A Hard Day

I found some interesting topics in the Orlando Sentinel today--Orion space flight, Presbytarians splitting into two churchs over the gay issue, super Bowl, and more, but I couldn't get them to poem-ify.  I finally had to settle for an ugly topic an 18-vehicle pile up on I-75 with people dead and injured.  An ugly sad topic, but I think I turned it into a pretty good poem.

After that I took one of my earlier news print poems and revised it a little to turn it into a "regular" poem; then I entereed it into a contest for short poems with a narrative element.  Coincidently, that poem was also about a car accident.  I'm making my poems multi-task.

They Like Me in Russia

Blogspot gives me stats each day.  Yesterday 32 people viewed my NewsPrintPoetry2012 blog-- an new high for me.  Thank you, all my anonymous readers!

The stats also show the country of the readers.  I have 16 readers in Russia.  They like me in Russia!

Taken from the Headlines

I did today's poem a little differently--instead of taking the words from one news story, i strung together words from the headlines. I started on A1  and continued until the end of the section. Te determine the order of the words, I began with the left column and read down, moved to the next column and read down, and so on.  I don't usually show the source material, but here is how I "found poetry" today.

Clash

p. A1 Clash on Immigration
 

Gingrich sticks to grandiose plans;

p. A1 Gingrich sticks to “grandiose” space plans

treats voters like chumps, 

p. A3  Scott Maxwell:  Pro-casino TV ad with Ben Stein treats voters as chumps

inciting public groups.

P. A4  Crime Report: Mom accused of inciting daughter to fight
p. A6  Orange Commissioner used public email to plug ballot measure
p. A8  Gay-rights groups: “Positive” meeting with Mayor Jacobs”

Gingrich attacks Romney.

p. A14  Visiting Mount Dora, Gingrich attacks Romney

Polls give boost to Romney.

p. A14  Polls give boost to Romney

GOP fight in testy debate.

p. A21  Senate ends GOP effort to block debt ceiling hike
p. A21 Gates pledges $750 M to global AIDS fight
p .A22 Discrpancies in his disclosures
p A22  Gingrich, Romney get testy in debate

Candidates trade shots.

p. A22 GOP candidates trade shots over integrity before Florida’s Primary

Florida, out time is being wasted.

p. A22 GOP candidates trade shots over integrity before Florida’s Primary
p. A26 Our Take Don’t starve higher ed
p. A26  Time’s being wasted on social issues

Google Search

I did a google search today for "blackout poetry" and "found poetry". 

Here are a few sites you might be interested in.  Click on the links below to see the websites.

Newspaper Blackout Poems

Creative Destruction

Read Write Think

Found Poetry Review

I consider my genre to be "News Print Poetry".  The main difference is that I keep the topic of my poem the same as the topic in the source. 

P.S.:  I know newsprint is one word.  I just like making it two words.  First, it won't be confused with "new sprint." Second, I like to emphasize that it is news in print.

I Feel Lonely

I'm writing a poem a day. Every day.  No matter how much else I have to cram into that day.

I ask everyone to become a follower. So few do. I ask everyone to leave a comment. Almost no one does.  I feel lonely.

Even own family (except for my son) hasn't done it. Even my good friends haven't done it. I feel lonely.

I put it on facebook. I hand out cards with the blog address on it when I speak.  No one follows.  No one comments.  I feel lonely.

Sometimes people buy my books. This is free. But they don't follow; they don't comment. I feel lonely.

My friends have bought my books.  When I do a speech, audience members buy my books.  Sometimes they will me that they have read my blog and they liked it, but they don't follow or comment.

No one in my family has bought my books.  And I have a large family.  This is sad.  No matter.  I will keeep on keeping on.

Selection ... and Deletion

The newsa print poems are not only about selecting words from a news story to be included in the poem..it is also about deletion. After a do a first draft, I start deleting words, deleting lines, deleting whoe stanzas. After that it is sometimes back to selection to find new words to delete those I deleted.

I am getting better ...all the time

I'm getting better at this after 15 days of creating news print poetry.  I am avoiding false starts.  When I began this I might make one or two attmpts at turning a news article into a story that I had to abandon because it wasn't working.  Now I can usually get a poem the first time I try.  Avoiding "false starts" make the process quicker and ensures that I am more likely to continue to do it every single day.