This is such an interesting field of thought ..... Coming to it as a poet and as a teacher of children with language difficulties (articulation, decoding, dyspraxia, dyslexia etc etc) I was over-focusing on the bond with the language or symbol system within which the original document had been created. However I'm now seeing it through an entirely different lens. Such a fascinating article, and such interesting comments [inc Wells : "nearly every word we use is etymologically prehistoric; they are ancient poems in themselves that have undergone transformations--shifts in sound, orthography, and meaning, partial semantic erasures--over the years"]. Really inspiring stuff .....
This is a beautiful article to read and view. In my attempt to embrace a hand tremor, I’ve found some utility and artistry in the marks my hand now makes. What felt random and more repetitive at times, and random at others. I see from this style ways to develop them. Thank you.
Past meets present meets future. I subscribe heartily to the process of giving new meaning or focus or interest to the paper detritus of the ages. One of my favorite projects involved reacting a "Dummies..." manual with drawings, paint, marks, collage. On each page, i removed any words I chose so that what was left had new meaning or pattern of communication.
The completed book now is nothing like its forbearer. It also outgrew its original comb binding so there are pages left from the book in original state. My interest in doing more of this modification to this particular book is gone. Old, forgettable material became new or at least refreshed and repressed.
As an added note, I digitally combined the images with self-composed music. It's now possible to pass through the book with a musical accompaniment. 🎼 Having said this here, I now realize I could set up a display of this piece - altered book and digital remix with the music. Stay tuned for that one.
I love your work. Type has become a fascinating rabbit hole for me at times. Thank you for creating and sharing. I know that's what we do... but it has rewards beyond our perceived limits.
Thanks Jim, Yes I am imagining you could make something like a youtube video combining the book with the sound track and maybe even readings like poetry of the unredacted parts on the pages. Sounds interesting.
I love not only the idea of asemic writing but the look of it done by various artists. It's a secret code or language that's so intuitive and beautiful. It flows. Reminds me when I was small kid and would pretend to write script and invent these "important" letters that in my little mind looked like official writing. It took determination and patience to 'get it right'. Seeing it in ones adult art still thrills me as part of my brain is still trying to read it/figure out what it's saying and yet my eyes just see loveliness, flowing marks made by the artist to enhance whatever it's written upon.
I've also been doing a lot of thinking about both the practice of asemic writing and erasure poetry lately. In particular, I've wondered why I've been far more attracted to using free newspapers, discarded materials, etc., rather than recognizable classics, novels, poems, etc.
It is precisely this idea of honoring and giving new life to matter destined for complete obliteration (recycling, or the landfill) while revealing the beauty, longing, and shared heritage of its underlying language. My early academic background was in historical linguistics, so I've often reflected: nearly every word we use is etymologically prehistoric; they are ancient poems in themselves that have undergone transformations--shifts in sound, orthography, and meaning, partial semantic erasures--over the years. And asemic writing, for me, is an certain kind of abstraction of the desire to express and communicate, which is itself deeply communicative.
Yes, it is interesting when you consider that asemic writing is 'body language' as compared to keyboard writing which is a step or more away from direct communication. I have often wondered what has become the impulse for the spread of asemic writing the last two decades. What is attracting people to it? Was it merely the invention of the term back in the late 1990's by a visual poet? I was around for that invention at the time and interacting with the visual poet community. I have been mark making since the late 1970's - think Mark Tobey - one of my early heros. But once a new name was given to it by the poets that opened new territiory of expression and generated a new community. I think of myself as a significant participant in that community as it has developed.
This is such an interesting field of thought ..... Coming to it as a poet and as a teacher of children with language difficulties (articulation, decoding, dyspraxia, dyslexia etc etc) I was over-focusing on the bond with the language or symbol system within which the original document had been created. However I'm now seeing it through an entirely different lens. Such a fascinating article, and such interesting comments [inc Wells : "nearly every word we use is etymologically prehistoric; they are ancient poems in themselves that have undergone transformations--shifts in sound, orthography, and meaning, partial semantic erasures--over the years"]. Really inspiring stuff .....
This is a beautiful article to read and view. In my attempt to embrace a hand tremor, I’ve found some utility and artistry in the marks my hand now makes. What felt random and more repetitive at times, and random at others. I see from this style ways to develop them. Thank you.
I hadn't thought of recording the unrelated portions. Asemic poems are legit. Thanks. I'll keep looking for my file of the scans and music. 🤔
Past meets present meets future. I subscribe heartily to the process of giving new meaning or focus or interest to the paper detritus of the ages. One of my favorite projects involved reacting a "Dummies..." manual with drawings, paint, marks, collage. On each page, i removed any words I chose so that what was left had new meaning or pattern of communication.
The completed book now is nothing like its forbearer. It also outgrew its original comb binding so there are pages left from the book in original state. My interest in doing more of this modification to this particular book is gone. Old, forgettable material became new or at least refreshed and repressed.
As an added note, I digitally combined the images with self-composed music. It's now possible to pass through the book with a musical accompaniment. 🎼 Having said this here, I now realize I could set up a display of this piece - altered book and digital remix with the music. Stay tuned for that one.
I love your work. Type has become a fascinating rabbit hole for me at times. Thank you for creating and sharing. I know that's what we do... but it has rewards beyond our perceived limits.
Thanks Jim, Yes I am imagining you could make something like a youtube video combining the book with the sound track and maybe even readings like poetry of the unredacted parts on the pages. Sounds interesting.
I love not only the idea of asemic writing but the look of it done by various artists. It's a secret code or language that's so intuitive and beautiful. It flows. Reminds me when I was small kid and would pretend to write script and invent these "important" letters that in my little mind looked like official writing. It took determination and patience to 'get it right'. Seeing it in ones adult art still thrills me as part of my brain is still trying to read it/figure out what it's saying and yet my eyes just see loveliness, flowing marks made by the artist to enhance whatever it's written upon.
I've also been doing a lot of thinking about both the practice of asemic writing and erasure poetry lately. In particular, I've wondered why I've been far more attracted to using free newspapers, discarded materials, etc., rather than recognizable classics, novels, poems, etc.
It is precisely this idea of honoring and giving new life to matter destined for complete obliteration (recycling, or the landfill) while revealing the beauty, longing, and shared heritage of its underlying language. My early academic background was in historical linguistics, so I've often reflected: nearly every word we use is etymologically prehistoric; they are ancient poems in themselves that have undergone transformations--shifts in sound, orthography, and meaning, partial semantic erasures--over the years. And asemic writing, for me, is an certain kind of abstraction of the desire to express and communicate, which is itself deeply communicative.
Looking forward to part 2!
So interesting, to think of words in this way, in terms of transformations, shifts, partial erasures .... Absolutely fascinating.
Yes, it is interesting when you consider that asemic writing is 'body language' as compared to keyboard writing which is a step or more away from direct communication. I have often wondered what has become the impulse for the spread of asemic writing the last two decades. What is attracting people to it? Was it merely the invention of the term back in the late 1990's by a visual poet? I was around for that invention at the time and interacting with the visual poet community. I have been mark making since the late 1970's - think Mark Tobey - one of my early heros. But once a new name was given to it by the poets that opened new territiory of expression and generated a new community. I think of myself as a significant participant in that community as it has developed.
Totally fascinating!
Thanks Scott. Your Visual Poetry piece has been added to inventory: https://om-2026.blogspot.com/