tilt-shift

“With a keen eye for titles — such an important element in found poetry — Tough forces the reader to participate, rather than just read.” nick-e melville

Many sources of found text (encountered by chance) have sparked poems. The source texts have been ‘treated’ using many different methods, to create a variety of results, for example:

Taking a black marker pen to the Scots version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; or pairing lines from the index of a poetry anthology to take a swipe at Thatcher; or putting line breaks into a scheming schoolgirl’s note, found on a classroom floor; or borrowing quotes from a shipping ledger which recorded requests to emigrate during the Highland Clearances.

Here’s a visual reworking of found text, called I-slip (tilt-shift, p.28).

Genesis info: After two months in the clamour of NYC, I headed up the coast on the Long Island Rail Road. Idly waiting to change trains at Jamaica station, I photographed the sign with its missing letter. Imagine my delight a few stops later when we pulled into a station called Islip. Fate conspiring for the found poet…

Tapsalteerie interviewed Kate about how her poetry is made, read her answers here.