Austin Kleon

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HARPERCOLLINS TO PUBLISH COLLECTION OF NEWSPAPER BLACKOUT POEMS!

Newspaper Blackout on-sale date: April 2010!

newspaper blackout

there is nothing like that first book / you put your guts into it / and hope

Official press release:

HARPERCOLLINS TO PUBLISH COLLECTION OF NEWSPAPER BLACKOUT POEMS

July 8—HarperCollins has signed Austin Kleon to write a collection of his popular Newspaper Blackout Poems for a book due from Harper Paperbacks in February 2010. Instead of starting with a blank page, the Austin-based writer and cartoonist picks up a newspaper and a permanent marker and eliminates the words he doesn’t need. Kleon’s poems, which he began posting on his popular blog, have been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition and in Toronto’s National Post, and have been widely linked to on the internet.

This has been in the works for a couple of months, and it’s KILLED me not to be able to share it with y’all. But now you know. Couple of thoughts:

  • The book is going to be made up of completely new, never-before-seen poems. Although it isn’t out until Sept. 2009, the manuscript is due by the new year, so I’m going to be incredibly busy for the rest of the year making poems The new on-sale date is February 9, 2010.The on-sale date is April 13, 2010 from Harper Perennial.
  • While I won’t be posting new poems for the next six months, there’s still going to be a lot of activity here on the blog. In August, I’ll have more details about the contest. (So get out your newspapers and start practicing!) Check the blog every week for new poems!
  • Obviously, this is huge, and Meg and I are really excited about the opportunity. But, to paraphrase Hugh MacLeod: I’m keeping my day job. The book might sell big, might not. In the meantime, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing: writing, drawing, and blogging.

As always, thanks so much to all of you who read the poems, comment, and link to them. If it weren’t for you and your support, I would have given up what started out as just a writing exercise a long time ago.

Stay tuned!

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Comments

  1. Wow! Congrats! This is a very weird feeling looking back on how I stumbled on this blog a few years back via Mad Ink Beard and it seemed like a little intimate conversation with a few like minded folks and now it just keeps getting bigger and bigger!

    I’ll buy a copy for sure :)

  4. WAY TO GO AUSTIN!!!

    I guess I’d better be gettin’ to check out my supply of
    usable Sharpies! ;-)

    Congrats!
    Susanne

  7. Okay, this is bringing me out of lurkerdom! I’ve been a loyal follower of your blog for a while: you introduced me to Lynda Barry, for which I will be grateful forever and ever and ever, and I love your work : especially your newspaper blackout poems…

    big congratulations!

    melissa

  13. I’m so happy to hear the news. Actually, your mom just called to tell us, but as you know, I’ve been a fan of your work since I first checked out your site. Can’t wait for the book.

  14. Wow, you’ve made the big time. I’m thoroughly impressed and giddy for you, buddy. And, of course, I plan to submit my own blackout poems for this book — I’m gonna try my damnedest to ride your coattails!

  19. My Good Buddy!
    Your talent has been excellent and inspirational to me as long as I’ve known you. Hard work always pays off.
    Congratulations and cheers to you, my friend!
    2009: Kleon takes the literature world by storm!
    2010: “Patch” follow-up makes Earth’s knees weak!

  23. Hey, that’s excellent! I don’t usually buy a whole lot of books, but I’d say this one has a better-than-average chance of ending up on my bookshelf (if I ever have a bookshelf in a year). Congratulations, and I hope you manage to fill the book with poems half as interesting as the ones I’ve seen so far.

    Oh, come to think of it…I’ve gotta admit that I really like the drawing + poem ones, like the alien one. If you can squeeze a few of those in there, that’d really be excellent.

  31. Hey buddy…I somehow stumbled across a link to your website that came up as one of those facebook ads (which I usually never click but I saw your name and did a double take). Anyway, just wanted to congratulate you on the book deal, that is great stuff and I look forward to buying a copy. Congrats man!

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