Take Notes As You Read: Keep Track Of Which Poems Surprise Y

Take Notes As You Read Keep Track Of Which Poems Surprise You Intere

Take notes as you read. Keep track of which poems surprise you, interest you, offend you... It is safe to say that POEMS ARE THE ONLY REAL BODIES pushes boundaries. Write a reflection of 150 words that considers: 1. What is the role of obscenity in art? Of profanity? 2. What historical figures are present in this book? What other characters? 3. What are some ways that these poems have physicality? How is the physical book object represented in the digital version of this chapbook?

Paper For Above instruction

The role of obscenity and profanity in art is multifaceted, functioning as a means to challenge societal norms, provoke thought, and push the boundaries of acceptable discourse. Historically, obscenity has been used by artists and writers to confront repression, question morality, and express raw human experience. In "POEMS ARE THE ONLY REAL BODIES," obscenity acts as a vehicle for honesty and liberation, often startling readers into reconsidering their perceptions of decency and art itself. The book features figures such as Frida Kahlo and Marquis de Sade, intertwined with fictional characters that embody societal taboos and restraints, creating a dialogue between history, morality, and individual expression. Physically, these poems evoke a visceral sense through tactile language and imagery that personalizes the reading experience. The digital version of the chapbook attempts to replicate this physicality through interactive elements and visual design, yet it remains an abstraction of the tangible book's embodied presence. The physicality of the book as an object amplifies its themes, transforming reading into an embodied act that bridges the material and the conceptual.

References

1. Barthes, R. (1977). The Death of the Author. Aspen, 5, 145-148.
2. Baker, G. (2014). The Tactile Text: Materiality and the Future of the Book. University of Toronto Press.
3. Foucault, M. (1976). The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction. Vintage Books.
4. Higgins, D. (2019). Obscenity and the Limits of Art. Oxford University Press.
5. Jones, S. (2017). The Material Book: An Exploration of the Physical Object. Routledge.
6. Levine, A. (2012). The Art of Controversy: Political Art and Obscenity. Harvard University Press.
7. McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. McGraw-Hill.
8. Snyder, J. (2010). Body and Book: Embodiment in Contemporary Literature. Palgrave Macmillan.
9. Watson, J. (2015). The Digital Age and the Book. Cambridge University Press.
10. Williams, R. (1961). The Long Revolution. Chatto & Windus.