ODRADEK! - Issue 4: 'Sonnet Machine'
A regular newsletter of The Odd Review
Hello odradeks,
Just last night while writing this we reached 1,000 subscribers. We have to thank all of you and especially those who have moved to a paid subscription.
In 1961 a poet by the name of Raymond Queneau wrote 10 sonnets and printed them on 10 sheets of paper. He set about to cut each line of each of the ten poems so that the strips, each with a line of poetry, could fold interchangeably back over each other. The result was 140 lines interacting with each other, creating exponential meanings. He called this book ‘One Hundred Thousand Billion Poems’ 1014 (= 100,000,000,000,000). Queneau’s poem made me think of both form and poetic lines in a slightly different sense. Isn’t it a liberating thought, for example, that if 1,000 subscribers contributed a single line of words we could amass 82,721,210,695,570,328,927,708,881 sonnets?
I have always been interested in ephemeral, so called ‘non-literary’ texts: shopping lists, timetables, texts and comment sections. And so a couple weeks ago, on the 7th of December, with this in mind, we made a post on our Substack inviting anyone to comment a single line of poetry to contribute to a ‘Sonnet Machine’. The idea was, if we got fourteen lines, we would have a sonnet. The most basic tenant of the sonnet being its 14 lines. The original note and the comment can be found here.
We received 42 lines of poetry from around 40 contributors, which means we generated three original sonnets. This week we are sharing these three ‘Comment Section Sonnets’. If you’d like to be part of future collaborative collage writing experiments subscribe and keep an eye on our Substack.
I arranged the lines and Wystan, our poetry editor, has written an insightful introduction to the ‘Comment Section Sonnets’ under the title ‘On Sonnets & Machines: a mechanical history of the sonnet and the poetics of the machine’, which has also been published today and can be found here. This is for paid subscribers only, so should you wish to read that you can subscribe below for only £5 a month:
We would like to thank all our contributors:
Ryan Tilley, Jim Trainer, Jessica Dylan Miele, Wake Lloire, february fatigue, Sam Tripton, everyday reads and rambles, Nikos Anagnostou, Mitchell Tillison, W. B. Foley, Tilma, B.R Bechtold, Daniel Bogogolela, Philip Athans, A.P. Murphy, Sol Miranda, Monique Gadella, adv, Kill Symbols, Duende verde, Sheree Shatsky, Jeanine, Jason O’Toole, j.e. Moyer LPC, Alexandra Hill, Thomas Finan, Ashley Healy, morganmemento, Aggy, Nichole M Willden, Biancamaria Pacci, Meg Smythe, Nico Sakaki, anaika kakoty, Elanor Flowers, Sal Randolph, EJ Trask, alia and Lily Autumn West.
Please consider sharing and leaving a comment, suggestion or feedback.
Enjoy!
Noah Lee Swann
Listen to a reading of this poem.
Comment Section Sonnet #1
It was all a glassblur And it never occurred to me to turn the lights on I opened the door and I let the world quietly step in I held a spider in my palm If you can believe such a thing Sitting with my cat on my lap in the sun. My hands are full of plums and full of water My heart stutters inconclusively then targets you There is grease and dirt packed under these fingernails, under these wings She was my love in the storm. Her whole body shakes while she is looking at him. It does take two to make such a big mess. If only I could fart without shame If only the flamingos could save us
listen to a reading of this poem.
Conceit Moments Sonnet #2
where the prince left his silver, I keep losing my shoes fleeting mouse weeping massively in the fire When I turned 50, I disappeared. I was the woman who inhaled the fly. Swimming over the drowned towns of Fish House and The Vly Not a human doing, but a being Caught up inside 10,000 Julys. The gray dawn rises over the bare tree. Give me a break. 14 lines of free verse does not make a sonnet. every cigarette is a therapist… Every sunset a saviour Thank you for considering my application. How annoying good advice can be.
Listen to a reading of this poem.
Commie Contents Sonnet #3
I heard the strangest noise while i was sleeping The stories of my skull sponge then my bed sheets fall asleep My line starts with a full stop. Never talk to a pitcher who’s throwing a perfect game What a shame to play a game without a worthy foe Sorry, my reply’s been lost amidst the garland and tinsel and wintry tchotchkes. that's so fun!! here's my contribution: we fade into words on a screen Living worldly memes, becoming mindless enemies To spin a web without a thread FUN! Here's mine: The elf hath sat upon thy shelf It’s coming for you.
Thank you for reading ODRADEK! <3
Please do subscribe or consider a paid subscription if you haven’t and share with those you think might enjoy our newsletter.
exciting stuff))
I did not expect it to turn out so beautifully. I will definitely be doing similar sonnet activities more often. Thrilled to have been a part of this!