(Readers’ Pick) Searching through newspapers for hidden messages is usually the domain of conspiracy theorists. But for Austin Kleon, it’s all part of his creative process. The Austin-based writer and artist creates little bits of newsprint poetry by blacking out unwanted text with a permanent marker.
His redacted masterpieces have won him both a book deal and a line of art prints sold through online gallery 20×200. The focus of his Tumblr, however, is his fans. Anyone with a marker, a newspaper and a little creativity can submit work to the site. The result is a kind of free-form word search, with people providing one-liners that range from funny to enigmatic to genuinely thought-provoking. Whether or not you consider it actual poetry, it’s definitely not a bad way to recycle your morning paper.