When madness calls: The Oulipost

When April 1st comes next madness will strike again.



Oulipost is the new NAPOMO adventure invented by the wonderful people at The Found Poetry Review.
(and of course it takes its roots in the OULIPO)

In April, I get to be Queneau!




[insert picture of me here, playing with an electronic pipe]

In April, I get to be Perec!



Bets are opened on which of the cats will get roped into that picture.
(Also: I am NOT getting a perm.)


So: 30 days in April, 30 challenges and I have just perused through the prompts - to be combined with a local newspaper each day - and this thing is SCARY!

But as you know: we are all mad here.

And now on to the first assignment: The Ouliposter Interview!

1. WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT OULIPOST?

A daily challenge. Playing with newspapers. With actual papers! (My edicola guy is going to LOVE me. For a month. (Instant romance.)

Plus the exercises. Obviously. (and now that I have read the prompts, my heart is SO excited that it tries to divorce me)

2. WHAT, IF ANYTHING, SCARES YOU ABOUT OULIPOST?

Managing a combination English prompts and Italian newspapers. They might refuse to talk to each other, or fight and attempt to steal the covers from each other’s back (in which case, I will probably end-up as being the one with feet left hanging out in the cold). Or gang-up on me. Who knows?

Really guys. Those prompts are MURDER.
 

3. HAVE YOU WRITTEN EXPERIMENTAL OR FOUND POETRY BEFORE? IF SO, TELL US ABOUT IT.

I often write found poetry (once you’ve started – Thanks, Jess - you just can’t not see it lurking everywhere; it’s like a virus that flares up every time you lay eyes upon written material). I loved doing the Pulitzer Remix last year, for instance. I had to force myself to quit after a month (or so) otherwise I’d still be at it.

4. WHAT NEWSPAPER WILL SERVE AS YOUR SOURCE TEXT?

The only local newspaper I know of in Rome is Il Messaggero. It is however also a national newspaper, so I am not sure it has all that might be required for the prompts (like wedding announcements for the Epithalamium - I might have to be creative there). We will soon see about that.
Or use another newspaper altogether for the Lipogram OR write a poem with words with only U as a vowel. (Talk about minimal poetry!)

[Insert instant drama button here]

5. WHO’S YOUR SPIRIT OULIPIAN?

Hey, I am French! Which one isn’t might be a better question. This said, I – obviously - love Raymond Queneau, especially for his “Exercices de Style”, which I had several editions of as a child. And Perec (because of kitties and wild - Sxip Shirey-like - hair) (but no, I am still NOT getting a perm).

Because I live in Italy, I would feel bound to mention Italo Calvino but can’t really claim any influence there. I fell asleep too many time on his Cosmicomics. Marvelous chap and all for sure but... No.