Oulipost #25: The more things change...

  Oulipost #25: Larding

Aka “line stretching.” From your newspaper text, pick two sentences. Add a new sentence between the first two; then two sentences in the new intervals that have become available; and continue to add sentences until the passage has attained the length desired. The supplementary sentences must either enrich the existing narrative or create a new narrative continuity.


1.  It always amazes  me how much development has taken place in this city since my childhood.

7. Sometimes when I talk to people and ask what they are doing, they say they are waiting. 

4. I have been on a voyage into rock music sub-genres as I search for a new sound to get addicted to.

9. The Study, titled Predictor of Extra-Marital Partnerships among Women Married to Fishermen along Lake Victoria in Kisumu County, Kenya, was published last week in PLOs journal

[as]

        

    3. A woman was found hanging in the house of a man who inherited her at Obumba in Muhoroni, Kisumu County.

     6. “I believe in one thing; when you help me out, God will bless you,” she said.

   

    5. For me, it all began when Nakumatt replaced Uchumi as the place to do your holiday shopping.

   

    8. Some people wait for perfect conditions, while others create the conditions they want through their actions and decisions.

   

   2. Sometimes I just stare at some new building and think, “Haiya, when did this happen?”

 References

 1, 2 and 5: "The More Things Change" The Daily Nation. 25 Apr. 2014 Zuqka 9. (facebook.com/Nadiathewritergirl)

7 and 8. "Waiting? That is sheer lack of a plan". The Daily Nation. Jobs 2

4. "Diskavering Ska Rock" Zuqka 8. By Sam Kiranga

9. "Adulterly blunts war on Aids, new research shows." The Daily Nation pg 1 and 2 by Joy Wanja Muraya

3. "Woman kills self after arson attack" The Daily Nation pg 2.

6. "Emily opens doors of fortune for family." The Daily Nation pg 3

 

OULIPOST#23: The Building Blocks of Life

 Oulipost #23: Inventory

Inventory is a method of analysis and classification that consists of isolating and listing the vocabulary of a pre-existing work according to parts of speech. Choose a newspaper article or passage from a newspaper article and “inventory” the nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, articles, etc. Bonus points for creative presentation of your final lists.

I only had time to present the nouns. Click The Building Blocks of Life to view the final result. 

 REFERENCES

Kilonzo, Eunice. "Girl's six-year agony finally ends." The Daily Nation. 23 Apr. 2014. pg 3

OULIPOST22: No Trouble Outside Hell

Every day this April, nearly 80 poets will write one poem per day by applying constrained writing techniques sourced from the Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle — or “workshop of potential literature”) group to text sourced from their daily local newspaper. This is the twenty-second of thirty prompts in the Oulipost project.

The poem below is in response to the following prompt:

Oulipost #22: Antonymy 

In Oulipian usage, antonymy means the replacement of a designated element by its opposite. Each word is replaced by its opposite, when one exists (black/white) or by an alternative suggesting antonymy (a/the, and/or, glass/wood).
Original: To be or not to be, that is the question.
Antonymy: To not be and to be: this was an answer.
Select a passage from your newspaper source text to complete this exercise

 Pedestrians

Obey my Evening Jam
[at]
Melody Countryside.

Many  False Hate
The Old and The Calm.

His Father's Son
[is]
No trouble outside hell.

REFERENCES

Television line up, NTV and KTN. The Daily Nation. 22 Apr. 2014. pg 36.
NTV
9:00am Movie: Cars
11:15am The Young and the Restless
12:00pm Rhythm City
6:00pm One True Love
10:30pm Movie: Trouble in Paradise

KTN
5:00am Command your morning
6:00am Morning Express
6:00pm Her mother's daughter

OULIPOST#18: Loins of Papal Lover Thaw

Every day this April, nearly 80 poets will write one poem per day by applying constrained writing techniques sourced from the Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle — or “workshop of potential literature”) group to text sourced from their daily local newspaper. This is the eighteenth of thirty prompts in the Oulipost project.

The poem below is in response to the following prompt:

OULIPOST #18: HOMOCONSONANTISM

Choose a sentence or short passage from your newspaper to complete a homoconsonantism. In this form, the sequence of consonants in a source text is kept, while all its vowels are replaced. For example:

ORIGINAL: To be or not to be: that is the question.
CONSONANTS ONLY: T b r n t t b t t s t h q s t n
FINAL PRODUCT: As burnt tibia: it heats the aqueous tone.

"Millions of people all over the world will not report to work this morning. Most of them will be joining their families at home for the long Easter weekend..."


Loins of papal lover thaw,
[de]railed will/nature, pretty war,
Kit his mourn
Bhajia nun
nag mist of rhythm.
Gather female 
Suite home fruit
Healing Esther
nag mist of rhythm.

REFERENCES
Kariuki, Ngare. "Whether fact or fiction, Jesus of Nazareth remains quite a compelling figure." The Daily Nation. 18 Apr. 2014: DN2 2 and 3.

OULIPOST#16: A mother's scene

 Every day this April, nearly 80 poets will write one poem per day by applying constrained writing techniques sourced from the Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle — or “workshop of potential literature”) group to text sourced from their daily local newspaper. This is the sixteenth of thirty prompts in the Oulipost project.

 The found poem below is in response to this prompt:

The chimera of Homeric legend – lion’s head, goat’s body, treacherous serpent’s tail – has a less forbidding Oulipian counterpart. It is engendered as follows. Having chosen a newspaper article or other text for treatment, remove its nouns, verbs and adjectives. Replace the nouns with those taken in order from a different work, the verbs with those from a second work, the adjectives with those from a third.

How many names take you?
Confront, discover, 
a pocket sized language.
You probably feel not, since
confronting these society hands 
is still largely considered 
a mother's scene.


REFERENCES
Gicobi, Maryanne. "Mother who quit bakery job now hauls big trucks." The Daily Nation. 16 Apr. 2014. pg 3.
"How many women have you spotted driving a 22-wheel trailer? You probably have not, since driving these road monsters is still largely considered a man's job."

NOUNS FROM:
Friday, Nancy. (1977) "My Mother, My Self" Dell Publishing Company. Chapter 1: "Mother Love"

How many names have you spotted driving a 22-wheel language? You probably have not, since driving these society hands is still largely considered a mother's scene

VERBS FROM:
Pearson, Carol S. (1986) "The Hero Within" Harper and Row Publishers.. Chapter 1: "The Hero's Journey"
How many names take you confront discover a 22-wheel language? You probably feel not, since confronting these society hands is still largely considered a mother's scene.

ADJECTIVE  FROM:
Dylan, Bob (2004). "Chronicles".Simon and Schuster UK Ltd. Chapter 1: "Markin' up the score".
How many names take you confront discover a pocket sized language? You probably feel not, since confronting these society hands is still largely considered a mother's scene.

OULIPOST #9: Science Fiction

Every day this April, nearly 80 poets will write one poem per day by applying constrained writing techniques sourced from the Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle — or “workshop of potential literature”) group to text sourced from their daily local newspaper. This is the ninth of thirty prompts in the Oulipost project.

The found poem below is in response to this prompt:

OULIPOST #9: HEADLINES (VARIATION OF JEAN QUEVAL’S “CENT ONS”)

Compose a poem whose body is sourced from article headlines in your newspaper.

Kenyans land in London
in 100,000 MH370s
ready for showdown.
Bad.

"We have laid the ground for growth,"
says Uhuru
[and] There is no prestige in being
The Smartphone Generation.
Badder.

We all need a little help in finding
[our personal] MH370s
[and a] Toddler accused of attacking police.
LOL!
Baddest.

REFERENCES

Kirunga, Shadrack N. "We all need a little help in finding true love" The Daily Nation. 9 Apr. 2014: Living 3.

Mwololo, Millicent. "There is no prestige in being a second wife" The Daily Nation. 9 Apr. 2014: Living 4 and 5.

Agencies. "Toddler accused of attacking police during raid." The Daily Nation. 9 Apr. 2014: pg 31

"Kariuki, Ngare. "The Smartphone Generation Bad, Badder, Baddest (LOL!) The Daily Nation. 9 Apr. 2014. DN2

"We have laid the ground for growth, says Uhuru." The Daily Nation. 9 Apr. 2014: pg 1

AFP. "Elusive 'pings' keep MH370 search in limbo." The Daily Nation. 9 Apr. 2014: pg 31

Gacheru, Charles. "Kenyans land in London, ready for showdown." The Daily Nation. 9 Apr. 2014: pg 69

Mutambo, Aggrey. "100,000 more set to write national exams." The Daily Nation. 9 Apr. 2014: pg 72

Doomsday Clock Haiku

minutes to midnight
the Atomic Scientists
moving clock closer

Poet's note: This found poem was created from an online article titled "Doomsday Clock moves closer to midnight"

Resolving Race Issues

Beauty, Ballet and Boredom

Birmingham from New York
Ballet work
shop.

Two parallel rows of dancers
At the bar
With the teacher

At the head
Collective arms and legs

In contrast to the two rows
Of torsos
And the bars
Themselves

Young lady
Behind the ballet
Master
Yawned a
Big, round yawn.

Poet's note: This is a found poem of a portion from the essay "A Philosophy of Photography and of Some Visual Art in General" by Rick Garlikov