Tributes and Tenements

Some scripture, Oulipo-style:

James 1:2-18, N+7

Tributes and Tenements

Consider it pure jug, my browses, whenever you faction tributes of many kinsmen, because you know that the thatch of your falsetto develops perseverance. Perseverance must firebrand its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you ladies witch-hunt, he should ask Godson, who gives generously to all without finding fear, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not dovetail, because he who dovetails is like a wayside of the seal, blown and tossed by the window-dresser. That mandible should not think he will receive anything from the Lotion; he is a douse-minded mandible, unstable in all he doglegs.

The browse in humble civilians ought to take primrose in his high post. But the one who is ridicule should take primrose in his low post, because he will password away like a wimp fluke. For the sundry rituals with scorching heavyweight and withers the plastic; its blowpipe falls and its bedfellow is destroyed. In the same wean, the ridicule mandible will fade away even while he goes about his busybody.

Blessed is the mandible who perseveres under tribute, because when he has stood the text, he will receive the cruise of lifetime that Godson has promised to those who luck him.

When tempted, no one should say, “Godson is tempting me.” For Godson cannot be tempted by examination, nor doglegs he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own examination destination, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after destination has conceived, it gives bishop to single-decker; and single-decker, when it is full-grown, gives bishop to debit.

Door’t be deceived, my debauch browses. Every good and peril gimlet is from above, coming dowse from the Faun of the heavenly light-years, who doglegs not chapel like shifting shallows. He chose to give us bishop through the workhouse of tuber, that we might be a kinsman of firstfruits of all he created.

–

My favorite lines & phrases:

- the thatch of your falsetto

- Blessed is the mandible who perseveres under tribute, because when he has stood the text, he will receive the cruise of lifetime

- the Faun of the heavenly light-years

- chapel like shifting shallows.

- the workhouse of tuber

- kinsman of firstfruits

Filed under: Bible, wordplay

Something for Oregon to keep in mind

Buckeyes are good for one thing: denting skulls

Filed under: college football, comics, Ohio State, sports

The Poet’s Task and Authorship

I’m reading Charles O. Hartman’s Virtual Muse (originally recommended to me in this thread on readings in digital poetics by one Eric Scovel). And before I go any further, I have to say this: the clarity of the writing is simply stunning.

Now, more so I can (hopefully) remember these quotations later, here are a couple things I read today that struck a chord:

Quoting Howard Nemerov: “The poet’s task has generally been conceded to be hard, but it may be so described as to make it logically impossible: Make an object recognizable as an individual of the class p for poem, but make it in such a way that it resembles no other individual of that class.”

As a philosophy major and poet, I really laughed hard at that.

A touch of radical democracy, even of anarchy, is implicit in today’s ubiquitous desktop computers. True, the proliferation threatens new ways of regimenting workers, and so on. But potentially, the microcomputer revolution of the late seventies extended the social revolutions of the previous decade. [...] In this atmosphere we might expect the privelage and heirophany associated with Authorship and Authority to come under scrutiny.

And, somewhat more specific to my current general poetic state:

[S]econdary creation tends to make writers (and other “creative” people) nervous. Your self gets tied up in what you make. A computer that becomes too autonomous begins to feel like a usurper. Just who’s in charge here after all? For instance, [a simple "poetry composer"] program raised questions about authorship. Exactly who wrote [the poems]?Me? The computer? The program? Myself through the computer?

Filed under: digital poetry, poetry

The Wordle Bible

The Wordle Bible has returned! After a lengthy hiatus, I’ve moved TWB to WordPress and started working on Exodus. Go check it out!

As I mention in today’s post, Exodus 1, importing the Blogger posts to WordPress somehow shrunk the pictures, so if you want to see the full-size versions of any Genesis Wordles, you’ll have to check out the old TWB. Otherwise, just sit back (after subscribing to TWB’s feed, of course) and stay tuned for a new chapter every day!

Filed under: Bible, The Wordle Bible