Questions & Answers

bla bla bla commemorating national poetry month bla bla bla

dear friends (poets and non), i have been scratching my head the past few days as to what would be a good poetry-like project in which everyone could get involved with, would have fun contributing to and be proud to have been a part of based on the quality of the final project.

i resorted to the trusty experiments list care of UPenn (inspired by the glorious and magnific bernadette mayer) and have found this:

#23 Collaborative Surrealist Language Event (I) (for two or more people): One person writes down a question without showing it to anyone else; simultaneously, another person writes down an answer; poem is formed by a series of these questions and answers. Alternate form: One question: multiple answers; vice versa. For example: "What is the pink elephant? The reason why it is so cold this week.// Is the door locked? / I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion." (Cf: Robert Desnos's ":Language Events.")

i have participated in this exercise/experiment with other groups in the past and have not yet been let down by the result. overall, it is a simple game with fabulous results (how’s that for a sale’s pitch).

how i recommend we, as a group, approach this project is simple, here it goes…

step 1: write a series of questions starting with “what is”/”what are” (between 5 and 10 questions would be ideal)
step 2: write a series of answers starting with “it is”/”they are” (again, 5 to 10 of these)
-please note, these questions and answers should be as random as you can manage. do not answer your own questions. be enigmatic and lop sided.
step 3: email to me katy acheson
step 4: wait
step 5: laugh and be amazed

what i intend to do is compile the questions and answers at random, then pick out some of the better random combinations and post them. everyone who sends me questions and answers will be credited as a contributor to the final product whether your questions are used or not.

i will compile the final product once i feel i have received enough questions and answers. i expect i should get at least 50 of each before calling a close to the fun for you. and remember, email them to me (this one no one else sees them, makes it all the more random and exciting!)

now, ask me something!