Four years ago today I made my first newspaper blackout poem, and to celebrate the anniversary, I’m giving away a signed, limited-edition print of “Overheard On The Titanic,” hand silkscreened by my friend, painter and printmaker Curtis Miller:
YouTube: Silkscreening Newspaper Blackout Prints
There were only 18 of these babies made: one is hanging on the wall in my library, sixteen are in a flat file waiting to be sold in the distant future, and one could belong to you.
All you have to do is leave a nice comment below, or tweet with the hashtag #newspaperblackout some time in the next week before next Monday, Oct. 26th, Midnight CT. I’ll pick the winner at random.
The giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner, Matt Wilson, and thanks to everyone who entered! More contests to come.
After that, you can browse the new Newspaper Blackout Archives or read my favorite poems from 2006-2008.
Thanks so much to everyone for reading! Y’all rock.
I soooooooo love the blackout poems,such a brilliant idea!!!
Love your stuff! I am moving soon and would love some fresh new art work for the new place!
i always look forward to your new poems!
I’ve loved your stuff forever, and this is one of my very favourites!
Nice glasses. ;)
What turned me on to newspaper blackout poems in the first place. Would add a level of class to my dorm room. . .
Haha!! This is probably my most favorite blackout poem. I can’t wait for the book!
Blackout poems is super duper clever, and when I try to make my own, they never come out as witty. I bow my hat and twirl my mustache at thee good sir.
Why didn’t they make the film / about the old couple / who prefered to drown / rather than fight for a boat?
I don’t really think I can enter the contest, as I am in Greece, but I thought I’d better give it a try, for the love of the game. Your idea is brilliant and very inspiring. And I mean that last word to the last letter.
Very inspirational stuff, I really like this Titanic one.
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful work! I love the way you combine elements of self-expression and hard news in such a classic design.
Your blackout poems inspired me to start doing my own! Thanks :)
love the one at the top here!
Your newspaper blackout poems are brilliant; this is one of my faves.
Happy fourth anniversary!
Oh, this is brilliant.
Austin, my face lit up when I read about this contest! :D I’d LOVE to have such a treasure. Thanks for the opportunity!
This is such a simple but effective idea, and I’ve always loved it.
Awesome — I’d love one of these for my sparsely furnished apartment. (Life is tough for a just-out-of-college journalist, after all.)
I love your Blackout Poetry! Your brilliant idea is in the mix among the staff at the library where I work, and I’m hoping that next year we get to do something inspired by your poetry in our summer youth programming!
Yes please, yes please.
Fine work!
i am a fan! the blackout poems are always unique and thought provoking, extracting new life out of the mundane. a little like sculpting, carving down a mass to an essence.
i also really enjoy the de-signs you started doing, same idea, just more quick and dirty. like sketches.
I love that poem it is so awesome! I would really love to own such a limited edition of something so original!
I really enjoy your work, and especially appreciate your visual notetaking! I also have a new apartment with an abundance of boring white walls.
My daughter is already learning words from your art! She is 16 months. I would love to hang one of these in her room to wake up to. Thank you for your inspiration and generosity.
<3 Zoe + Shari [Calgary AB Can]
I didn’t exactly follow your directions. I bumbled about, checked out a couple or 9 of your favorites circa 2006-08 (You Must Have a Plan and The Architect’s Story rate as my faves in the bunch), I thumbed through the archives, I went for a swim. I thought how clever it would be to leave you a note in blackout/austin style. I abandoned said thought deciding that, at its most idealistically bestest, it could only be described in your future memoir as “smarmily cheddarful.” And all that landed me here: these are the coolest ten words I’ve ever seen strung together.
Every so often I stop and remember that I’ve been reading here for multiple years now. Never regret it. Keep’em coming.
i only just recently discovered this amazing volume of work from my friend’s blog. just wanted to say i think your idea is incredibly purely original and yet so amazing because anyone could attempt their own. it’s also such a great thing that you still love your fans and want to give away such a valuable print!
I’d love to win, just so I could hang it on the wall and have my husband go “What is it?”.
Amazing work – at first glance it seems easy, but reviewing the ‘in process’ graphics its clear how amazing your work is. To be able to pull words out and create – a story – a feeling – a visual. I enjoy your talent.
Man, this comment thread is blowing my mind. I love hearing from y’all! So thrilled that people are trying their own poems! You’re really the reason I keep making these things. I mean it.
amazing! I love it!
I’m so happy to have a random chance to win one of your poems! When your book comes out, will you do a signing at my favorite indie, Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston? Please?!
The Titanic one was my favorites from the voting back in June. Love your work!
Can your mother win???
Thanks for making these. I don’t follow may RSS but came across yours on kottke.org and have been hooked.
I wondering if hanging that in the office of our new restaurant venture would be jinxing ourselves? No matter, I want!
awesome! love the site.
Fantastic! Count me in.
Wonderful idea, and happy fourth! And I believe “Overheard on the Titanic” may be a new favorite of mine…far too many to choose from to ever know for sure, though.
Gah…Anonymous directly above happens to be me, too overzealous with the submit button. So seconded what I have already stated above, for added emphasis!
I’ve loved your site for a long time! I even attempted some for a while! Congrats on four years!
I love your work! I’ve tried making my own before, but they are never this good!
Wonderful. I’m a big fan.
That is just hands down fantastic! LOVE IT!
Your work is truly and simply awesome, addcited and inspiring. It’s life. :)
*addictive!
Have you really only been doing this for four years? I thought i’d been following you at least that long.
there’s no other poem more fitted for a music-lover like me. thank you for your brain (: