Aleatoric Segments

As much as I love constraint poetry, (poetry that is written using very restrictive devices), I also love aleatoric poetry.

Yesterday, I compiled a poem using broken bits of overheard conversation in chronological order, but didn't touch on the idea behind aleatory at all...

a·le·a·to·ry

ˈālēəˌtôrēˈal-

adjective

1. 1.

   depending on the throw of a die or on chance; random.

I also love using segments of other source writings as my aleatoric text. In the past I've used students' papers at the library. Spitting out rapidly at the printer, I'd only get glimpses of their writing and would jot down as much as I could before I'd forget it, break the line there, and repeat with the next page, creating odd, disparate poems varying in topics, but sometimes combining line to line for some hilarious results.

Now that I don't have access to hundreds of students' papers, I've tried to find ways to recreate the process. Sure, you could open to random pages in books (I'll probably do that later), close your eyes and pick a sentence, but that to me still doesn't feel completely aleatoric because you still have a choice. I guess, thinking about it now, the library paper exercise wasn't truly random either... But, if you rely on a more strict set of rules, you can easily create totally aleatoric work.

This poem was written using the bolded words (and only the bolded ones) in the first lines of the classifieds in the Daily Advertiser. Again, sometimes the implied connections are wonderful. Try this one, it doesn't disappoint. You could even go to a friend's house and take the Xth sentence on the Yth page from each book on their shelf, the principle is the same.

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Will Trade

new gutters for like-new rainbow
a used potato chip

why allow the done room special! furnished
never worn; broken
professional alterations

Mardi Gras we buy GOLD!
will tutor your kawaii mahogany console five-piece

pearl drummer needs gig.

touch America black
100 used metal comedy outlaw lyricists
beauty salon and eight foot conveyor
beginners five piece salon equipment, downsizing

executive desks, work
two awesome cooking table saw, works
ten sets of 20 55 gallon metal containers for sale

wanted to buy huge reward! Lost found: blind chihuahua
will trade dirt for pillows of hope