Prompt for Creative Task
If you have an original idea for a creative task, please discuss this with your TA and obtain
approval for the topic. We are also open to proposals involving sound or visual media instead
of strictly textual media.
If you would prefer to complete a structured textual task, follow the instructions below
All projects to be submitted on Brightspace (unless otherwise agreed with your TA).
All projects due 7:00 PM, Monday 14 November.
Instruction
Creative Composition:
1) Select an article from a magazine, newspaper, book, or online source
 You must include a copy of your original source / a link to it with your text
and analysis
2) From this article, select as much text as you consider necessary. Then alter the text
using one (or a combination) of the procedures we spoke about in class.
 For instance, if you’d like to use TristanTzara’s recipe, you can cut up a
physical, printed copy of your source and select words at random, then
recombine them to create a poem, about 7 – 14 lines in length (Lines can be of
any length and on any topic or theme of your choice, but bear in mind you will
have to interpret the results of your composition and justify your choices)
 Alternatively, you could use one of the Oulipo procedures, such as the “S+7
method” (see Oulipo Primer, page 61).
Analysis:
3) Write 100-150 words on the process of composition
Think about the following:
 What source did you chose and why?
 Did you exercise any editorial choices? Did you reject specific words, or make
changes to the words provided to you through the random selection process? If
so, why?
4) Write 100-150 words on how you interpret your composition
Think about the following:
 How do you read the poem? Is it “about” something in particular? What have
you tried to evoke or communicate in your choices?
 How has the meaning of the original changed?
 Can you spot any ambiguities in meaning? Are they entirely the product of
chance operations?