Erik Von Ploennies

Page: 1 2 3 4 ALICE

2008

Background:
I take the Brooklyn Rail newspaper and underline words and phases in the articles that catch my attention. A circled word or phrase becomes the title. It's more of a subtractive process, taking a page of words and editing down to a poem or maybe several. It's kind of backwards from the traditional process of adding words to a blank page, but it works for me. The pieces of newspaper with these random, abstract poems get used as collage material in my artwork.

Below is a sampling of a few favorites. More to be added soon. You will see some variation in how the poems come together along with my comments on each.

I post new poetry regularly here:
BlogSpot: ErikVP.Blogspot.com

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008 EXPRESS - A Life In Underground Letters, by Williams Cole
	The Village, And The Beats You ask a lot about the idea. What do you think of is? A creative outbreak. To look back and say, That was. You're saying it. People will say, It was. Because at least, It was. Compared to now, Which I notice now. You cannot, not notice. It is the fact, That is was so. It's not good. And if it isn't, You know, the culture is. There are technical things, Which basically comes to people. Not worried about was, When was would never go.
Comments: The page is torn so you can't see that this is an interview with a Q&A dialog between Williams (Brooklyn Rail) and Barney Rosset. As you read through my poetry you will see a few examples of this play on words kind of theme. The poem below is also from this same article.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008
EXPRESS - A Life In Underground Letters, by Williams Cole

The Village, And The Beats
You ask a lot about the idea.
What do you think of is?

A creative outbreak.
To look back and say,
That was.
You're saying it.

People will say,
It was.
Because at least,
It was.

Compared to now,
Which I notice now.
You cannot, not notice.
It is the fact,
That is was so.

It's not good.
And if it isn't,
You know, the culture is.

There are technical things,
Which basically comes to people.
Not worried about was,
When was would never go.

Comments:
The page is torn so you can't see that this is an interview with a Q&A dialog between Williams (Brooklyn Rail) and Barney Rosset. As you read through my poetry you will see a few examples of this play on words kind of theme. The poem below is also from this same article.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008 EXPRESS - A Life In Underground Letters, by Williams Cole
	It Seems I Think Do you have confidence? Did you ever think? No, I mean, I thought. But I don't think. Got some papers. The government told them, That I didn't. That I never thought. I was shocked. Of course, the thought. I would have thought.
Comments: This is another In Conversation interview. Notie that it's from the same article as the poem above (The Village, And The Beats), yet it has a very different feel to it.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008
EXPRESS - A Life In Underground Letters, by Williams Cole

It Seems I Think
Do you have confidence?
Did you ever think?

No, I mean, I thought.
But I don't think.

Got some papers.
The government told them,
That I didn't.
That I never thought.
I was shocked.

Of course, the thought.
I would have thought.

Comments:
This is another In Conversation interview. Notie that it's from the same article as the poem above (The Village, And The Beats), yet it has a very different feel to it.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008 POETRY - The New Boys, by Mei-mei Berssenbrugge
	More Sophisticated Running through an impulse. My impression composed. A group of ravens explain, "Keep expanding connections, Moment to moment, Communicate reflections." "When you want proof, Remember the musicians." "Tonight is like that."
Comments: A poem created from a poem.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008
POETRY - The New Boys, by Mei-mei Berssenbrugge

More Sophisticated
Running through an impulse.
My impression composed.

A group of ravens explain,
"Keep expanding connections,
Moment to moment,
Communicate reflections."

"When you want proof,
Remember the musicians."
"Tonight is like that."

Comments:
A poem created from a poem.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008 ARTSEEN - Is Contemporary Architecture a PR Panacea for Autocrats? Western Architectural Ethics & Undemocratic Nations by Hrag Vartanian
	Made For TV The grave of a KGB ruler. His death, odd. Designed to highest international standards. An integral role in protocol. A dictator telling them what not to report. There were few examples. A moral quagmire and politics. It is no coincidence. Invented propaganda. The cinematic masterpiece.
Comments: An article about architecture, but tweaked into a TV thriller through poetry.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008
ARTSEEN - Is Contemporary Architecture a PR Panacea for Autocrats? Western Architectural Ethics & Undemocratic Nations
by Hrag Vartanian

Made For TV
The grave of a KGB ruler.
His death, odd.
Designed to highest international standards.

An integral role in protocol.
A dictator telling them what not to report.
There were few examples.

A moral quagmire and politics.
It is no coincidence.
Invented propaganda.
The cinematic masterpiece.

Comments:
An article about architecture, but tweaked into a TV thriller through poetry.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008 FICTION - Another Friend, by Emmanuel Bove
	Translated From French I prefer English. Is it English? On a hot day, I was strolling. It was noon. The sun was not. The sky, I could see it. Without my head by my eyes. The morning hours are whole. Those evening thoughts have vanished. The joys of the day never last. I was happy.
Comments: This is a short fictional story, modified into a poem. The poem loosly follows the story, but it's definitely more abstract.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008
FICTION - Another Friend, by Emmanuel Bove

Translated From French
I prefer English.
Is it English?

On a hot day,
I was strolling.
It was noon.
The sun was not.

The sky,
I could see it.
Without my head by my eyes.

The morning hours are whole.
Those evening thoughts have vanished.
The joys of the day never last.
I was happy.

Comments:
This is a short fictional story, modified into a poem. The poem loosly follows the story, but it's definitely more abstract.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008 In Conversation - David Opdyke With Phong Bui, by Phong Bui
	We Are All Americans It's sort of extending into the absurd. We are all unified? Everybody is adopted? I wondered. Our vision of reality. It makes sense. The equation is clearly revealed. What was the impulse? Two pieces, Fractured and broken. People talked about being, Split into parts. The pieces all the same. The idea of many people. So many people. It's a brilliant idea. Very efficient.
Comments: I still haven't read this article, but you can tell from the excerpt above it's David Opdyke describing two of his politically inspired art pieces to the Brooklyn Rail's, Phong Bui. There are different types of articles in the Brooklyn Rail, but the "In Conversation" interviews are one of my favorites to work with because you have dialog from two different people. Below is a second poem from the same article.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008
In Conversation - David Opdyke With Phong Bui, by Phong Bui

We Are All Americans
It's sort of extending into the absurd.
We are all unified?
Everybody is adopted?
I wondered.

Our vision of reality.
It makes sense.
The equation is clearly revealed.
What was the impulse?

Two pieces,
Fractured and broken.
People talked about being,
Split into parts.
The pieces all the same.

The idea of many people.
So many people.
It's a brilliant idea.
Very efficient.

Comments:
I still haven't read this article, but you can tell from the excerpt above it's David Opdyke describing two of his politically inspired art pieces to the Brooklyn Rail's, Phong Bui.

There are different types of articles in the Brooklyn Rail, but the "In Conversation" interviews are one of my favorites to work with because you have dialog from two different people. Below is a second poem from the same article.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008 In Conversation - David Opdyke With Phong Bui, by Phong Bui
	Your Personal Suburb A mysterious row of trees. What is hidden behind? Let's go back. I remember. The beginning of visual accumulation. Images of suburbs, Dominate the world. That fascinates you. I try to figure out why. So immersed in thinking. It got me thinking. Everything has to do with you. Mowing your lawn. The absurdity of the whole thing.
Comments: This is a second poem from the same article. The first poem "We Are All Americans" is above.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, October 2008
In Conversation - David Opdyke With Phong Bui, by Phong Bui

Your Personal Suburb
A mysterious row of trees.
What is hidden behind?

Let's go back.
I remember.

The beginning of visual accumulation.
Images of suburbs,
Dominate the world.
That fascinates you.

I try to figure out why.
So immersed in thinking.
It got me thinking.

Everything has to do with you.
Mowing your lawn.
The absurdity of the whole thing.

Comments:
This is a second poem from the same article. The first poem "We Are All Americans" is above.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008 ARTSEEN - J.M.W. Turner, by Ben LaRocco
	Sketched In Cadmium Red The suggestion of fishy humor, Offbeat. The burning of the painting, An abstract human quality. Nature's way? Allow the text to transition. Weigh with judgement, not chaos. Examine paintings of clouds. Then, look at the sky, Without desire. Induce ambition. Paint the question. Who deserves?
Comments: This is a torn piece of newspaper, which is why the left column is partially missing. I created a few phrases using underlined words across the columns.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008
ARTSEEN - J.M.W. Turner, by Ben LaRocco

Sketched In Cadmium Red
The suggestion of fishy humor,
Offbeat.

The burning of the painting,
An abstract human quality.
Nature's way?

Allow the text to transition.
Weigh with judgement, not chaos.

Examine paintings of clouds.
Then, look at the sky,
Without desire.

Induce ambition.
Paint the question.
Who deserves?

Comments:
This is a torn piece of newspaper, which is why the left column is partially missing. I created a few phrases using underlined words across the columns.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008 ARTSEEN - Michael Peters & Erik Carlson, by Warren Fry
	Experimental Poetry A performance with sound. Respond to one another. Deliberate, but primal. Oscillate between. Calm yet attentive intrigue. It was a séance, Existing between words and sound. Enthusiasm clinching guilt. Experimental association. The odd personality to become. The performance ended.
Comments: This is a torn piece of newspaper, so I only had a portion of the column to work with. I especially like the title for this poem.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008
ARTSEEN - Michael Peters & Erik Carlson, by Warren Fry

Experimental Poetry
A performance with sound.
Respond to one another.

Deliberate, but primal.
Oscillate between.

Calm yet attentive intrigue.
It was a séance,
Existing between words and sound.

Enthusiasm clinching guilt.
Experimental association.
The odd personality to become.

The performance ended.

Comments:
This is a torn piece of newspaper, so I only had a portion of the column to work with. I especially like the title for this poem.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008 In Conversation - John O'Connor with Eve Aschheim, by Eve Aschheim
	Out of Control You invent systems. But then your systems, the drawings, get lost. Drawings, charts, earthquakes and wars. The absurdity. A statistician of the absurd. Literal connection. Some sort of rhythm. How much of your plan is predetermined? I don't really plan. One element, a shape maybe. Sometimes I have , but it almost never goes. I don't know. The final work is small, recorded over time.
Comments: This is another In Conversation interview. You can see I use the dialog of both people so the poem still maintains an interview type of with the question "How much of your plan is predetermined?" and the response that follows.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008
In Conversation - John O'Connor with Eve Aschheim, by Eve Aschheim

Out of Control
You invent systems.
But then your systems, the drawings, get lost.
Drawings, charts, earthquakes and wars.
The absurdity.
A statistician of the absurd.

Literal connection.
Some sort of rhythm.
How much of your plan is predetermined?

I don't really plan.
One element, a shape maybe.
Sometimes I have , but it almost never goes.
I don't know.
The final work is small, recorded over time.

Comments:
This is another In Conversation interview. You can see I use the dialog of both people so the poem still maintains an interview type of with the question "How much of your plan is predetermined?" and the response that follows.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008 In Conversation - John O'Connor with Eve Aschheim, by Eve Aschheim
	Experiment I don't understand. I use specific bits of information. Sometimes it's uncomfortable. But I want to. I feel like something I didn't completely make. Shifting as you go. I'll set up some way to push two things together. And see what comes from that. Change it. Combine it. And over time, I'll lose track. What I had. A lot of it is set up.
Comments: This is second poem from the same article.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008
In Conversation - John O'Connor with Eve Aschheim, by Eve Aschheim

Experiment
I don't understand.
I use specific bits of information.
Sometimes it's uncomfortable.
But I want to.

I feel like something I didn't completely make.
Shifting as you go.
I'll set up some way to push two things together.
And see what comes from that.

Change it.
Combine it.
And over time, I'll lose track.

What I had.
A lot of it is set up.

Comments:
This is second poem from the same article.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008 FICTION - Substance Abuse, by Harold Jaffe

	Dead While Alive Anti-social feelings, And discontent. He saw unhappiness as, Limited happiness. A perception tragically estimated. Found dead in the asylum. The cause of death was technical. An autopsy disclosed: Foot holding shoe. A lethal dose.
Comments: There a little more complexity in the creation of this poem. I had a bunch of words underlined, then I organzied them without any regard to their location within the article. In past poems, you will notice I keep with words and phrases relatively in order with the article. The poem is also written across two columns.

Article Reference: The Brooklyn Rail, September 2008
FICTION - Substance Abuse, by Harold Jaffe

Dead While Alive
Anti-social feelings,
And discontent.

He saw unhappiness as,
Limited happiness.
A perception tragically estimated.

Found dead in the asylum.
The cause of death was technical.
An autopsy disclosed:
Foot holding shoe.
A lethal dose.

Comments:
There a little more complexity in the creation of this poem. I had a bunch of words underlined, then I organzied them without any regard to their location within the article. In past poems, you will notice I keep with words and phrases relatively in order with the article. The poem is also written across two columns.

© ERIK VON PLOENNEIS 2011