Throwaway Poems
I
have been writing "throwaway" poems since the early 1990s, under the
pseudonym Adel 156.
They are unedited stream-of-conscious scraps, which purposefully have to fit
8.5 x 5.5" pieces of cardstock; handwritten, using a marker.
Called "throwaways" due to being almost immediately left behind on
mass transit, or in heavily trafficked areas.
To date, over 1000 have been written (with only about 200 documented), and abandoned
around Miami, Philadelphia and New York City.
The hashtag #adel156 will also show many of the public's favorites, and those
who have shared my work they have come across.
Below are a few of my personal favorites, which I would like to share with you,
though the original copies have been left to fate.
Other throwaways of note:
13 Throwaways
A recording of experimental jazz freak Kenny Millions and I performing a skronkin'
poetry jam, recorded live in Brooklyn.
The recording is of a 10 minute set, where I read thirteen throwaway poems,
as Millions experimentally free-forms in his musical sort of way.
The release contained a cassette reel of said set, as well as all thirteen poems
printed on parchment - both sealed for your protection.
A digital download of the set and text file of poems were available to purchasers
only.
Limited to only 12 copies; this item is sold out.
200 Throwaways
A
collaboration with artist Anthony Mangicapra had me photographing 200 throwaway
poems on disposable cameras,
for a project, fittingly titled, Disposable. More info here.
4 Throwaways
A short film capturing four throwaway poems, also aptly titled (four throwaways), can be found on YouTube.
Miscellaneous Throwaways
Two
throwaways - "Encased In You" and "Paper Birds With Broken
Wings" - appeared in the literary journal Small
Po[r]tions, 2014.
Three throwaways - "Shooting the Deputy", "Oedipus Wrecks"
and "Change of Passions" - appeared in the literary journal Pine
& Basil, 2015.
"Totality" appeared in volume four of the Contraposition book
series, 2015.