Recently, The Avant Writing Collection has published a catalog of visual poetry, Visual Poetry in the Avant Writing Collection. It includes many samples from the collection, along with critical writing. The Avant Writing Collection focuses on a group of primarily North American writers, most of whom became active starting in the 1970’s. They are primarily interested in poetry and visual poetry, but are also writing prose, and in numerous transgeneric forms not easily classified. Many of them are also involved with visual arts, photography, sound art, music, performance, conceptual art, mail art, and/or artists’ books. These writers are all quite unique, but almost none of them are associated with any of the prevailing literary or institutional establishments of the day. The collection is managed by Ohio State University’s library.

Open publication

Repugno Selects is a new blogzine for visual poetry / word art / text objects “” as they intervene in the world. Each issue, Repugno the editor, gives us an interesting collection of graffiti, and things like graffiti to enjoy. His criteria: the visual poetry cannot appear on a page. Instead, the art featured ere is printed on brick walls, tacked onto phone booths, and discovered in alleyways. Repugno calls this kind of stuff "Vispo in the World". (Vispo, of course, is short for "visual poetry".) The criteria for Repugno Selects also serves as a good definition of what is meant by "Vispo in the World". Read on.

I like how language degrades & layers are revealed. I like unreadable graffiti, stencil slogans, wrapped telephone poles. All similar forms of ‘street publishing. This magazine is for documenting poetic work in the public sphere or work given away/left in public. I do not wish to see page-based work for the most part - exceptions are possible - but not that easy to imagine. Visual Poetry for me has to connect to text, readability is not necessary, but language is required (no matter how degraded). Artfulness I appreciate careful technique, a painterly eye, work that doesn’t sacrifice some kind of discipline, but, I also thrive on accidents. The Hand in the Work. So much work is computer-based now that I find myself liking the handmade or hand-assisted works, they’re consistently more real for me. B/W-ish i tend in the direction of black and white and appreciate those who can use just enough color or who let the colors of the materials carry the weight. Monochromes. Sepia. A starkness that has impact. Send Your Work If you think you have work that would work for me, send it.

Michael Basinski, visual poet, has three visual poems published in Anti-. He has this to say about his work:

“What Why I DIsliek Poetry Distill is it if is it a, a, I, A, become increasing restrictive disease of the as Popeye would sayit the edjumacated, perfuming their big brains as control ovf meaning and mashuremints, with all their Goddamned rults like a government"