In this class, students were introduced to the many magical aspects of language through discussions of speech act theory and the ideas of John Austin, Pierre Bourdieu's work on language and power, Chomsky's universal grammar, and a host of different ways in which "magic" has been practiced through and upon language. They were also introduced to new ways of creating writing, including cut-ups, automatic writing, spontaneous writing, dream work, and so forth. For example:
A Cut-up Poem
by The Magic of Words class
I know where you live
I know something you don't know
nothing is similar to energy
glottis cake man baby
Canada is cold
to that was phonemes
palyamunurrinku janunurtu*
Are sociolinguistics I?
orange flibbertigibbit platitudinous naïveté
fruity bunnies are fuchsia tiddlywinks crystals
I'm a nerd.
It is perfectly fine to be a happy individual
To continue the discussions, students have been submitting the on-going products of their writing experiments.
Poems from Katy Koon:
"the allegory of the cave"
you can watch the shadows
because i've seen the light
the fire
perhaps the sun
and it's beautiful
take your puppets as reality
i have seen the truth
the flames
maybe daylight
and it's beautiful
it's beautiful
"a false funeral"
God has not died
blooming grape vines
in a garden
shrouded by lies
she hides
don't hide
dance dance
it's beautiful
like a dove or
a swan
delicate paper crane
fly away
no please don't go
stay because
i'll miss you
if you leave
colors of the rainbow
a basic template
happiness is orange
and yellow
and the blue of
the sky
and the green of
the grass
soft beneath my toes
like cotton
so sweet
and warm
against my skin
he's alive
"words"
hundreds of words
wonderful words
words that flow like a river
and words that are as thick as tree sap
words that are as sweet as honey
and as crisp as fresh apples
some words roll of the tongue
while some stick to your mouth
words can bounce like dandelion seeds
and float like clouds
words can fall as confetti
and land as tree leaves
thousands of words
wonderful words
"midnight's battle"
the world shivers slightly
as cold night approaches
drawn on the devil's breath
the sun is as red
as rosy lips in a kiss
embraced by the arms of forever
deep as death
is night time's domain
small stars the only hope in a world so dark
a bold cricket
begins to chant
and his timid brothers join him
owls add their song
to the night's music
and empty silence is broken
now the dark empire
is filled with life
and fireflies' bright flashes
time soars past
black turns to blue
morning has finally conquered the night
"lost"
by Katy and Shelby
shouts of color everywhere I turn
they all look the same to me
the road is a tongue guiding me into the mouth to be swallowed
I'm like a wandering soul
looking for my body
seeing, seeking, following, and encircling
where has the time flown?
I'm lost in this world
I can't find my way
drowning and falling forever
forever forever forever forever
Work by Monique Priester:
I went to this online translation webbie & started messing around,
translating things twice & whatnot. I did it so many times, I barely remember
the phrase I started with, haha ^-^ But this is what I ended up with:
"my section of the internal wing has the love-until now? A cause, that
one that I consider, that I the beauty of NEVER even WAS until
tonight. They are always, always with you."
I put in some punctuation where I thought appropriate, but I thought it came out pretty interesting.
I kept getting these ideas for poems when I read that.
I'm still trying to unwrap what it means, in some ways. But it's fun to play with translations.
fun times at vsa
memories have come and past
at vsa i had a blast
the time it takes for a year to pass
its like watching gowing grass
tell me when
vsa begins
-Alex Batts
My Love Requiem
For once in my life, I'd like you to know,
How much of my life was spent letting you go.
I promised you lovely one, I'd wait for you,
But you will never know how much I've been through.
So I waiting for long times, through thick and thin,
But you never said you would move on without me then.
I would live long and savor, the joy we would've shared,
But for lonely nights and loveless feats, no children have I bared.
The only girls and boys who join me are the ones that I have lost,
In laboring for family, a home that was ours is mossed.
You see I waited through long years of crying left and right,
But the truth my lovely, lovely man, is the one I show no night.
And the grave I should be sleeping in, don't worry I'll be fine,
You see I gave up peace for you in 1995.
-Mia Quinn Montgomery
