GRAPHIC NOVEL AS SEQUENTIAL POETRY. AN ALTERNATIVE FORM OF BOOK DESIGN! !!!!

1.  BIANCA STONE 

Comics Poetry, Poetry Comics, Graphic Poems | The Hooded Utilitarian [Accessesd 27.01.21]

BIANCA STONE INTERVIEW- by Alex Dueben 24th of August 2012 

A Bianca Stone interview | (tcj.com)  [Accessed 8.02.21]  

Raised in an artistic/poetic family she is interested in both forms, eventually bringing them together. 

Her 'Poetry Comics' are abstract and somewhat experimental. She doesn't want her images to be a literal translation/ explanation for the words and vice -versa. 

"And there is never one narrative interpretation. For that reason, I want to move away from illustrating what is “happening” in the poem, because what’s happening in the poem, isn’t necessarily what is happening, in your mind or in the poem, while you’re reading it. I believe the creation of the poem happens in this way, which is why having readers of your work is important: for the poem to really exist it needs to be invented by the reader. This is why I try to create a visual element of the poem that is immediate, but not redundant.  I don’t want to tell people how to read the poem via my images, which is how naturally we look to images: for the explanation." 

"

waltz12 | (tcj.com) [Accessed 8.02.21]

SOLIPSISM - the view or theory that the self is all that can be known to exist; the quality of being self-centred, selfish. 

IRREVERENT - SHOWING A LACK OF RESPECT FOR PEOPLE OR THINGS THAT ARE GENERALLY TAKEN SERIOUSLY. 

CONTRAPUNTAL - of or in counterpoint

2. DAVID MORICE 'POETRY COMICS'

"Poetry Comics by David Morice" by Bruce Brooks (uiowa.edu) / Poetry Comics by David Morice (core.ac.uk) [Accessed 8.02.21]

This article describes Morice's work a playful and somehow ridiculous but intriguing in effect. Morice adapted classic poems into comics which resulted in good humour, fun and a relaxed approach to learning poetry. 

This example shows a bit more literal approach to 'comics poetry' where the poems are the narratives with beginning, middle and end. 

POETRY COMICS - Dave Morice 1982 1st Print Poems Shakespeare Wordsworth Ginsberg 9780671459727 | eBay [Accessed 8.02.21]

Poetry Comics: An Animated Anthology by Dave Morice | Goodreads [Accessed 8.02.21]

First published in 1982. Aimed at schoolchildren and literary enthusiasts. In this book, Morice explores the canon in a new, humorous light. The work includes William Shakespeare's The Tempest; Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess"; Emily Dickinson's "Poem 303", and more. 

3.WARREN CRAGHEAD - 

'SEED TOSS - COME IN', 

'THIS IS GHOST' 

& 

'HOW TO BE EVERYWHERE'

Craghead's approach to 'comics poetry' started with the book 'How to be everywhere' which is based on Guillaume Apollinaire's 'Calligrames' (visual poetry). Craghead challenges visual poetry and comics creating a unique and abstract piece, becoming one of the early practitioners of 'comics poetry'. The narrative becomes a form of an object. Inspired by the surreal practice of Apollinaire, Craghead breaks the narrative patterns of comics creating modern 'caligrams'. 

A Short Interview with Warren Craghead | (tcj.com) [Accessed 3.02.21]

      w craghead - HOW TO BE EVERYWHERE [Accessed 3.02.21]

Warren Craghead's "This is Ghost"

pages from poetry comic book - SEED TOSS, COME IN 

LEAF AND SIGNAL /// seed toss, come in [Accessed 3.02.21]

5. STEVEN SURDIACOURT

Image [&] Narrative #5: Graphic Poetry: An (im)possible form? by Steven Surdiacourt | Comics Forum [Accessed 3.02.21]

Surdiacourt negatively writes about comics and poetry as the two should not work.

verses 

stanzas - A GROUPED SET OF LINES WITHIN A POEM, USUALLY SET OFF FROM OTHERS BY A BLANK LINE OR INDENTATION / 

enunciation

graphic poetry - not to be confused with visual or concrete poetry

graphic poetry - a form of poetry that deploys graphic devices of a comic book (panel, captions, and speech balloons)

a theory of 'segmentivity'  in graphic narratives and in poetry. Segmentation of text (locked in balloons or other visual devices) and images (panels, gutter). This use of text and images can generate a poetic result. 

Poetry is characterized by 'rhythmic structuration'

poetic register / conspicuous anthropomorphism 

6.BRIAN MCHALE

I was sent the link to this book by one of the UWE's librarian. 

Brian McHale 'Narrativity and Segmentivity, or, Poetry in the Gutter'  chapter from 

Intermediality and Storytelling - Google Books [Accessed 4.02.21]

The book explores narrativity in a new context beyond language. One of the examples is graphic novels and comics.

Poems, generally, narrate or imply a story...

Poetry is dominant with 'segmentivity' and narrative with 'narrativity'.

(Rachel Blau DuPlessis, p. 28) Segmentivity is "the ability to articulate and make meaning by selecting, deploying and combining segments"..." the underlying characteristics of poetry as a genre"..." poetry is segmented writing "..." the kind of writing that is articulated in sequenced, gapped lines, and whose meanings are created by occurring in bounded units." ... " operating in relation to pause or silence." 

ENJAMBEMENT - the practice of running lines of poetry from one to the next without any kind of punctuation to indicate the stop

Pathetic fallacy (slideshare.net) [Accessed 4.02.21]

Shoptaw, however, calls it 'measure' " smallest units of resistance to meaning." when they open up, they provoke meaning-making. 

Poetry can be a word -measured / phrase-measured / line-measure / sentence-measured /  language poet's practice measured / section-measured

  MEASURE AGAINST COUNTERMEASURE

The narrative is segmented writing, yet it is not is a dominant part. The narrative can have a continuous flow, yet any change in a narrative can disturb it and segments a story. Time can also be segmented, and it's clearly visible in comic strip / graphic novel narratives, where the reader has autonomous power to move back and forth within the narrative (gutter, layout).

singular mode of narrative

iterative mode of narrative

INFINITESIMAL - extremely small!

SUBLIMINAL - of a stimulus or mental process: affecting someone's mind without them realizing it

CONSPICUOUS - clearly visible; attracting attention

ENIGMATIC - difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious 

QUASI-NARRATIVE POEM - 

This chapter described the idea of 'segmentivity' in poetry and sequential visual art - comics / graphic novel by analyzing mainly Martin Rowson's 1990s adaptation of T.S. Elliot's modernist poem 'The Wate Land' (1922).

7. COMICS IN EDUCATION

Graphic Poetry - Comics in Education [Accessed 3.02.21]

A website dedicated to the exploration of comics in the classroom in various shapes and forms. One of the subpages is dedicated to 'graphic poetry', classic poems illustrated in a form of comics. It's another example of similar practice called differently: 'comics poetry' - 'graphic poetry. The only difference is these writings are based on schools' curriculums. 

8. NAOKO FUJIMOTO

Gallery of Graphic Poems - Naoko Fujimoto Poetry & Graphic Poetry [Accessed 3.02.21]

Fujimoto's work emphasises typographical experimentation and turns them into images and narratives, often occupying one page only. Simplistic, linear illustration mixed with paper collage cut-outs create abstract representations of the moment. 

I think of Fujimoto's illustration as a weaker element of her compositions. But I enjoy the colourful, handmade qualities of her work. 

                        Naoko Fujimoto Poetry & Graphic Poetry - Naoko Fujimoto Poetry & Art

                                                   [Accessed 4.02.21]

9. ANDREW TOWSEND

 Graphic Poetry - Andrew Townsend (andrew-townsend.com) [Accessesd 3.02.21]

'Instead, poets use metaphor to invite the reader to make an imaginative leap, and this leap has to do with the meaning of the poem and, often, the relationship between the poem and the reader. The designer, by contrast, must fix an image. A poet might intend images to evolve in the mind rather than stop dead on the page. The graphic designer makes visually static what the poet wishes to leave imaginatively fluid.

What is the meaning of the poem?
What is the designer's intent?
How the designer interprets the poem?'

I like the look of this book. An idea for an additional slipcase box. 

How graphic novel as a book can grow into a more artistic design?

Graphic novels as publications look artistically pleasing, however, they hold on to a certain design itself (form and layout). I'm proposing cross elements from artists' books to enrich graphic novel format. Of course, we can argue that graphic novels' artistic style adds to the overall artistic value of the book. 

10. HENN KIM'S 

'STARRY NIGHTS, BLURRY DREAMS'

HENN KIM'S 'visual poetry'-'graphic poetry'. 

Illustrator Henn Kim's Merch Shop (thepoeticblack.com)[Accessed 4.02.21]

Kim's 'visual poetry' book speak of desires, sorrows and passions within us. I particularly enjoy the style of black and white images of surreal moments and dreamlike scapes. A journey through the emotional landscapes existing in the world. 

I'm drawn into her work because it is personal and it speaks of basic emotions we can all relate to. It's illustrated abstractly - metaphorically. The reader makes sense of what's in front of him/her. 

Starry Night, Blurry Dreams by Henn Kim | WHSmith [Accessed 4.02.21]

https://fb.watch/4UbLyA83yO/ [Accessed 19.03.21]

who are you


when you're alone

Starry Night, Blurry Dreams is a collection of graphic poetry about loneliness, love and existing in our world.

you are not weak


just because


your heart feels so heavy

When words aren't enough to describe our emotions, this book will offer comfort, joy and a friend in the dark.

we all have our own


beautiful universe

COMING AUGUST 2021 - 

Starry Night, Blurry Dreams - Henn Kim; | Foyles Bookstore [Accessed 19.03.21]