Hard West Turn

[nickmontfort]

Code: http://nickm.com/code/hard_west_turn.py

PDF: http://nickm.com/poems/hard_west_turn.pdf

This book is directly based on incidents of violence in recent American history, which are explicitly related in it.

Artist's proof #1 of the eventual paperback/print booklet edition:

[greg-kennedy]

I love this.

The code seems pretty simple, but the effect is really striking. I especially like the repetitive breakdown as the book nears the end. Also, the crossover from "mass shootings" into other subjects like gender issues or religious ones (which, I assume, comes from things like the Pulse Nightclub shooting and other targeted hate crimes).

Very well executed.

[nickmontfort]

Thanks, Greg. I will do some revision and bug fixing after NaNoGenMo, but I'm pleased to have produced this draft. With so much great novel generation happening, why do so few people in poetry/fiction/writing know about NaNoGenMo? There was just a small flurry of press years ago...

[everestpipkin]

maybe the greatest compliment for a generative book: i read the whole thing, in one sitting

[nickmontfort]

That is the highest praise! Thank you, kr. I have not read it one sitting, but I did read from it on Monday at a poetry reading in New York City.

[filiph]

I'm blown away. This is not just well executed, this is where generated text starts to enter the realm of real art.