Saturday, April 28, 2012

Finding Poems on the Spines of Books

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Are you familiar with Found Poetry?

When I was a high school English teacher, my students would "find poetry" in the pages of the books we were reading, identifying themes by highlighting select words on a few pages within a chapter.  In one class that needed LOTS of opportunities for movement and talking, I wrote large words on paper and scattered them around the classroom floor for the students to arrange, kind of like magnetic poetry on the fridge.

Quinn McDonald proposed a fun version of Found Poetry, which she discovered while organizing the books on her shelves.  She realized that the book titles sometimes sit together in fun, poetic ways.  She calls it Book Spine Poetry. 

Quinn invited her readers to try some Book Spine Poetry and link up to her blog, so I thought I would give it a try.  What do you think?

1.
Certain girls--summer people--specimen days, the barefoot believers, feeling good.

(Hard to figure out the punctuation for that one!  It sounds best read out loud, slowly.)

2.
She's come undone In the middle.  I can say a prayer...a separate peace.

3.  This one shows there's still fun to be had with our hubbies even after we have our kids (heehee):
The incredible truth about mothers?  Oh My stars!  Good in bed...little earthquakes...wild gratitude!

4. 
The rhythm of family:  Laugh & tickle, hug & pray.  The source:  Can you find it inside?  Good faith!

5.
The wanderer, daughter of fortune...prodigal summer, baptism by fire...I know why the caged bird sings.

It was kind of fun to scour the book shelves, looking for titles that might lend themselves to found poetry and relate to one another.  Though Quinn did it while organizing her shelves, I had to be careful not to get mine in total disarray as I pulled titles from three different rooms and a hallway! 

If you decide to give Book Spine Poetry a try too, let me know; I would love to read your Found Poems!

9 comments:

uncustomary said...

That's an interesting idea! On my list of things to do this year is to make a black out poem where you take a passage and black out all of the words you don't want to use and the ones you keep create a new poem.

Bad Jones Rising said...

I do lots of blackout poems and I have found a poem from the words on the front of magazines but this is just excellent.

The funny thing is I always stack my books this way...and love the way they look...but to find meaning in them...

good post. ;)

Janet said...

I've never done this with book spines! Now you have me thinking...

QuinnCreative said...

To be brutally honest, I never did organize the shelves. Book Spine Poetry is so addictive, I messed up the shelves more. Your #3 is wonderfully racy and funny and #4 is amazing.

VivJM said...

Oh, I love this idea!

eli said...

Loving #3 ha ha! I'll give it a try! ...and then work on a journal page :)

Adriann said...

This is terrific...great idea!

Ashley Calder said...

What a fun idea!!!

Anne said...

My Cousin Rachel, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Favored Child
Under the Tuscan Sun

Until I find you...True Blue, Forgiving...The Winner Stands Alone
Cutting For Stone

There Be Dragons
Icebound Mirage
The Vision of Emma Blau

Summer Abundance
Left Neglected
This is Where We Live

And this it totally addictive!!