Book Spine Poetry: Your Turn
by Maria PopovaA few months ago, I undertook a little experiment in book spine poetry, inspired by artist Nina Katchadourian and her Sorted Books project from a while back — and it seemed to strike a chord. Here are just a few of the book spine poems friends and readers have sent in since.
From Ruth Ann Harnisch:
I live in the future & here’s how it works:
Uncertainty
Smart people
Simply imperfect
You are not so smart
I’d rather be in charge
The books:
- I Live in the Future & Here’s How It Works (public library) by Nick Bilton
- Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance (public library) by Jonathan Fields
- Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth (public library) by Steve Pavlina
- Simply Imperfect: Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House (public library) by Robyn Griggs Lawrence
- You Are Not So Smart (public library) by David McRaney
- I’d Rather Be in Charge: A Legendary Business Leader’s Roadmap for Achieving Pride, Power, and Joy at Work (public library) by Charlotte Beers
From Kim Manley Ort:
A brief history of everything:
BOOM!
Shadow light
Ecological intelligence
As you think
Power vs. force
The books:
- A Brief History of Everything (public library) by Ken Wilbur
- Boom!: Talking About the Sixties: What Happened, How It Shaped Today, Lessons for Tomorrow (public library) by Tom Brokaw
- ShadowLight: A Photographer’s Life (public library) by Freeman Patterson
- Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything (public library) by Daniel Goleman
- As You Think (public library) by James Allen and Mark Allen
- Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior (public library) by David R. Hawkins
From Lonni Tanner:
Who do you love
My sister’s hand in mine
Family matters
Set this house in order
Salvage the bones
The books:
- Who Do You Love: Stories (public library) by Jean Thompson
- My Sister’s Hand in Mine: The Collected Works of Jane Bowles (public library) by Jane Bowles
- Family Matters (public library) by Rohinton Mistry
- Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls (public library) by Matt Ruff
- Salvage the Bones (public library) by Jesmyn Ward
Catch up on previous book spine poems: The Spark of Love, The Future, Get Smarter, This Is New York, Music, A Working Theory of Love, and The Meaning of Life.
Ready to give it a try yourself? LibraryThing is running a competition, to be judged by Nina Katchadourian herself.
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