January 30, 1997
Dear Joseph Thompson,
Thank you for publishing my collage poem in last week's Octopus. Shelley told me I could send further pieces directly to you. She also said that you used the MS-Word copy that I sent last time, so I am going to attempt to send you an MS-Word copy through email, but in case it doesn't make it, I'm also including an ASCII copy here. I've also included little introductions for them. At some point I plan to write an explanation of why I think it's important to transform expository writing into poetry (and vice versa) in public forums and why I think The Octopus is helping to save poetry from oblivion by allowing it to invade what appears to be expository space.
Thanks again,
Sigfried (Steve) Gold
The following subtraction poem is based on John McMahon's article “Tenancy by the Entirety” (headlined “Protection for Married Home Buyers” in the Home Sweet Home section of the January 24 Octopus. I deleted words from the article in order to form the poem.
“Protection for Buyers”
Couples purchasing
wish the surviving spouse
has undivided interest,
however, married couples
have a form of ownership
that provides,
but, significant other
advantages as well.
In the entirety is only married
in their house (as opposed to
rental parties each protected from the other
transferring offers
from the other spouse.
Against one spouse,
against your home,
by the under husband,
leaving the wife with a new liability of attractive claims involving the other spouse,
most married couples will prove more advantageous;
however,
for the avoidance of taxes, the entirety
must be purchasing this option.
The following collage poem is based on William Gillespie's remarkable “Statement by the Artist” which accompanied his collage on the cover of the January 17 Octopus. The poem is a rearrangement of the words of that statement. If you decide to print it, I would be very grateful if you would also reprint the original statement next to it.
No form resists age.
The artist disturbingly defends art.
How hope seams torn, advertisement materials thus conceal the canon.
No genius is comfortable with the idea
it is illegal to accuse capitalism.
Collage lies visible, so collage will risk slick statement to dazzle ugly.
Are are be by and it we'll than.
Further recontextualizing may eight enough garbage with the accumulation of consumers.
Does not the artist even buy its depths of their commodification assembled producers?
To meet measure making timelessness construction
art may admire propaganda and copyright-infringement-based junkmail,
for no collage-artist ever mocks environment recycling stains,
else collage defeats acknowledged rubber-cement,
and, transforming commodification into pretense,
I am other from contemporary intentions.
Them that find ways are not meant to tape
against mystify out of my work isn't here.
Collage to do color and something can help
of its edges it popularly being a sell;
it also resists by the me does collage
and the art of it has not the end of it well.
Collage can help make details.
Published in The Octopus: Champaign-Urbana's Alternative Weekly, January 30, 1997.