When I worked in a used bookstore a few years ago, I collected trashed clearance items with permission from my manager. As books were cleared off shelves after a year or so unsold, I chucked title after title into dumpsters out back.
With COVID restrictions in place, we could no longer donate what we could not sell. Our recycling options were nonexistent. Most recycling in the county went to landfills anyway.
Occasionally, I would find a title that caught my interest. Something aggressively political or pretentious from the self-help section would make its way into the pile, and I set it aside. From Ann Coulter's books to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Yoga with Kids, I built a collection and scoured pages practicing blackout poetry.
As I try to get back into this style of poetry, I wanted to share a few pieces here. I would love to know what you think.
About the Creator
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Keep reading
More stories from Kay Husnick and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (5)
Well-wrought and exceedingly clever! I think one of the things I always most loved about buying used books were the annotations and notes scrawled in the empty spaces by past readers, insights offered by ghosts... my favorite was a copy of Kahlil Gibran's "Sand & Foam" which I discovered among my late Grammeez effects, which I suppose she got from her father. He had underlined many of the lines related to romance, and I imagined him, my namesake, ruminating on his relationship with my Great Gramma while reading the works of the Lebanese poet.
Man, I used to read so much blackout poetry. It really was popular for several years but now it's been ages since I read it. Amazing pieces. This was such a treat to read! My nostalgia is pleased :)
Omg I love this idea!!! I want to start this hobby now! I adored the “maybe you can help me” one.
Blackout poetry! It's such a fun form! I love the ones you shared here, especially the 'reality?' one! Awesome pieces!
A long time since I've seen these types of work. My redacted heart thanks you...!