About the Project

Projector Poetry is Series One of Book by Book, a video series dedicated to unpacking my library.

I am always drawn to fusions of technology and literature that recognize the poetics of the everyday and that brings verse to life in a modern context. And I am always drawn to projects that create situations that force me to re-envision texts and re-imagine ways to share ideas.

Projector Poetry is a limited video series of poetry readings, a unique experiment that intertwines my personal library with the worlds of language, sound, video, and expression.

The project began in 2019. Fresh from a move to Massachusetts and overwhelmed with the number of boxes of books, I tried to get a handle on things by literally taking stock of the unwieldy collection. Over the course of the next year, the estimated 7,000 item book collection was (largely—but not entirely) catalogued. Reviewing and cataloging my book collection has been a meticulous yet rewarding evening endeavor, allowing me to rediscover forgotten treasures and to assess the evolving landscape of my literary interests. As I carefully sorted through each title, I found myself drawn into nostalgic recollections of past readings and inspired by the potential for future exploration. Shelving some books felt like reuniting with old friends, while others warranted re-boxing due to limited space (and perhaps to make space for new additions). However, parting with certain volumes proved to be a bittersweet yet necessary process, as I prioritized clarity and organization in my collection, ensuring that each remaining book holds a valued place on my shelves. I started with the smallest and most defined genre: poetry. Over the summer, I scanned almost all of the titles to preserve digital copies for myself. I saved a few boxes or shelves for hard copies, and discarded the rest, preserving their digital surrogates onto various storage systems.

Inspired by projects from scholar-artists like Craig Saper, Helen Burgess, and Amaranth Borsuk, I decided to embark on a series of digital experiments to reconsider and share this collection. The most promising result was a Twitter-bot that I called Projector Poetry, a spin off from my “@ProjectorPeriod” handle. Each morning, since December 2019, the bot posts one random line of verse from this scanned collection.

This series of poetry reading videos is inspired by my bot.

Through this project, I aim to explore the intersections between randomness, technology, and the timeless beauty of language and poetic expression. The limited series allowed me to re-discover and re-engage with these texts in new creative ways. Each was produced in limited blocks of time, typically less than an hour. In some videos, I could practice readings—something I’ve never been entirely comfortable with to begin with—via these “new” texts; each was produced in 1-2 takes. In others, I used voice generators to complete the bot-like experience. The addition of background music—sometimes original (and often improvised) compositions, sometimes remixed edits, and one AI-generated—I hope adds to the ambience of the reading and of the broader concepts of the remix in literature and popular culture.

By drawing lines from a diverse set of poetry forms and formats, Projector Poetry produces a daily fragment that stands alone yet resonates with universal themes. Each line, selected by an algorithm, embodies the serendipity of discovery, mirroring the experience of stumbling upon a verse while leafing through pages. In translating these digital lines into a series of poetry reading videos, I seek to add a new dimension to the experience. Each video is a performance that honors the original text(s) while imbuing it with fresh interpretation. The readings offer me a chance to play and bring together a host of interests and a chance to reconnect with the poetry genre.  poetry genre poetry viewers a moment of reflection and connection in their daily lives. It is one way I can share my collection with you.

You can learn more about the Book by Book project and watch other Series’ videos here.