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Cover of Newspaper blackout

Newspaper Blackout

Newspaper + Marker = Poetry.

Instead of starting with a blank page, poet Austin Kleon grabs a newspaper and a permanent marker and eliminates the words he doesn’t need.—NPR’s Morning Edition
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Submit your own blackout poems. Follow Newspaper Blackout on Tumblr.

NEWSPAPER BLACKOUT

newspaper blackout

Newspaper Blackout features over 150 brand new poems, including a handy appendix to get you started making your own blackout poetry.

Harper Perennial
On Sale: 4/13/2010
ISBN: 9780061732973

Pre-order it now! (Why pre-order?)

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Borders
IndieBound


Praise

The poems have been featured on television and radio shows, in print, and all over the internet on great sites like Kottke.org and 20×200. Here’s what a few folks have had to say:

A poet in Texas is blacking out words in order to write. Instead of starting with a blank page, Austin Kleon grabs the New York Times and a permanent marker and eliminates the words he doesn’t need. — NPR’s Morning Edition

Sort of like Michelangelo carving away the marble that imprisoned what he saw within.—Cleveland Plain Dealer

One can imagine taking up blackout poetry on their daily bus commute in place of sudoku or the crossword puzzle.— Toronto’s National Post

Some of the results are hilarious, some are profound and even unsettling, but they are never bland or boring.—The Ephemerist

Part “writing with constrictions,” part happy accident, part found art, part design challenge…the collection…gives a well rounded and consistent view into a guy most of us would want to buy a beer. —Radio Exile


The Poems

I post new blackout poems every week on the blog, so be sure to check those out. Here’s a selection of poems from the book:

That First Book Origins Are Easy

The Pursuit of LandscapingFirefliesHome Alone

The TwistA House in Texas All You Can Do

I’ve posted over 200 poems on the blog since 2005. Set aside an hour or two, grab a sandwich, and read them all.

Short on time? Browse a shorter list of “Greatest Hits” from 2006-2008.

Or, search the archives for individual poems.


Interviews

Texas Country Reporter, 2009

Art Heroes Radio Show with John T. Unger (1 hour)
February, 2010

With Mitchell Knox,
November 2008


Press & Blogger’s Kit

Press and Blogger's Kit

I want to make it easy for you to spread the word about my book, so I’ve made high-resolution images of the book available online.

For more free images suitable for print and online use, visit the Flickr set.


Videos

Time-lapse video of a newspaper blackout poem in progress:

Watch folks read some of their own blackout poems:

Watch me talk about the origins of Newspaper Blackout:

See me flip through the binder of original poems that make up the book:


Goodies

iPhone wallpaper:


Why Pre-Order?

By pre-ordering, you get a great deal and you tremendously help the book’s success:

  • You get the book for really cheap
  • You’re first to get the book on the release date
  • You boost the first-week sales and shipping numbers, which are ever-so-important to a first-time author in the crazy cut-throat industry of publishing

You can pre-order from these fine booksellers:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Borders
IndieBound


Help spread the word

As I wrote in the book’s introduction, the only reason Newspaper Blackout exists is because of folks like you: awesome fans who shared links and spread the poems around the internet. If you like the book, you can help it by:

  • Giving a copy to a friend
  • Asking your local bookstore or library to carry it
  • Blogging about it
  • Sharing it on Twitter or on Facebook

Thanks!