NOTES ON WRITING AND DRAWING

POETRY AS FLOW: CSIKSZENTMIHALYI ON THE PLAY OF WORDS

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

poetry equals crossword puzzles equals flow

While re-reading Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s wonderful book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, I came across this passage on working crossword puzzles. I think he could just as well be talking about making blackout poems:

There is much to be said in favor of this popular pastime, which in its best form resembles the ancient riddle contests. It is inexpensive and portable, its challenges can be finely graduated so that both novices and experts can enjoy it, and its solution produces a sense of pleasing order that gives one a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. It provides opportunities to experience a mild state of flow to many people who are stranded in airport lounges, who travel on commuter trains, or who are simply whiling away Sunday mornings.

Csikszentmihalyi then goes on to talk explicitly about poetry and writing:

What’s important is to find at least a line, or a verse, that starts to sing. Sometimes even one word is enough to open a window on a new view of the world, to start the mind on an inner journey….

And the joys of being an amateur (why leave it to professionals?):

Not so long ago, it was acceptable to be an amateur poet….Nowadays if one does not make some money (however pitifully little) out of writing, it’s considered to be a waste of time. It is taken as downright shameful for a man past twenty to indulge in versification unless he receives a check to show for it.

Read more about flow.

UPDATE (6/30/08): Weird timing: a reader from Tacoma, Washington messaged me and said her local newspaper, The News Tribune, is running a blackout poems contest. (I’ve archived the full text in the comments.)

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6 Responses to “POETRY AS FLOW: CSIKSZENTMIHALYI ON THE PLAY OF WORDS”

  1. Austin Kleon Says:
    June 30th, 2008 at 9:57 am

    Of course, they’re probably closer to a Word Search than a Crossword Puzzle…

    word finds

  2. Tim Says:
    June 30th, 2008 at 10:43 am

    Two things:

    1. As it happens, I did the Sunday crossword yesterday, for the first time in ages. Finished it with the help of J. My guess is that, in her maturity, she will be a Hall of Fame-level crossword puzzler.

    2. Re the the second quote:

    “What’s important is to find at least a line, or a verse, that starts to sing. Sometimes even one word is enough to open a window on a new view of the world, to start the mind on an inner journey…”

    This goes on my “Instant Monster Classic” list. Amen and amen. The point of reading, of listening, of looking at art, of doing ANY art, is to embark upon journeys that otherwise will never get underway. This is what it means to be an artist of amateur (”love-driven”) motives. Huge.

  3. Austin Kleon Says:
    June 30th, 2008 at 10:50 am

    Tim: Glad you dug that quote. I don’t think I’ve highlighted so many passages in one book!

  4. Jim Says:
    June 30th, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    Floetry.

  5. Austin Kleon Says:
    June 30th, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    From THE NEWS TRIBUNE in Tacoma, Washington:

    Grab a marker: Poems hide in newspapers

    By BILL HUTCHENS

    June 30th, 2008

    You could be holding in your hands the start of a great poem. Figure out which words don’t belong, then share your work with us. Sometimes in poetry, it’s not so much about the words you use but the words you leave out.

    Or scratch out.

    Or blot out.

    Texas writer and cartoonist Austin Kleon is often credited for coming up with yet another artistic use for newspapers beyond papier-mché or the crafting of a paper boat or a pirate hat. He calls it Newspaper Blackout Poetry.

    The formula, as listed on austinkleon.com, is simple: “New York Times + Sharpie = Poems.”

    We’ll take some liberty and substitute “News Tribune” for “New York Times.” Hey, it’s our paper.

    And it’s your paper.

    We took the first step and created a blackout poem using part of a story that ran in the A section of last Monday’s Tribune. Titled “Maybe not,” it’s either an indictment of modern music or a crazy meaningless rant. Or maybe both. Probably both.

    At any rate, we’re pretty sure you can do better. If you’re old-school, you’ve got the first tool in your hands right now: today’s paper. Pick a story – any story – from this Monday, June 30, 2008, edition of The News Tribune, grab a black permanent marker and go to work. Cross out all of the words in the story that simply don’t belong in your poem.

    And send your finished work to us. We really really really want to read it. Seriously. We’re kinda nuts that way.

    If we get enough entries, we’ll assemble a panel to judge the lot and extract the best poems. We’ll print the best ones in an upcoming Soundlife section.

    Mail your work to Newspaper Blackout Poems, c/o The News Tribune, 1950 S. State St., Tacoma, WA 98405 or e-mail them (preferably in jpeg or pdf format) to bill.hutchens@thenewstribune.com. Submissions become the property of The News Tribune and may be reprinted in any form.

    Bill Hutchens: 253-597-8460

  6. annapurna Says:
    July 1st, 2008 at 4:59 pm

    another thing that i would say provides a similarly small but satisfying drop of flow to the everyday consumer is a fortune cookie. although you don’t feel like the mystical words are coming from you, they are directed at you, applicable to your personal life.

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