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.
It’s hard to imagine your work has been inspiring me for so long now! I can’t imagine reading a book without doing a little mind-map while reading it.
Love the black-out poems, and am so happy for your much deserved success.
It’s nice to see “AUSTIN KLEON >> 1 new item” in my reader feed.
This is one of my favorite blackout poems!
I’ve got the book on pre-order. All of y’all should too!
I don’t have a twitter-account but I have no problem with saying something nice:
You Rock!
It would be nice to have a free print to go with the book I’ve already preordered :-)
I showed blackout poems to a handful of third graders last month. They liked the technique. The NYT has a lot of big words for third grade ESL kids, but we ended up with a couple new poems.
My good friend and work colleague, Amy Hall, has a work in your book, meaning I must order one. I am intrigued by your blackout poems and would very much like to have a print. You have definitely inspired me to attempt this mode of lyric verse along with the haikus, sonnets, and free verse I scribble.
Best of luck with the book!
When I come across creative brilliance like this, I suddenly feel I’ve had a few gulps of phenomenally pure water and am hit with a sense of being desperately thirsty though moments ago I’d been completely unaware of my thirst.
I just stumbled these blackout poems one day, and have not stopped reading since (as well as sharing with my family). Can’t wait for the book to come out!
I absolutely love your poems. Seeing your website some months ago reinspired me. I hadn’t played with words in so long.
I do similar work with newspaper blackout poems, only I use pages from books and incorporate image. (A child looking forlorn in bumblebee wings, letters peeking through her face, “Excusez-moi?” offset above her right shoulder.)
Thanks so much for helping give art back to me.
I would love to have one of these in my classroom. So beautiful!
I’m a huge fan of your poems. I also love the idea (from another person’s comment above) of using the technique in class. I may dig out some French newspapers and see what my students can do.
Recently discovered your work – straight out of the “can’t believe I didn’t think of that” school. In other words, brilliant – well done and keep up the good work!