length, etc. It would have been dangerous for me in the beginning, I think, to compose on a word processor or a typewriter because it might have given me this inclination toward a particular kind of structure that in fact would not have been as interesting or as evocative to me between;early;prompt;paper;change wrigley
ryan betweenpaper
always strats poem in long-hand, writing it over and over by hand, then moves to computer then prints out, etc.
always strats poem in long-hand, writing it over and over by hand, then moves to computer then prints out, etc. it's always been going back and-I mean, it's mostly handwritten over, and over, and over, and over, and over again, starting from the beginning. I never have been able to do it any other way. First word first. First syllable first. All the way to the end. between;paper ryan
strickland betweenpaper
hyper aware of changes in software and, due to one particularly bad experience, threat of data loss due to software glitches
hyper aware of changes in software and, due to one particularly bad experience, threat of data loss due to software glitches between;paper strickland
strickland betweenpaper
writes back into notebooks to generate work by seeing whether an image or idea is still arresting
writes back into notebooks to generate work by seeing whether an image or idea is still arresting Because I want to go back and see is there—does it still have the pull for me that it did, the things that I wrote down at that time, because there are things that tend to be continually magnetizing for me. between;paper strickland
mcmichael betweenpaperrevision
moving from long-hand to typewriter was a producitve and often pleasurable break/move that he repeated over and over to write his books, even on long sections
moving from long-hand to typewriter was a producitve and often pleasurable break/move that he repeated over and over to write his books, even on long sections There's 16 sections of it of varying lengths, and I'd do it section by section. It was pretty much chronological, but some of the sections were 16, 17 pages long, so I'd go through the whole process for that particular section. You know, if I were typing up what I'd recently added 4 or 5 lines to, I'd probably type the whole thing again between;paper;revision mcmichael
wrigley betweenpromptpaperrevision
Composition typically involves a volleying back and forth between longhand on paper (where it begins) and the computer, mostly in an effort to stir up new ideas.
Composition typically involves a volleying back and forth between longhand on paper (where it begins) and the computer, mostly in an effort to stir up new ideas. Somehow converting the hand written text to text on the computer screen—and it was with a typewriter, even before—can allow you to see things about its structure or about its movement that you might not have seen while you were in the midst of it. between;prompt;paper;revision wrigley
wrigley betweenpromptpaperrevision
The computer makes experimenting with structural elements in a poem extremely easy.
The computer makes experimenting with structural elements in a poem extremely easy. It changed everything about the poem, having that poem broken into tercets instead of quatrains. That was so easy to do and so easy to examine, to test, with a computer. between;prompt;paper;revision wrigley
gerstler betweenrevisionchange
Compared to typing, digital revision allows for quicker, more streamlined experimentation with form, lineation, and shape.
Compared to typing, digital revision allows for quicker, more streamlined experimentation with form, lineation, and shape. What I like is I can take a chunk of text and move it up here and it doesn't take me 40 minutes to retype the whole damn thing. And if I don't like it, I can try it down here. And if I want to print out a copy of something as a prose poem, and a copy of it with some line breaks, and look at them next to each other, I can do that in a flash. All that? I couldn't be happier. Because then I'm spending my time reading and writing and revising, and not spending my time [makes typing sound]. Oh! Now I have to do the whole thing all over again! between;revision;change gerstler
vanwinckel betweenrevisioncorrespondence
Computer serves as a bridge between paper drafts and submission/correspondence.
Computer serves as a bridge between paper drafts and submission/correspondence. I'll look at it on… I'll come back to it over a period of a couple of weeks on the computer then (once it's on the computer file) and look at it, probably tinker with it a little bit more before, and then I'll start sending it out probably. between;revision;correspondence vanwinckel
vanwinckel betweenrevisionpaper
Tiered system of older > newer drafts stored in notebooks prior to digital trancription.
Tiered system of older > newer drafts stored in notebooks prior to digital trancription. So, I probably… as I said, I probably do 2 or 3 handwritten drafts and I'll actually rip the notebook page out. I have notebooks and notebooks where I have a big X through the page so that I do not get confused that I'm actually done with this version, and now if I look hard enough in the notebook, there is a later version of these poems. But I throw the old, ripped up pages in the back of the notebook, and there's a newer version somewhere in there. But the older ones are fatter and often… I'm also experimenting with line break, then too, with the shaping issues… between;revision;paper vanwinckel
pinsky career
The initial draw to poetry was in response to its more oral tradition.
The initial draw to poetry was in response to its more oral tradition. This was more physical in some way. More bodily, let's say. career pinsky
beasley career
Spare time on the job as key to first-book drafting.
Spare time on the job as key to first-book drafting. There was an old, famous ad campaign for Maytag washing machines, and the joke of it was that the washing machine never broke down; so they had Maytag Repairs, and the Maytag Repairs people were just really bored, they had nothing to do. So, I had a sign on my desk that said Maytag Repairs. But I had a lot of spare time, so I would write a lot at work on my typewriter—this was before computers. So, I wrote a lot of my first book in those jobs. career beasley
wrigley career
After being honorably discharged from the military in the early 70s, the goal was to write novels—until discovering poetry.
After being honorably discharged from the military in the early 70s, the goal was to write novels—until discovering poetry. But then I got waylaid by poetry, and I think that I discovered or realized that whatever sort of disposition I have is suited to poetry and not so much to prose, and certainly not to fiction. career wrigley
wrigley career
A teacher since the very beginning of writing poetry, the classroom has been an enormous inspiration and stablizing element.
A teacher since the very beginning of writing poetry, the classroom has been an enormous inspiration and stablizing element. career wrigley
strickland career
very non-traditional career both in medium and in practice, with struggles often to find time due to family and work committments
very non-traditional career both in medium and in practice, with struggles often to find time due to family and work committments career strickland
strickland career
collaboration, friendship paramount to her career and working methods
collaboration, friendship paramount to her career and working methods career strickland
vanwinckel careerchangebetween
Digital composition now happens in the moment, not just via transcription or revision.
Digital composition now happens in the moment, not just via transcription or revision. Well, I think it's mostly been gradual. I've grown more comfortable doing some revision work on the computer and especially with the fiction, and maybe because fiction still feels like a newer form to me. One shift that has felt a little bit more dramatic with composing is that I have found myself, when I'm working on short stories, actually doing some new composing work right here while I'm sitting. Like I'll be working on a story thinking… I'm typing in from my notebook… career;change;between vanwinckel
mcmichael careerprompt
mcmichael's career dotted by periods of not-writing too
mcmichael's career dotted by periods of not-writing too I don't understand why I didn't just accept that I was thru writing. I mean, that should have been enough, but that wasn't what I felt –I don't know why, but I didn't. career;prompt mcmichael
wrigley careerprompt
Maintaining a rigid routine of protected writing time over the years—often done in a small, dedicated building named The Stanza—has been crucial.
Maintaining a rigid routine of protected writing time over the years—often done in a small, dedicated building named The Stanza—has been crucial. That's pretty much been my routine really for a long time now, for 20 years. It's a pretty good way to work. career;prompt wrigley
vanwinckel careerteaching
Teaching inspired initial foray into fiction.
Teaching inspired initial foray into fiction. So, I think I just accidentally taught myself to write fiction by trying to help my students make their stories better and trying to diagnose: 'What does this story need?' career;teaching vanwinckel
vanwinckel careerteachingpromptearly
Necessity of teaching fiction as a poet inspires unexpected bank of story ideas.
Necessity of teaching fiction as a poet inspires unexpected bank of story ideas. I remember so many days walking to my fiction writing class and trying to think about what I was going to say to this writer about her story-how to address its troubles-and I realized that I was internalizing all of this. And then the first time I got a sabbatical, I remember I was driving into Chicago for a little adventure for the day (and I was so happy I had this sabbatical I was going to work on poems, of course) and I got this idea for a story. I remember I was just writing on my car seat while I'm driving-just this little note to myself about what the story-kind of just a synopsis, like one sentence of what it would be. By the time I got in to Chicago, I had 5 story synopses written on this piece of paper, and then I just came home. That's what I did for my whole sabbatical-I wrote a bunch of stories and that was the 1st book of stories. Limited Lifetime Warranty, it was called. career;teaching;prompt;early vanwinckel
beasley change
The internet facilitates leaps in thought, association, and poetic imagination.
The internet facilitates leaps in thought, association, and poetic imagination. Computers and internet have influenced the content of my poems a lot, doing a lot with websites, with that kind of radical interconnectivity of associative thinking that the internet suggests. I think that the dawn of the internet probably has changed the way I compose my poetics in certain way, and that it has given permission for more associative, mimetic thinking process that I associate with internet links. change beasley
beasley change
How the internet thinks in relation to poetic composition.
How the internet thinks in relation to poetic composition. And that, I think, was one of the first poems where I consciously wrote a poem whose thinking was related to the way I think the internet thinks—if we can call the internet a thinker. change beasley
mcmichael change
Major changes in writing practice more due to realization of content and improvement of practice/standards rather than technology
Major changes in writing practice more due to realization of content and improvement of practice/standards rather than technology After I wrote the Vegetables, I had a standard that I had to apply all the time. And once it was in place, then I had something to work with besides form (I had form, too, but I had form before when I was filling form with bad phrases). change mcmichael
ryan change
ability to look up etymologies and rhymes online = greatest change to writing process due to computer; remarkably consistent practice throughout
ability to look up etymologies and rhymes online = greatest change to writing process due to computer; remarkably consistent practice throughout But I have looked up-I confess-rhyming pairs. There are rhyming dictionaries online. So, sometimes I've used those just to see what the options are. change ryan
mcmichael change between
With last book, found he didn't miss the typing stage and that the notetaking, typing, and revision stages all started to meld
With last book, found he didn't miss the typing stage and that the notetaking, typing, and revision stages all started to meld There was, as I said before, a surprise that I wasn't at all missing the typing—the typing stage probably because it was all typing. So, it was as if... That's what's happened with this machine—was the long-hand and the typing just coalesced and because the same activity. change; between mcmichael
strickland change early
IBM Selectric introduced erasing --> big deal but also required discipline
IBM Selectric introduced erasing --> big deal but also required discipline I need those little balls on the IBM Selectric. That was like this huge thing that you could erase with an erase thing, that you don't have to pull the page out and start all over again. On the other hand, there was a discipline about that. change; early strickland
mcmichael change revision
music, starting with jazz then moving to rock and roll, and finally staying with classical, had a profound effect on practice, especially on form and length of individual poems
music, starting with jazz then moving to rock and roll, and finally staying with classical, had a profound effect on practice, especially on form and length of individual poems I think there's a non-accidental relationship between the forms I was working with having been as short as a 3-minute take and a sonata form, or a scherzo trio form, or an adagio, or something like that that the lengths of it (the units I was working on ) got larger when I was listening to pieces of music that were 8-9 minutes to ½ an hour long. change; revision mcmichael
mohammad changebetweencareercorrespondence
Three distinct stages frame the evolution of writing practice: 1) exchanges of language experiments with other poets via a low-pressure email group, 2) Google collage-making (using search results), and 3) experiments with rearranging Shakespearean sonnetts (Sonograms).
Three distinct stages frame the evolution of writing practice: 1) exchanges of language experiments with other poets via a low-pressure email group, 2) Google collage-making (using search results), and 3) experiments with rearranging Shakespearean sonnetts (Sonograms). it's kind of, at least so far, been kind of a really distinct, three-stage process. change;between;career;correspondence mohammad
vanwinckel changebetweenmssrevision
On picking and choosing her own work for a hybrid approach to selected poems.
On picking and choosing her own work for a hybrid approach to selected poems. And, you know, I feel like I'm kind of talking… I had… I sense one of the things that's going on in this project is that I'm talking back to history in a way and saying, 'No, that's not right,' and I like that. I like that versus- change;between;mss;revision vanwinckel
gerstler changebetweenrevisioncorrespondence
Email and digital editing tools changed the nature of both journalistic revision/correspondence and ability to maintain aeshtetic intentions with poetry submissions.
Email and digital editing tools changed the nature of both journalistic revision/correspondence and ability to maintain aeshtetic intentions with poetry submissions. Yeah, like almost the whole time that I worked at Art Forum, it was like-well, at the beginning-it was like over the phone, you know, Blah, blah, blah. And then it would be like somebody would mark something up and send it to you over email, and then you'd go argue with them over the phone. But you wouldn't be sitting there over the phone going, OK, in paragraph 3, about the middle, this sentence, this word-you know what I mean? Again-making things much more efficient, speeding things up. And also, it was a lot about-for me, but I don't think I was alone in this-a lot about learning curve. Figuring out how to use the computer, and what you could do with it graphically, also, with poems. Because suddenly, you know, on a typewriter and on the early computers, you couldn't play with typeface, you couldn't play with type size. People who wanted to make concrete poetry or poetry that uses, you know-they really worked hard. You know, all those guys back in the day they worked hard to get that written and then made sure that it went in to print as the artistic, graphic, on-the-page creation that they wanted to make. change;between;revision;correspondence gerstler
pinsky changecorrespondence
Writing letters to other writers has been used as a warm-up for writing poetry.
Writing letters to other writers has been used as a warm-up for writing poetry. I used to write a lot of letters. They used to be a way I would warm up. change;correspondence pinsky
armantrout changecorrespondencerevision
Parallels between sped-up correspondence via email and increased productivity as a poet.
Parallels between sped-up correspondence via email and increased productivity as a poet. I think I did. I mean, I would type something up and send it, usually to a couple of people—two or three people—and I would get responses back. But it certainly—I mean, now we're so used to kind of this instant dialogue, instant gratification. Sometimes I think that that's, you know, maybe that's why I'm writing faster now. Really, it is the stimulation of that. change;correspondence;revision armantrout
vanwinckel changemss
Same-page drafting segues into poem series', informs manuscript structure.
Same-page drafting segues into poem series', informs manuscript structure. And then I liked that. I like working in series so much when I was writing that book that I also just decided I wanted to keep moving in that direction. I liked those series poems. And they maybe lent themselves more to that practice with several poems happening at the same time in early draft stages. change;mss vanwinckel
armantrout changepaper
Compared to typewriters, digital tools fast-forward the transition from notebook page to screen.
Compared to typewriters, digital tools fast-forward the transition from notebook page to screen. Well, I think, I always used a notebook. You know, I couldn't tell you exactly what the notebooks looked like way back then, but I always wrote by hand. I think I wrote by hand then—I'm sure I did longer, took me longer to write a poem, and it also stayed in the hand-written phase longer because back then, when you left the hand-written phase, you had to go to a typewriter. You're too young to know about typewriters, but they were enormously irritating because if you made any mistakes, you had to either start over or put whiteout on it, or you know, etcetera. And then, you would make a copy. I mean, you would print it out and if you wanted another copy, you'd have to type it again. I mean, right? change;paper armantrout
wrigley changerevision
Though certainly a combination of the digital and analog methods, revision still mostly occurs with pencil and paper on hard copies—a preference discovered by initial use of the computer.
Though certainly a combination of the digital and analog methods, revision still mostly occurs with pencil and paper on hard copies—a preference discovered by initial use of the computer. I discovered that I prefer the old and seemingly laborious manual method with seriously analog notation and keeping track of things. change;revision wrigley
armantrout changerevisioncorrespondence
Feedback via email spurs faster revision, completion, and moving on to the next poem.
Feedback via email spurs faster revision, completion, and moving on to the next poem. I mean, I'll go, Maybe it's not good. Maybe I should do something else. So, you know, I think that's why I need somebody to give me a kind of endpoint and say, Cut it out now. change;revision;correspondence armantrout
gluck correspondence
Feedback is important, but from whom it is requested varies in accordance with the particular poem or project.
Feedback is important, but from whom it is requested varies in accordance with the particular poem or project. They change. I mean, it's certain periods, certain people. Sometimes, you'll feel these poems—if they're ever going to be understood by anyone—will be understood by X. And you're usually right—when X says, This won't do, you trust it, because the person is basically on the side of the work. correspondence gluck
beasley correspondence
Same writing group for sharing work from pre- to post-email era.
Same writing group for sharing work from pre- to post-email era. Mostly. Some of them—two or three of them are people I went to graduate school with at Virginia. We had a writing group where we all met once a week while we were at grad school, and we've sort of continued over the years through the internet. correspondence beasley
mcmichael correspondence
loves non-invasive quality of computer, especially for corresopndence
loves non-invasive quality of computer, especially for corresopndence But I love how non-invasive this [the computer] is as a medium—not so much in terms of my being protected against being invaded by somebody else, but being able to say something (send somebody something here [on the computer]) and understand that they can open it when they want, and that it's not an imposition on them. correspondence; mcmichael
armantrout correspondencecareer
A tradition of sharing work with fellow writers began on paper back in the 1970s, and continues today via email.
A tradition of sharing work with fellow writers began on paper back in the 1970s, and continues today via email. So, I had lengthy correspondences actually on paper with the people back in San Francisco—not all of them but some of them. I can't believe it now, how much time we spent writing long letters out by hand, or typing them on typewriters. correspondence;career armantrout
mohammad correspondenceflarf
Blogging and other online forums have—outside of initial Flarf exchanges—been used mostly as a casual social connection with other poets.
Blogging and other online forums have—outside of initial Flarf exchanges—been used mostly as a casual social connection with other poets. I think for me, again, the main value of the blogging thing was to bring me in to contact with other poets and having discussions. correspondence;flarf mohammad
wrigley correspondencefuture
Correspondence is frequent, and though done mostly via email now, are nonetheless printed out and stored in boxes much like drafts and other notes.
Correspondence is frequent, and though done mostly via email now, are nonetheless printed out and stored in boxes much like drafts and other notes. I love getting letters. It's not like getting an email. But most of the correspondence is via email anymore, and I try to print those off. correspondence;future wrigley
gerstler correspondencefuture
Email and file storage/archives via Carbonite.
Email and file storage/archives via Carbonite. Oh, yeah. Some emails I print out, and many I save by leaving them on the computer. And again, since the gods of Carbonites are supposedly looking out for me, it's saved there, too correspondence;future gerstler
gerstler correspondencerevision
She saves the sharing of work with fellow writers for a limited number of correspondents, towards the end of the drafting process.
She saves the sharing of work with fellow writers for a limited number of correspondents, towards the end of the drafting process. Yeah, It's all about me today! You know. So, I have a few people I try not to tap very often, and much later in the process. And I try really hard to do it myself, and to come back to things multiple times from multiple angles. Because, you know, when you're younger, you have a lot more friends, and you're all young, and you have a little bit more time, and maybe people aren't locked in to jobs or families, and you're all artists and writers together coming up. And then there's some winnowing. At least this has been my experience-probably other people have a different experience-but some people stop doing it and do something else. Which is cool. Some people get very busy, or you lose touch with them. And then a lot of people have jobs and lives that-you know, they're already reading their students work, and trying to make a living, and trying to keep their life together, and do their own work. So, you know, you're like, Hey, here's sixty pages of my poem on top of your busy, multi-tasking life. Have fun! correspondence;revision gerstler
pinsky early
The IBM Selectric was a favorite tool for composition.
The IBM Selectric was a favorite tool for composition. It was like a BMW. It was such an excellent machine—that golf ball click-click-click. early pinsky
pinsky early
The early 80's computer game Mindwheel was composed entirely on an Atari.
The early 80's computer game Mindwheel was composed entirely on an Atari. I still remember that monochrome, yellow, black-on-yellow monitor that weighed more than anybody's big flat screen TV. It was immense. early pinsky
pinsky early
Computer skills have been self-taught over the years, a process which has benefited from having began in the early days of computers.
Computer skills have been self-taught over the years, a process which has benefited from having began in the early days of computers. Adept is a relative term compared to all the other writers and poets I know. I guess I'm adept compared to any 15-year-old. I try hard. early pinsky
beasley early
Tecnology has had less influence on composition process, and more on the ways poems take physical shape.
Tecnology has had less influence on composition process, and more on the ways poems take physical shape. So just doing essentially what I do now—large chunks of prose that would lead to ideas and sort of mull through ideas—but I was typing it on a Selectric typewriter. early beasley
ryan early
early benefit of computer was simply not having to re-type so much
early benefit of computer was simply not having to re-type so much Again, it was great to be able to change things without typing them all out again-and that's pretty much all you could with it. early ryan
strickland early
technology/software evidenced via usage characteristics as well as characteristic mistakes made
technology/software evidenced via usage characteristics as well as characteristic mistakes made So each technology actually gave rise to a certain kind of poetry and a certain kind of mystique. people making email or characteristic word substitutions that you do that you never did on the page—anyway, so I don't think that story has really been told because it shifts so rapidly, because you went from email to texting, to this to that, you know, and each one of those things has a different early strickland
strickland early
used to rent a computer when going to residencies, mostly for printout
used to rent a computer when going to residencies, mostly for printout I would rent a computer to have at that place because I wanted the print out, and I still want the print out. early strickland
gluck early future
Though archived, most original drafts and documents are either typed on a typewriter or written longhand, and with very little marginalia/notation.
Though archived, most original drafts and documents are either typed on a typewriter or written longhand, and with very little marginalia/notation. It's one of the reasons that my papers are not valuable, because there will be pages with little scribbles, but usually I just put in a new piece. early; future gluck
mohammad earlycareer
Prior to the advent of the internet, finding venues for the language poetry that would later become integral to his style was difficult.
Prior to the advent of the internet, finding venues for the language poetry that would later become integral to his style was difficult. I think I was really just kind of feeling around in the dark. early;career mohammad
pinsky earlychange
The ease of inserting passages on computers may have led to an increase in bloated prose.
The ease of inserting passages on computers may have led to an increase in bloated prose. I've met an editor who said she thinks prose declined—people started writing much more poorly—when the computer made it so easy to insert passages. early;change pinsky
armantrout earlychange
Post-computer, pre-internet.
Post-computer, pre-internet. —later, maybe. Yeah. I think I got that Selectric in the mid-80's, maybe, you know—I probably got the computer by the late-80's, and I don't think I got internet until—there wasn't internet that you could get until the early 90's, probably. early;change armantrout
wrigley earlychangepromptbetween
At first, the computer removed almost entirely the longhand aspect of the composition process, though it continued to be used because it saved time.
At first, the computer removed almost entirely the longhand aspect of the composition process, though it continued to be used because it saved time. I used to say things like, The reason I keep writing longhand or printing actually, I print the stuff, is that it allows me to feel the shapes of the letters themselves. early;change;prompt;between wrigley
gerstler earlypaperbetween
She's focused on the low-tech, tactile facets of textual production and revision--how these influenced the making and copying of text--before transitioning to the computer.
She's focused on the low-tech, tactile facets of textual production and revision--how these influenced the making and copying of text--before transitioning to the computer. Well, this now gets to era and what generation I am, because I'm 57, so when I started writing it was typewriters, you know? I took a typewriter to college and it moved from-you know, I took typing in high school-and it went kind of quickly during my little time capsule of when I was sort of coming up. From portable typewriters and little cute cases that were sort of like a big lunch box with a little handle, to increasingly kind of complicated electric typewriters. With all their weird accoutrements like carbon paper and white out, or weird-they started making typewriters that actually had a correcting tape in them. It was like white and you would type over the letter that you wanted to correct with this white, chalky strip that was in there as part of the typewriter. Before you had to like shove a weird little piece. So, all these kind of very low-tech-viewed in hindsight-ways of dealing with making texts, correcting texts, revising texts, and also copying text. And then to the first sort of big-I remember when, you know, I first got a computer. It was sort of like, you know, I was ZZ Top. I had a tall music system here-it was this big, bulky thing, and there were things that went under the desk. And the printer had like-the print was really ugly looking. early;paper;between gerstler
gerstler earlypaperbetweenrevision
Tension between an allegiance to paper drafting and the insubstantial nature of typing paper--how this fragility almost seemed to impact the poems themselves.
Tension between an allegiance to paper drafting and the insubstantial nature of typing paper--how this fragility almost seemed to impact the poems themselves. When I started writing poems when I was a kid-before I had access to a typewriter or learned to type-it was, you know, spiral-bound, lined notebooks. And then it kind of moved to typing things, which you'd think would have made me revise a lot, and I did revise, but I love computers. Every time you wanted to change a period, or move texts around, you had to retype everything. And you were sometimes dealing with these crappy kinds of paper like that onion skin-it was erasable, but it was so like thin and fragile and weird-looking, and tactilely bizarre, and kind of see-through-y. And made the poems seem like they were really not substantial. Smeared easily. early;paper;between;revision gerstler
mcmichael earlyprompt betweenpaper
Writing process stayed the same until final book, so until about 2010 or so
Writing process stayed the same until final book, so until about 2010 or so The process through all of the books until this most recent one was all long-hand and then typewriter early;prompt; between;paper mcmichael
wrigley earlypromptpaper
Handwritten notes in easily portable notebooks are integral to capturing initial inspirations and lines, and they are archived.
Handwritten notes in easily portable notebooks are integral to capturing initial inspirations and lines, and they are archived. These little fellows, these Moleskine. However one pronounces that, I can never tell. I probably have 250 of these piled somewhere. early;prompt;paper wrigley
pinsky earlysoftware
The original Word Perfect word processing software was preferable for its simple, user-friendly interface, but unfortunately didn't last.
The original Word Perfect word processing software was preferable for its simple, user-friendly interface, but unfortunately didn't last. I'm an early computer user, so I probably started using it in the mid-80s. early;software pinsky
pinsky earlysoftware
The final venue for a piece of writing—the screen or printed page—determined how the piece would be composed.
The final venue for a piece of writing—the screen or printed page—determined how the piece would be composed. For a long time, anything I wrote to be read on the screen, I wrote on the computer and things I meant to be read off paper, I wrote on paper. early;software pinsky
mohammad files
Though composition, revision, and manuscript assembly happens almost exclusively in a digital environment, the actual files aren't necessarily cared for as one might think. Could this be because Mohammad's was a writing practice born in a digital environment, where he feels more at home, less anxious, than others?
Though composition, revision, and manuscript assembly happens almost exclusively in a digital environment, the actual files aren't necessarily cared for as one might think. Could this be because Mohammad's was a writing practice born in a digital environment, where he feels more at home, less anxious, than others? Oh, no. I don't. I probably should, but I almost never save drafts. I just open up a doc and write over it until I think it's finished. files mohammad
gerstler files
File titles as shorthand for easy poem recognition, as opposed to the finished poem title itself --> emphasis on findability via subject versus date.
File titles as shorthand for easy poem recognition, as opposed to the finished poem title itself --> emphasis on findability via subject versus date. The names change, because I was so happy when I realized that you could change the names. Because I start out—and this is more true of poems than anything else—but sometimes I'll start out calling something, you know, Ostrich Parade, or something, and then by the time I get to the fifth draft, there are no ostriches in it anymore, and I'm going to remember something else in order to be able to find it quickly. So, I will change the name. files gerstler
mcmichael files mssrevision
Doesn't write drafts; instead writes whole book poem by poem line by line; mss just one file with most recent additions, written poem by poem, line by line
Doesn't write drafts; instead writes whole book poem by poem line by line; mss just one file with most recent additions, written poem by poem, line by line I work on them almost only cumulatively so that I take them along line by line. I don't...I'm not able to write a draft of something. files; mss;revision mcmichael
armantrout filesbetweenfuture
Only some files get saved--others get saved over.
Only some files get saved--others get saved over. I mostly save over, which is not a good idea. But sometimes I have printed out drafts, and I save drafts. I probably do not save all of them, which is not great, but I save a number of them and then eventually, I'll probably give them to the library. files;between;future armantrout
wrigley fileschangemss
Though drafts of individual poems and entire manuscripts are printed out from a computer, digital file names are not trusted, and handwritten dates on the printouts are used much like dated passages in notebooks.
Though drafts of individual poems and entire manuscripts are printed out from a computer, digital file names are not trusted, and handwritten dates on the printouts are used much like dated passages in notebooks. I had to put a pencil date or a pen date on the corner of the draft just so I knew which was which and when was what. files;change;mss wrigley
pinsky filesfuture
Though digitally stored in a meticulous manner, old drafts are considered of little value beyond occassional review later on.
Though digitally stored in a meticulous manner, old drafts are considered of little value beyond occassional review later on. I look at it and I sometimes feel the way I told you I feel about the family photographs. Nobody wants all this. files;future pinsky
strickland filesmss
will revise within file with date and version listed; mss will get new files
will revise within file with date and version listed; mss will get new files files;mss strickland
wrigley filesmssfuture
Assembly and organization of manuscripts is, like most of the process, a combination of digital and analog—finished drafts are printed out, stored physically in a box, then deleted from the computer (though digital drafts in progress are backed up to external hard drives).
Assembly and organization of manuscripts is, like most of the process, a combination of digital and analog—finished drafts are printed out, stored physically in a box, then deleted from the computer (though digital drafts in progress are backed up to external hard drives). I'll print them off, put them in a box, and eliminate them from the hard drive—just get rid of them so they don't clutter up or get in the way. But I'm not all that resourceful with the computer. files;mss;future wrigley
beasley filesrevision
Files organization goes hand in hand with revision process.
Files organization goes hand in hand with revision process. You'll see I have a whole bunch of lines that I'm working on, and what I often do is just copy those, and write some prose about them—sort of identifying what I like about it and what's bugging me about it, what I don't like about it—and then paste it back again, move things around. Often, I'll put bold face when this is a revision process, when I get to a place that I don't like or feels clunky, I'll bold face it so that I can come back to it and just say, What am I going to do to fix that? files;revision beasley
mohammad flarf
At a certain point, the Flarf movement began to dismantle itself, as central figures began expanding upon initial Flarf ideas and motivations (like the sonograms).
At a certain point, the Flarf movement began to dismantle itself, as central figures began expanding upon initial Flarf ideas and motivations (like the sonograms). I think Death of Flarf, most of the time, was a phrase we used ourselves just to kind of, like, kill the beast before it killed us, or something. But I think it just ran its course. flarf mohammad
mohammad flarf
Flarf is the term used to describe a recent movement in language poetry that used text found online to construct poems, and originated on a small, extremely casual email listserv.
Flarf is the term used to describe a recent movement in language poetry that used text found online to construct poems, and originated on a small, extremely casual email listserv. There was almost nothing critical going on in there, ever. flarf mohammad
pinsky future
Digital archiving has lead to a new anxiety in regard to the longevity of stored documents.
Digital archiving has lead to a new anxiety in regard to the longevity of stored documents. The new anxiety is the mortality of digital information. future pinsky
mohammad future
Aside from a physical collection of print journals containing past work, ongoing projects and more recent publications are saved digitally, and only occassionally backed up.
Aside from a physical collection of print journals containing past work, ongoing projects and more recent publications are saved digitally, and only occassionally backed up. Yeah, I've gotten kind of lax on it. I need to go in and update it, but typically what it'll be is: I have a folder—a main poetry folder—and within that, if there is a specific categories for certain projects, I'll divide them in to that, like a book project or whatever. future mohammad
armantrout future
Writing to the archive gives added context to projects, process.
Writing to the archive gives added context to projects, process. Well, I think at some point she sold her papers and I went, Oh, people sell their papers and they get money. And also I would notice that she wrote letters as if she was writing for an archive. I mean, she would kind of give you the back story that you already knew, and I'm going, What? Who is she talking to? The archive! future armantrout
strickland future
believes books and notebooks sufficient for archive; no need to save whole histories of revisions
believes books and notebooks sufficient for archive; no need to save whole histories of revisions future strickland
vanwinckel futurefiles
Cleans up digital archives as each project is published.
Cleans up digital archives as each project is published. Yeah, I save them as Word docs and then when I'm done with them and the books are published, then I just put them on a back-up disk and take them off my hard drive here. future;files vanwinckel
ryan futurefiles
averse to learning more than necessary about back up procedures, etc; employs a computer guy to manage system
averse to learning more than necessary about back up procedures, etc; employs a computer guy to manage system I don't know how they do that but I'm pretty ignorant of all these stuff, and willfully so. It just would suck up too much of my time to learn about it. future;files ryan
ryan futurepaper
stores his paper copies in brown boxes that dot his office
stores his paper copies in brown boxes that dot his office My office is filled with stacks of brown boxes, as you might remember. It's all a big mess and a big pile. future;paper ryan
wrigley futurepapermss
Printouts of drafts are stored in boxes, while published poems that are getting ready for a new book are stored and organized in a thesis binder.
Printouts of drafts are stored in boxes, while published poems that are getting ready for a new book are stored and organized in a thesis binder. Usually, a box will take two years to fill and then it goes into storage in the basement until somebody offers me enough money for it. And then they can have all the boxes. future;paper;mss wrigley
mcmichael futurerevision
has never regretted getting rid of lines, etc.
has never regretted getting rid of lines, etc. I didn't ever regret throwing stuff away. future;revision mcmichael
strickland futuresoftwarechange
design intelligence lost due to changing technology; much explored disappeared already
design intelligence lost due to changing technology; much explored disappeared already I understand Flash is a memory hog and all that when we moved to— but between those two things, those were very creative things, you know, and they haven't been really replaced. The HTML 5 and JavaScript doesn't do it the same way. I mean, people are trying to do it, so the thing is, they'll make an app. So, yeah—that whole thing just annoys me, that it's under the control of so few software, I mean, so few computer or software companies, you know, what you can do or what's supposed to be done and the way things are supposed to look. It was such an open—so much to explore and so much did get explored and has disappeared because of the inability to access it. future;software;change strickland
strickland futuresoftwarechange
no clue how to best preserve elit projects but believes video might be efficient
no clue how to best preserve elit projects but believes video might be efficient I think that the best way probably at the moment to save digital stuff is to have some video or something of somebody using it, plus people's notes, interview them about what they intended or whatever, save the code if you can, and adding emulation migration. All of it is so burdensome, you know? I future;software;change strickland
pinsky mss
The ordering of a manuscript is intuitive, but involves an attention to the introduction and subsequent amplification of new ideas and thematic elements.
The ordering of a manuscript is intuitive, but involves an attention to the introduction and subsequent amplification of new ideas and thematic elements. I guess it's different for each book. I'm not sure how to answer. It's intuitive. mss pinsky
beasley mss
Revision as a means to heighten the evolving logic of the manuscript.
Revision as a means to heighten the evolving logic of the manuscript. I revise my poems to help them illustrate the structure of the book. mss beasley
armantrout mss
Producing more poems loosens up the manuscript design process, and allows conversant work to rise to the top.
Producing more poems loosens up the manuscript design process, and allows conversant work to rise to the top. I'm writing more now. So, I get to make some more choices—I get to cut things—cut a manuscript down, save some things for later. So, I get to make some decisions about how the poems work with each other and it's kind of intuitive. mss armantrout
gerstler msschange
Likens manuscript production process to interior design, awarness of shape and cover art as well as balance between darker and lighter subject matter.
Likens manuscript production process to interior design, awarness of shape and cover art as well as balance between darker and lighter subject matter. More or less. For me, if it's a book of poems, some books of poems are sort of like a scrapbook, or a portfolio, or something, and some of them are more thematic, or the book itself has some kind of looser type-in my case, it's usually loose-structure, or trajectory. And even the ones that are kind of a sampler, I spend a fair amount of time trying to figure out, What's the first poem? What's the last poem? What's the movement? How do they work together? How do some of the last lines of ones feed in to the title or the first line of the next one? What looks good next? In a way, it's sort of like, though it's not exactly like, interior decoration-you want it to flow, have ups and downs. With me, it's like, What's the mixture of dark and funny ones? I mean, you do mini version of that when you're reading, even. And then sometimes it's like, Oh, this is going to be in sections, and, Are these sections going to be numbered? It's basically manuscript construction, right? And if you're dealing with-I mean, I've been really lucky in being able to pick a verse because, you know, it's a funny thing with poems. It's like hardly anybody publishes poems anymore, and if you're lucky enough to get a book of poems published, usually they're not treating it like it's, you know the next big best-seller. They don't have a big investment in it. So, the fact that it's much less a big deal to them has its pros and its cons, but one of the pros is, usually, they're not going to impose a cover on me, because it's not like, Well, this is going to be a blockbuster, and therefore, we need to have this kind of cover. So, I get to pick covers by artists that I like usually. So, thinking about that, and how the title-the overall title of the book-where that's going to come from. mss;change gerstler
gerstler msschangesoftware
Anticipating use of something like InDesign for greater flexibility when it comes to digital manipulation and shaping of text, layouts.
Anticipating use of something like InDesign for greater flexibility when it comes to digital manipulation and shaping of text, layouts. In the dark ages with, you know, lint and dog hair and crumbs. But I'm sure at this point there are multiple programs-there must be-that if I knew how to use them, I could pull the thing together and look at it on a grid, or two grids-something like that. Or scan things in. mss;change;software gerstler
mohammad mssflarf
Much like the poems themselves, manuscripts as a whole are most often organized in terms of energies existing at the language level rather than a thematic one.
Much like the poems themselves, manuscripts as a whole are most often organized in terms of energies existing at the language level rather than a thematic one. Really, the only one that's thematically organized in any sense is the first one. mss;flarf mohammad
armantrout msspaper
Thesis binders are a time-honored tool for printed-out poems and experiments in manuscript structure.
Thesis binders are a time-honored tool for printed-out poems and experiments in manuscript structure. So, this is really old school. But the way I use it is, it helps me order—not only keep the poems for the manuscript, but I order the manuscript this way. I mean, I kind of decide what reads well by trying the poems out in different places— mss;paper armantrout
gluck mssrevision
Entire manuscripts are sometimes revised at the line level due to the late addition of a single poem or other new element.
Entire manuscripts are sometimes revised at the line level due to the late addition of a single poem or other new element. Yeah, and then sometimes there will be a massive revision. One edition to an accumulating manuscript makes it clear how the thing should be ordered, and then you see you can make a lot of short, little changes in the other stuff because of this new thing. mss;revision gluck
gluck mssrevision
A slower writing practice lends more clarity to larger, holistic revision and structural considerations.
A slower writing practice lends more clarity to larger, holistic revision and structural considerations. You learn how to be an editor out of a sense of lack, and from that grows a capacity to organize disparate things into something that has a sense of dramatic shape. mss;revision gluck
armantrout mssrevision
One project at a time yields stronger focus towards completed manuscripts.
One project at a time yields stronger focus towards completed manuscripts. Almost never. I'm kind of, you know, obsessive when I start something. I just work on it until I finish it. I mean, once in a while I give up on something for a while and set it aside, and go on to something else, and then go back to it. But I'm not actively working on two things at a time. mss;revision armantrout
gluck paper
The visual experience of seeing a poem on paper is how a poem is truly heard.
The visual experience of seeing a poem on paper is how a poem is truly heard. I hear with my eyes. I mean, the experience of reading a poem—for me, with my eyes—contains an oral experience. paper gluck
vanwinckel paper
Attached to the hand-eye coordination, tactile effect of drafting on paper.
Attached to the hand-eye coordination, tactile effect of drafting on paper. And I still feel that when I'm working, especially on poems, that there's something happening between the eye and the fingers and the page. It's very tactile that I'm hanging on to that, which I like. paper vanwinckel
mohammad paper
Paper is rarely, if ever, used in the composition process, though very early drafts are saved (and hidden away).
Paper is rarely, if ever, used in the composition process, though very early drafts are saved (and hidden away). I think the only exception to that is maybe I have some paper copies somewhere of something I wrote in college and hope no one ever sees paper mohammad
ryan paper
writes on white and yellow paper, folding the white paper in half and writing over the halves, then tucking them together
writes on white and yellow paper, folding the white paper in half and writing over the halves, then tucking them together What I do is I take a piece of white typing paper-usually it has something written on the other side of it-I will fold it in half, and I will start writing on one side of it. And, you know, if that goes on-if it's longer than that-I will go to the other side. And then when I have to store them, I will shove them together, you know, in a way that they can be folded-in inside, and the latest one will be on top. But also, I will write on yellow pads, and that'll come into the process. paper ryan
ryan paper earlychange
physical problems using the computer one reason he's used computer less for some writing
physical problems using the computer one reason he's used computer less for some writing Also, I'm having some physical problems using computers, and probably heading for a shoulder surgery this summer, so it's not physically comfortable to spend too much time on it. But mostly, even before that, I don't like to read off the screen. paper; early;change ryan
mcmichael paper prompt
reading and notetaking central to process from beginning, moving from 5x8 cards to notebooks, increasing in importance over years
reading and notetaking central to process from beginning, moving from 5x8 cards to notebooks, increasing in importance over years I think the reading and the note-taking part of it has gotten to be more dominant over the course of the time paper; prompt mcmichael
mcmichael paper prompt
highly idiosyncratic note-taking technique, with mutli-colored references and interpretations of previous notes
highly idiosyncratic note-taking technique, with mutli-colored references and interpretations of previous notes these are the notes that I would take for the book that I'm reading. The RED is the more important material. It's something that, if I'm going through it I can read and just pick out the highlighted parts, then GREEN are my own responses. So, I'm always working on the right hand page when I'm taking notes from books I'm reading, then when I'm going back over the material, I'll work on this page and there'll be other changes. Usually more GREEN will turn up. paper; prompt mcmichael
armantrout paperbetween
Initial drafting, from notebook to iPad.
Initial drafting, from notebook to iPad. Well, actually, I probably work primarily in this old school device called notebook where I, you know, fill pages with illegible text, and then once I start to think that my text is coming together, very often I'll do a version of it—just type it into the iPad. paper;between armantrout
ryan paperchange
screens not native to him; paper is
screens not native to him; paper is I like having a physical thing in my hands to read from. That's native to me. I mean, screens didn't come in any significant way until about 15 years ago. paper;change ryan
beasley paperchangebetween
Ongoing value of paper processes.
Ongoing value of paper processes. There is something about writing out the sections of a poem on a card and then moving them around that I find more satisfying even than doing it on the computer. paper;change;between beasley
gluck paperearly
Composing on a screen inhibits otherwise natural and fluid stylistic choices about line and diction.
Composing on a screen inhibits otherwise natural and fluid stylistic choices about line and diction. I don't get that on the screen. I don't see lines on the screen quite the same way, and I don't feel as though I'm making the letter. paper;early gluck
gluck paperearlyhighlightrevision
The repetitve nature of the typewriter aides in revealing previously missed issues in a poem.
The repetitve nature of the typewriter aides in revealing previously missed issues in a poem. So it's a new sheet of paper, and you have to do the whole thing again, and problems emerge in those retypings, like your fingers will hesitate over something you thought was resolved, and you realize it's not resolved. paper;early;highlight;revision gluck
beasley paperfuturebetween
Archiving involves a yearly retrospective of digital files, and the chance to revisit both stray lines and process notes.
Archiving involves a yearly retrospective of digital files, and the chance to revisit both stray lines and process notes. The other thing I do—you might be interested in—is once a year I print out all the notes, all the computer writing I've done. I keep them in a bound journal that is by year. So this one, for example, is 1999—and you'll see that a lot of times, when I work on the computer, I'll write a kind of journal, just sort of what's going on and what I'm thinking about, and working with stray pieces of poems that I've written down by hand. paper;future;between beasley
vanwinckel paperprompt
Drafts every project by hand, in a separate notebook/space.
Drafts every project by hand, in a separate notebook/space. I work in longhand, on yellow legal tablets, or just whatever. I have different notebooks that I have. That's what all these notebooks are here; these are my various writing projects in process. They each get their own little notebook. paper;prompt vanwinckel
vanwinckel paperprompt
Immersion-style writing process--by hand, or in her head--for stories versus poems.
Immersion-style writing process--by hand, or in her head--for stories versus poems. So much is going on. I go out and I take a walk every afternoon in this park. It's actually part of my writing process. I take a walk in the afternoon, and it's like 'shut up' I'm just trying to take a walk!' People are talking in my head. It feels like this overpowering thing when I'm working on a story. It just comes over me and wakes me up in the morning. People wake me up in the morning. They are chattering away. It's very unnerving. I often push back at a story until I am really sure that I have quite a few of the building blocks in place. Because otherwise it just seems like a struggle and a fight. And it's going to occupy - it takes me like 10 ten-hour days in a row for a story. paper;prompt vanwinckel
armantrout paperprompt
On eavesdropping (literally or visually) to generate material.
On eavesdropping (literally or visually) to generate material. Yeah, I mean, I often start that way—then, and still, you know. I can—just something that I hear or see, sort of peaks my interest. It could be something I read, and I'll write down a passage, or I'll write down something I overhear someone say, or even on television, I could hear something that I write down. paper;prompt armantrout
vanwinckel paperrevisionchange
Lifiting spacial limitations re: which poem(s) start on which pages creates opportunity for new poem ideas via association, juxtaposition.
Lifiting spacial limitations re: which poem(s) start on which pages creates opportunity for new poem ideas via association, juxtaposition. So yeah, early on - one of the things that's different now- is that early on I would probably just work on a poem, so I would write. I would have a page in my notebook, and there were lines, and I would move things around on the page, and then I would have another page in the notebook with a different poem. But over the years I've started working on maybe two or three poems almost kind of simultaneously, on the same page, which feels kind of nutty, but what I was experiencing that led me this way was that a lot of times things would be coming to me - images, lines --- that didn't seem to belong to the poem I thought I was working on. So I realize it might be helpful to not confine myself. So that's why that was one of the main transitions. I think that happened maybe half-way along. In the late-eighties or so I started experimenting with that and I liked it. I liked having just a page with a poem one margin, and another going down another margin, and one going across the bottom. Something like that. paper;revision;change vanwinckel
armantrout printdig
Despite the convenience of the iPad, hard copies are still best for reading.
Despite the convenience of the iPad, hard copies are still best for reading. I don't like to read on the screen. I mean, I do read things on the screen, but if I'm judging a contest or something, which I sometimes do, I ask for hard copies. Or if I get them on the screen, I print them because I just don't like to read on the screen. I mean, I don't want to sit up there on a hard chair. I don't want to look at that light— printdig armantrout
strickland printdig
books have much more staying power; digital/online poetry productions very hard to capture/record, like a theatre performance --> once it's done it's done
books have much more staying power; digital/online poetry productions very hard to capture/record, like a theatre performance --> once it's done it's done But I would never not want books. You could see that. The minute you start to do digital work, there's a certain way—in the same way that, if you're a theater person—that you have to let something go. Even more than you let a manuscript go. Today's performance was today's performance, and that won't come back. Even if you videotaped it, it really doesn't come back. printdig strickland
strickland printdig paper
Paper enables better long form argument
Paper enables better long form argument Well, if you're writing something long with a complex argument, I think it's much easier to read and have it in front of you on paper and read it out printdig; paper strickland
strickland printdig paper
writing poetry on paper provides enormous freedom, when compared to digital forms
writing poetry on paper provides enormous freedom, when compared to digital forms it's not fluid enough to do poetry. I mean, it restricts you way too much in terms of formatting compared to what you can do on a page by hand in terms of how you want to scratch things out or put something right in— printdig; paper strickland
strickland printdigpapermss
with digital work, there's no straight path (as opposed to print); sometimes Strickland provides path through
with digital work, there's no straight path (as opposed to print); sometimes Strickland provides path through that's for print because then in a digital work, there's not an in in the same way, right? In other words, there's an access often to all parts of it at once, you know in some kinds though I generally provide a default path through as well as more open thing. printdig;paper;mss strickland
beasley printdigpromptrevision
Transitions from screen to page become an exercise in fruitful disorder.
Transitions from screen to page become an exercise in fruitful disorder. I just let lines accumulate, images accumulate, phrases—until I have a whole series of pages of drafts. Then I'll start worrying about it. I try not to make myself—I know poets who write from the first line on: begin with the first line and then write the second one. Linda Bierds once told me she writes that way, which astonished me because it's so utterly unlike anything I do. But I really try, especially when I write long poems—which a lot of my poems are—not to impose any order on it until I've got pages and pages of lines. Then I'll print them out. printdig;prompt;revision beasley
gluck prompt
Initial inspiration for books comes from slight obsessions with often unusual sources—garden catalogues, telephone weather reports, etc.
Initial inspiration for books comes from slight obsessions with often unusual sources—garden catalogues, telephone weather reports, etc. prompt gluck
pinsky prompt
The generation of new content immediately follows inspiration—very little precedes the writing of the first lines.
The generation of new content immediately follows inspiration—very little precedes the writing of the first lines. I have never kept notes. I'm not a note maker. I would get an idea for a poem and I would write it. prompt pinsky
pinsky prompt
The true beginning of a new draft comes from an attention to sound—the actual material content is secondary.
The true beginning of a new draft comes from an attention to sound—the actual material content is secondary. The poem starts when you start thinking about the vowels and consonants. prompt pinsky
wrigley prompt
Drafting of sonnets is often used as a warm up at the beginning of writing sessions.
Drafting of sonnets is often used as a warm up at the beginning of writing sessions. prompt wrigley
pinsky promptbetweenrevision
Early drafts are printed out for notation, then memorized and recited for revision.
Early drafts are printed out for notation, then memorized and recited for revision. See if you have the poem by memory. Turn the light off while going to sleep and try to recite the poem. If you come to a part you don't have memorized, maybe that's the part you need to work on. prompt;between;revision pinsky
gerstler promptchange
Like Beasely with the notecards, dice, and dictionary prompts, she returns to pre-digital card catalogs for the unexpected associations, juxtapositions, tangents. An aspect of research hard to replicate via the internet.
Like Beasely with the notecards, dice, and dictionary prompts, she returns to pre-digital card catalogs for the unexpected associations, juxtapositions, tangents. An aspect of research hard to replicate via the internet. Well, I get ideas for poems, and sometimes they're phrases or sort of topics, or weird feelings, or vocabularies, or I want to write a poem based on the initial sort of generative impulses-Oh, this has to do with hurricanes and my mother-in-law. You know what I mean? Or something like that. And I love research. Research is, to me, such a rich, poetic, amazing exploration, and is full of the unexpected. Like-this is another thing that relates to sort of digital stuff, at least in my mind-one of the only things I miss about pre-digital is card catalogs, because, thumbing through a card catalog, I would be taken on many more weird tributaries than I get doing a computer search in a library on whatever. You know, I'd be looking up the history of ferns or something, and I'd come across the history of shock treatment, and I'd be like, Oh, that's way more interesting than ferns. What do we got here? And then go find that book or something. So, that I kind of regret, the way computer indexes are set up. It's actually a little harder to find things, I think, on topic. But anyway-I'm talking about going off on tangents and research, and I just went off on a tangent. prompt;change gerstler
gerstler promptchange
Difference between lucky finds in journalistic reserach and the neceessity of stumbling upon new ideas for literary projects.
Difference between lucky finds in journalistic reserach and the neceessity of stumbling upon new ideas for literary projects. For poetic and literary kind of research, I definitely miss the kind of strolling through the card catalog and all the different little blooming subjects that you would come across. Although, occasionally, in doing any kind of research-even a very sort of scholarly or fact-based project-you would come across something useful but that wasn't something you were looking for specifically, something that you didn't know was going to be there. Whereas that would be serendipitous in a kind of journalistic- or factual-type research, and it would be totally the point in more poetic or literary research may be. prompt;change gerstler
mcmichael promptmss
has sense of what's missing in current manuscript and writes toward that, save for, of course, first poem
has sense of what's missing in current manuscript and writes toward that, save for, of course, first poem I'm focused on one, but I have a pretty good sense of where it might go, organizationally, in relation to the others except right at the beginning of the project. At that point, I'm not clear on what's missing. I'm working toward beginning to understand what the whole might contain, prompt;mss mcmichael
mohammad promptmss
Basic—and often purposefully absurd—search terms serve as a starting point, and often evolve into a kind of unifying theme across a manuscript.
Basic—and often purposefully absurd—search terms serve as a starting point, and often evolve into a kind of unifying theme across a manuscript. my first book Deer Head Nation involved a bunch of searches that usually included, among other terms, the term deer head. prompt;mss mohammad
beasley promptpaperprintdigbetween
Contemporary practice involves a necessary back & forth between paper and screen.
Contemporary practice involves a necessary back & forth between paper and screen. I can write individual lines by hand. When it comes to a whole poem, I do it almost exclusively on the computer. This one says, Even the evenings are odd, even the odds are even/ offspring, autumnal, equinox, off kilter, which are not lines I ended up using but often, when I'm doing this kind of walking, I'll end up with a stack this big of note cards, and then when I'm at the computer, I shift them around and type them up, and rearrange them and shuffle them and move them into different places. prompt;paper;printdig;between beasley
beasley promptpaperprintdigbetween
If stray words and lines are generative rolls of the dice, digital composition deals a hand (for more on this & related processes, see Bruce Beasley's Prompt Generator).
If stray words and lines are generative rolls of the dice, digital composition deals a hand (for more on this & related processes, see Bruce Beasley's Prompt Generator). I'm a big fan of craps and gambling, and I like to think of words as, like, rolls of the dice, in a way. So often when I'm beginning a poem, I'll start with the straight lines and images, or phrases, quotations—like this—and then when I'm sitting down with a computer, I'll deal them out with something like—You're in geometry. prompt;paper;printdig;between beasley
beasley promptrevision
If the internet facilitates a leaping quality of thought, walking and flipping offer complementary rhythm.
If the internet facilitates a leaping quality of thought, walking and flipping offer complementary rhythm. There is something about the action, repetitive action of throwing and catching, that's always been really important to generating ideas. It's similar to the kind of rhythm I have when I'm walking, I think—that kind of rhythmic catch and release. So often when I'm writing, all through my life, I have kept this thing with me and I flip it while I'm thinking. Often, I can't think unless I'm doing that. It's a kind of kinetic thing, I think, and when I'm walking, often I have a stick, a stick that I'm flipping or throwing around, too. prompt;revision beasley
mcmichael promptrevision
reading and engagement with other authors key to both generating and revising work
reading and engagement with other authors key to both generating and revising work And then that gives me a sense that there's less I've failed to address, and therefore maybe I've been brought to a position (with their help) of being able to find a phrase that lets me move from this point, in where I am with the poem I'm writing, further along. prompt;revision mcmichael
ryan promptrevision
most pieces come differenlty than others though; has finished some poems 25 years after starting
most pieces come differenlty than others though; has finished some poems 25 years after starting It really is like doing problems, I think. At that stage of composition, at least. The ideas kind of that you get something that compels you. Isn't that how it is? It drives you through till it's finished, and that finish may take a while or not. It might take forms, there can be snags along the way. There can be endings that don't come, but it isn't linear-there are problems that occur. Structural problems, and so forth. prompt;revision ryan
armantrout promptrevisionfilesbetween
Moving from page to iPad to computer distills the drafting process.
Moving from page to iPad to computer distills the drafting process. Well, like always, I started here and I moved it to the iPad, and then I moved it to the computer—-but I was sending—I think I start writing—usually, I write in the morning, sitting over there. And I don't want to be running up and down the stairs, so then after I'll just go, You know, this looks good enough to kind of type. So, I'll type it here. And if I don't yet feel like sharing it with someone, I'll just send it to myself because that's a way of saving it. prompt;revision;files;between armantrout
mohammad promptrevisionflarf
Composition almost resembles a kind of digital painting—moving copy and pasted words and phrases around on the screen until the desired effect is achieved.
Composition almost resembles a kind of digital painting—moving copy and pasted words and phrases around on the screen until the desired effect is achieved. There was something kind of pleasing about pulling the components around and almost physically moving them around in that digital space. prompt;revision;flarf mohammad
gluck revision
Reading poems backwards divorces editorial attention from meaning and refocuses it toward syntax and mechanics.
Reading poems backwards divorces editorial attention from meaning and refocuses it toward syntax and mechanics. [reading mss backwards] Oh yeah. I still do that. It's horrible, and you need someone to help you. Your eye makes substitutions, so unless you read it out of order—i.e. backwards—you're going to be doing that. revision gluck
mcmichael revision
the product of all the work is the poem that can't be made better, which is contained in a book
the product of all the work is the poem that can't be made better, which is contained in a book The poem that I can't make any better revision mcmichael
ryan revision
focus for poem is that it come into its own as a thing, realizes itself as the best possible poem it can be
focus for poem is that it come into its own as a thing, realizes itself as the best possible poem it can be So again, it's just my audience for a poem is the poem. What anybody else thinks of it-or even what I think of it-doesn't matter at all. To me, what I want to do is get the poem to come off of the page and become a thing. revision ryan
vanwinckel revisionbetweenprintdig
Visually (and maybe generationally?), she experiences a heightened sense of permanence typing lines on the computer vs. experimenting with lineation by hand.
Visually (and maybe generationally?), she experiences a heightened sense of permanence typing lines on the computer vs. experimenting with lineation by hand. And then I feel like when I move it to the computer, I'm sort of getting to a place where I want to look at it… There's something that… I'm sure you're going to hear this with lots of writers my age… that there's something about when you type it up that starts to make it look permanent, especially for me in terms of the shape of the poem, the line lengths especially in a poem. I'm less inclined to fiddle with line lengths once I've got it on the computer. I do that. For some reason it still feels easier for me to do it on the page because like I just stick my slashes in there. revision;between;printdig vanwinckel
ryan revisionearlychange
essentially works on the computer with his poems much like he worked on the typewriter
essentially works on the computer with his poems much like he worked on the typewriter Essentially. I mean, I guess maybe sometimes I do make little changes on the screen. You know, if I'm typing it up again or something, that will perhaps provoke-probably very minor-changes. revision;early;change ryan
gerstler revisionearlypaper
Again with the pros and cons of tactile process--cutting and pasting by hand versus digital manipulation of the text. How this early process was fun, but also hard to render as a polished final draft.
Again with the pros and cons of tactile process--cutting and pasting by hand versus digital manipulation of the text. How this early process was fun, but also hard to render as a polished final draft. Kind of. And I actually-this is making me remember things-I did a lot of cutting with scissors and taping together with scotch tape. I did more and more and more of that. So, you can't believe how happy I was. And, you know, you'd lose pieces, or the wind would blow them, or the dog would eat them. You know what I mean? And then if you tried to Xerox something like that, they would have these big, gross lines, and it would just look like, Yay! We're in kindergarten! revision;early;paper; gerstler
mohammad revisionflarf
After a period of pushing found excerpts around into interesting arrangements, the least interesting language is stripped away.
After a period of pushing found excerpts around into interesting arrangements, the least interesting language is stripped away. it would be like refrigerator magnets, though sometimes with full phrases instead of just individual words. And in the middle of that process, I'd usually get rid of most of the language—some of the language I couldn't figure out what interesting things I could do with, or that wouldn't be interesting. revision;flarf mohammad
wrigley revisionmss
The revision process almost never stops until the manuscript is officially sent to print, be the poems previously published or not.
The revision process almost never stops until the manuscript is officially sent to print, be the poems previously published or not. I don't think there is anything particularly holy about the fact that it appeared in print in one way—I can tinker with it. revision;mss wrigley
mohammad revisionprompt
Finding unusual and pleasant combinations of the language itself takes precedence over finding or constructing new meaning.
Finding unusual and pleasant combinations of the language itself takes precedence over finding or constructing new meaning. You know, it didn't matter what it said in the traditional sense. I was interested in, like, Wow! How can you put those words in that place! revision;prompt mohammad
pinsky software
Many word processors have been used over the years, such as Nissus Pro, Scrivner, Word, and Word Perfect, but ease of use and simplicity of the program is most important.
Many word processors have been used over the years, such as Nissus Pro, Scrivner, Word, and Word Perfect, but ease of use and simplicity of the program is most important. In a way, I use all of the above but I'm not loyal to any particular word processor. software pinsky
strickland software
eliterature is hard to get, and so both worlds tend to be exclusive
eliterature is hard to get, and so both worlds tend to be exclusive And I'm pretty much really deeply in both worlds, and they just don't get it. I mean they don't get each other and it's very hard with e-literature because it changes so much that unless you're deeply in it, it's hard to learn it. software strickland
strickland softwareprompt
stuck with digital projects/eliterature due to inherent possibilities and international aspect, the latter Strickland connects with the importance of global communication generally
stuck with digital projects/eliterature due to inherent possibilities and international aspect, the latter Strickland connects with the importance of global communication generally the possibilities are just so great with respect to time and performativity and— —reach, and it's an international art form, the last of which was maybe concrete poetry. You know? We need to communicate. The world's problems are global, whether climatologic or poverty or what have you, right? Water, whatever; resources, survival. So, you need to speak—you know, I can't speak to 500 people, you know what I mean? software;prompt; strickland
strickland softwareprompt
nature of eliterature work requires collaboration and is bracketed by limited amount of time
nature of eliterature work requires collaboration and is bracketed by limited amount of time And so, it's how much can you get done in the time, and you hope to God that you think of the right thing at the moment that the person is able to implement it, and that you have this whole other thing that's really important to do, skip your mind or whatever software;prompt; strickland
strickland softwareprompt
often has a vision of her projects but technology often not available to make happen; product is a negotiation
often has a vision of her projects but technology often not available to make happen; product is a negotiation So, I usually have a vision, just like with True North. It's a vision that's impossible, short of an installation software;prompt; strickland
gluck teaching
Teaching is an integral source of inspiration—and a way out of writer's block.
Teaching is an integral source of inspiration—and a way out of writer's block. The minute I started teaching, I started writing again. I still feel about teaching that it's the most miraculous thing I've ever discovered, because I can't always write, and long periods go by and I don't write. But I can always teach, and I will always meet people who fascinate me and who are doing things, who have minds that go places my mind has never gone. teaching gluck
pinsky teachingchange
Teaching has helped with staying current with contemporary poetry and what is esteemed.
Teaching has helped with staying current with contemporary poetry and what is esteemed. I'm proud—it's an honorable profession, and I think I've probably helped more people than I've hurt people. teaching;change pinsky
gluck yaleyounger
Finalists for the Yale Younger Poets Series were filtered through a pre-screened team of readers, a system that ensured a diverse final round of manuscripts.
Finalists for the Yale Younger Poets Series were filtered through a pre-screened team of readers, a system that ensured a diverse final round of manuscripts. I had great people screening for me and they were people whose judgments I trusted and who sent me very broadly diverse manuscripts. yaleyounger gluck
gluck yaleyoungerteaching
Judging the Yale Younger Poets Series and working on final manuscripts with winners was a joy, and one not unlike that found in teaching.
Judging the Yale Younger Poets Series and working on final manuscripts with winners was a joy, and one not unlike that found in teaching. Then I would make very detailed recommendations, which they were free to not take because the book had won. On the other hand, they weren't free to change the books any which way because I could say, This is not the book I chose. yaleyounger;teaching gluck