Breaking Things (Or How to Write Collage Poetry)

What is collage poetry? The idea is to take an existing text or texts and make it into something new.  The process is also called Unoriginality in studies of poetic movements and began in the 1990s almost as a direct consequence of the advent of the Internet and the growing uneasiness with Modern and Post-modern poetry tactics among the avant garde set. Most practicers of Unoriginality stumbled upon the concept independently, although some developed it within groups of writers. It seems like a simple enough concept to execute, leading many to disregard it as valid poetic practice - until such ones attempt it themselves. It is actually a complicated process that requires intense focus and a lot of trial and error to develop the skills of discernment needed to honour the original texts while reshaping the texts into something completely unfamiliar. It's also a wonderful way to explore the contested concept of authorship, because the words one is using belong to some one else and the final text of the collage poem cannot be guessed at by the poet assembling it until the reorganisation is complete. A collage poem is fun in the sense of wordplay and delving into the unknowable that the poet has only the most minimal control over, but it is hard work and slow-going.

To illustrate, I am going to use a simplified example of collage poetry work that I did as an assignment that the instructors called "Breaking Things" for a class I'm taking on Shakespeare. I started out with the text of the Bard's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and two blog posts I had previously written related to the course which can be found farther down this page ("On First Lines" and "Comparison: 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Layla and Majnun'"). First I selected a specific passage from the play to use, which is the conversation with Hermia about her father's selection of a husband for her. Instead of copying out the entire dialog, I left out her responses and chose specific lines that appealed to me due to their expression of a father's absolute authority over a daughter, possibly one of the most overtly serious moments in the comedy. Thus I copied this out on a sheet of paper:

"Be advised, fair maid.
To you, your father should be as a god,
One that composed your beauties, yea, and one
For whom you are but as a form in wax
By him imprinted, and within his power
To leave the figure or disfigure it.
In this kind, wanting your father's voice,
The other must be held worthier.
Your eyes must with his judgement look.
Look you arm yourself
To fit your fancies to your father's will."

Lots of assonance in these lines to play with and it would be fun to dismantle this outdated notion of male dictatorship.

Then I proceeded to comb through the two blog posts for phrases which could be repurposed. Hence, on the same sheet of paper I copied this:

"virgin love
versus
consummation (or lack thereof)
love cannot exist without sex, but sex can exist without love
attain to the status of a lesser god
roams the wilderness
spouting poetry for
repetition
first lines are the spine on which all hangs
security cameras and spying eyes
choking like flame without air
somewhat mantic
poetry cannot survive
meandering masterpiece
the most primal of human needs
worn out subject - elementary thing -
much glorification of the giving and the taking of the maidenhead
amourous rites
hood my unmanned blood
love grow bold
no love at all"

Now that I had broken things, I was ready to reassemble them. This is where trial and error comes in. You must expect that the first attempt will not result in a finished poem. Usually these things take many drafts and can sometimes take years to work out. A person who writes collage poetry must be one who thrives on challenge. The work involved is the point as much as the finished product. In this example, however, it took me about three hours. You will notice that in reorganising, sometimes I broke the phrases down further and rearranged them into new phrases as well as rearranging the actual lines. I began, crossing off phrases as I reused them. This is first draft:

"much glorification of
elementary thing - most
primal thing cannot survive
as a god somewhat mantic
arm yourself your fancies
the spine on which all hangs
choking flame without air
virgin love grow bold
wilderness spouting repetition
by him imprinted
meandering masterpiece
be advised to leave the figure
or disfigure it in this kind
consummation (or lack thereof)
first lines are security cameras
spying eyes, love without
sex without love amourous rites
that composed whom you are
a form in wax within his
power: the other must beheld poetry
look you to fit unmanned blood roams
no love at all
with his judgement look
the giving and the taking
status of a lesser god
poetry for maidenhood"

I largely avoided punctuation or consideration for line breaks, etc. because at this point it didn't matter. At this stage, the goal is just to see what surprising new combinations can be made of the phrases. Look for juxtaposition and delightfully new, unlooked for ideas. Phrases I liked here are: "First lines are security cameras" and "your fancies/ the spine on which all hangs". There is no clear formation of meaning in this new text yet, but the suggestion is that the meaning will be highly sexual. That is not a route I wanted to go. Although Shakespeare is very candid and even rude in such matters, I wanted to focus on poetry itself as a way to better honour the common perception of Shakespeare's work. On to the second draft:

"As a god somewhat mantic
Much glorification of elementary thing
Arm yourself your fancies cannot survive
Wilderness spouting repetition by
Him imprinted meandering
Masterpiece, be advised to
Leave the figure or disfigure it
In this kind consummation (or lack thereof)
Virgin love grow bold with his
Judgement look the giving and the taking
No love at all the spine on which all hangs
That composed whom you are - a form
In wax within his power, look you to fit
Unmanned blood roams: the other
Must be held poetry, security cameras
First lines are spying eyes
Love without sex without love
Poetry a lesser god for maidenhood
Amourous rites choking without air
No consummation at all"

As you can see, on the second draft, I paid a little more attention to poetic devises, such as line breaks and further fractured and rearranged some phrases. I also inserted some personal stylistic preferences, such as extending line length and capitalising the first letters of lines. Here, I began to sense clearer meaning and that it was closer to my intention of a metapoetic reading. Encouraged, I forged ahead to what would be the final draft:

"Poetry"

As a god somewhat mantic,
Much glorification of elementary thing.
Arm yourself! Your fancies cannot survive
Wilderness spouting repetition, by him
Imprinted meandering masterpiece.
Be advised leave the figure or disfigure it
In this kind consummation
(Or lack thereof).
Virgin love grow bold with his judgement.
Look! The giving and the taking -
No love at all, the spine on which all hangs
That composed whom you are - a form
In wax within his power. Look you to fit.
Unmanned blood roams: the other must be held poetry.
Security cameras: first lines are spying eyes -
Love without sex without love.
Poetry a lesser god for maidenhood,
Amourous rites choking flame:
No consummation at all.

The title used here is a working title. It was good enough for the assignment for which it was written. This final result is both metapoetic and I believe a fitting tribute to Shakespeare while creating something entirely fresh from his (and my) words with a 21st century feel.

How to Successfully Cope with a Chronic Illness

(Originally published on Yahoo! Voices on July 5, 2008)

Having a chronic illness of any sort is one of the most challenging situations to cope with. Especially is this so if one is young or inclined to be active. So how can a person successfully cope with a chronic illness?

First of all, *knowledge is power*. Educate yourself about your illness. Ask your team of doctors specific questions (you'll find they appreciate this and you will receive better care as a result). Ask them for any and all material they have that discusses your illness. Go to your local library and scour its shelves. You may find it helpful to talk with others with the same illness. Much information can be found on the internet. However, a word of caution is called for when searching on the internet: make sure the information is from a credible source. The more you know about your health issue, the more involved in managing it you can become. You will know what to expect and will be better equipped to handle it. Knowledge also does much to keep your viewpoint positive.

That is the second step: *try to be positive*. It is okay to grieve the loss of your health. It may even be healthy to do so. However, it is imperative not to allow yourself to be swallowed up by longing for the "good ol' days." Too much of such nostalgia could easily develope into self-pity and self-pity can actually exert a most negative impact on your long-term physical health. A positive attitude is vital to successfully living with a chronic health problem. One thing that will help you to maintain a positive attitude is to keep a balanced view of the medical world. Doctors know a great deal and following their advice is usually advisable. But they don't know everything. If the diagnosis is glum, so what? You still have a chance, however small, to beat the odds- and people sometimes do. But you won't beat those odds if you don't try. Also, make sure your living conditions are clean and cheerful. This can do much to improve the spirit. Research shows that access to a window makes a great difference in a patient's well being. If you can go outside, do so as often as possible. Have friends over often and go to them if you can. And yes, it is perfectly okay to laugh at an illness and at oneself. In fact, a ready sense of humor is your best ally. All of this can make all the difference in your viewpoint.

Thirdly, *set realistic goals*. It is important to "listen" to your body. Particularly is this so if you are going through the initial adjustments after a recent diagnosis. It is important to feel out your limits carefully, perhaps with the help of a caring family member, friend, and your team of doctors. It is also equally important to continue to adjust as limits change over time. Once you know your limits, stay within them. You will accomplish nothing by working against them. Instead, work through or around them. Some physical activity is necessary to promote healing, stabilization, and mental well being. Realistic goals that work within, around, and through your limits can accomplish much good in this regard. You may well be pleasantly surprised by the variety and complexity of activities you can perform with patience, a little time, and a keen awareness of what your body is "telling" you. Your friends and family may be surprised, too!

Fourth, *learn to deal with the reactions of others*. Let's face it: people who do not yet have chronic illnesses of their own or a family member with a chronic illness are not always going to exhibit sensitivity. Not that they are callous to your situation- not at all! It is simply that, being still blessed with good health, they cannot fully understand what it feels like not to have it. So when ones make a thoughtless remark or otherwise do something inconsiderate, how can you handle it? It may be possible in most circumstances to ignore the comment. After all, they more than likely did not mean it as it sounded. They probably didn't realize the hurt or offense it could cause. In some cases, you could anticipate an awkward moment and head it off by bringing it up. "Would you like to know why I'm in a wheelchair?" or "I think it's only fair to warn you: sometimes I can't control my arms and legs so I might kick you if you stand there." Laugh it off with them. Do everything you can to put them at ease with a smile and your sense of humor (remember that from before?). Personally, I keep the viewpoint that I want such ones to remain innocent of what it's really like to be in my shoes as long as possible - I can enjoy that innocence as something refreshing, even if ignorance on their part is sometimes painful to me. I feel joy for them precisely because they don't understand. Think how beautiful such an existence is! By cultivating a positive point of view regarding people's reactions and reacting positively to them, before you know it you may find that some people even forget that you have a chronic illness!

Lastly, *don't quit!* By focusing on others instead of yourself, you will cope with a chronic illness successfully. You could volunteer (within your limits) in your community. Or you could help others in smaller ways. Share a happy story with someone and a smile with another. Play a game with a child, perhaps "I Spy" or "Guess the Object". Invite a friend or two over at a time for coffee and a sandwich - hospitality need not be complicated or beyond your abilities. Think simple and pleasant. As someone with a chronic illness, you now have a most special gift to share that others may not have: empathy.

By remembering these five things, you can successfully live with a chronic illness!

How to Cope with Nervousness when Speaking Publicly

(Originally published on Yahoo! Voices on December 8, 2011)

It has been said that more people are afraid of public speaking than flying. A sizable percentage would rather die than face an audience. So what can you do to cope with the nervousness that accompanies public speaking?

One of the things to keep in mind when dealing with this subject is that there is no way to completely eliminate nervousness. No matter how much or how often you might be called upon to speak publicly, you will experience a level of nervousness every time. This is a good thing. Think of nervousness as your friend. It is your body's natural response to stress and releases hormones that will help you to think fast and keep you on your toes. It will actually help you to perform better.

But that may seem hard to believe in the moments leading up to the time you walk on stage. So how can you control your reactions to the nervousness so that it works in your favor? How can you make it your friend?

The most important thing you can do is *prepare*. Confidence in your material translates into confidence in yourself. If you believe that what you have to say is important, and even vital, to your audience, you will be more relaxed about presenting it. When determining what you will say, consider your audience: are they businessmen, families, friends? Are they gathered for a specific purpose? Do they share interests? What do they already know about your subject? What do they need to know about it? This will help you to present your material in a way that will hold their attention and from an angle that may be new to them. It is better to work from an outline rather than a text of precisely worded sentences. Your speech will then be more conversational and you will be free to practice audience contact, which we will discuss more of later. You will also be more flexible in your delivery, allowing for mistakes, audience reactions, and the clock. Small notes, such as on index cards, are often easier to consult without distracting your audience. Feel free to use color highlighters on these notes so that a mere glance will suffice to tell you what you need to know.

There is some truth to the old adage that *practice* makes perfect. No, you don't have to grab a hairbrush to mimic a microphone or stand in front of a mirror. Just give your speech from the notes you will have on stage. It might be a good idea to time at least some of these practice sessions, since almost all programs operate on a time schedule. In this way, you will be more confident that you will be able to successfully communicate your material in the time involved. There is no such thing as practicing too much. The more familiar you are with your material the better you will present it. Even if you should discover afterwards that you have no memory of giving the speech due to nervousness, the constant practice will probably mean that you will get through the speech regardless, as if on autopilot.

Once the nervousness begins and grows, it is important to *breathe*. When one is nervous, the breathing shortens and the face and neck muscles tighten. This causes distortion in the voice and can have worse consequences, such as hyperventilation or fainting. Counter all these effects by taking even, slow, deep breaths to regulate oxygen flow and relax the muscles in the face and jaw. You will find that breathing will help to lessen that butterflies-in-the-stomach sensation. It can be beneficial to do this right up until the moment you begin to speak.

Endeavor to have *audience contact*. That means to look at individuals in your audience and establish eye contact with them, if possible. This will turn a mass of humankind into a more personable and comfortable entity. Pick out a few individuals before you begin speaking that are scattered throughout the audience. This will allow you to gauge the reaction of the audience and adjust accordingly. It will also help you relax since the whole process will thus feel more like a conversation than a performance. And your audience may be more interested and receptive due to what comes across to them as a measure of comfortableness, personal interest, and confidence. Audience contact is also important for conveying conviction and excitement about your subject.

*Gestures* serve similar purposes. Without them, it is possible to clutch the podium or table which will only make you tenser and make the audience uncomfortable. But gestures put you both at ease, loosen you up, help you to convey the thoughts and feelings inherent to your material, and drive home your point. If you find it difficult to gesture during a speech, mark out some appropriate places on your notes to remind you to gesture at those points.

*Focus on your material rather than yourself*. The fact is, when you give a speech you are not under examination, your subject is. People will only remember who gave the speech if the material in the speech was relevant and memorable. Knowing this is freeing, in a sense. Remind yourself of this repeatedly if necessary throughout the process from preparation through to your exit.

If you apply these few tips, your nervousness will be a help to you rather than a hinderance and your audience will likely sense nothing but confidence in your delivery. Public speaking can be done, and need not be overwhelming.