7 votes

Poetry Machine (project)

Posted by EgoEimi (edited )
Tags: poetry, poem, diy, projects.ongoing

The concept

It's a box that contains a receipt printer and an interface with several buttons. A user would press a button that reflects their emotional state (happy, sad, anxious, etc.), then the machine prints out a more-or-less appropriate poem on a receipt printer, beautifully formatted and embellished with simple artwork.

It could be occasionally repurposed for certain themes, like Pride Month to print out queer poems.

I want to place it someplace public and well-trafficked, like Dolores Park or on Castro Street.

Feedback

I like poetry. The idea of a (free) vending machine that gives me a poem to uplift my day excites me. But I wonder if this appeals to others enough to be worth fully realizing. I don't want to spend time and money building something that'll go totally unloved.

Also curious about anti-vandalism measures or ideas. I'm sure some jerk will try graffiti-ing it or peeing on it.

Lastly, anyone interested in collaborating?

6 comments

  1. MimicSquid
    Link
    I do like the idea. There was something similar near me. There was a mail slot on a closed storefront painted to look like a fortune teller. People put in questions and then the answers appeared...

    I do like the idea. There was something similar near me. There was a mail slot on a closed storefront painted to look like a fortune teller. People put in questions and then the answers appeared the next day on the storefront window. More manual, but that same sort of artistic call/response mediated by anonymity.

    I think you'll be well served accepting the eventual damage or ending of the poetry machine as inevitable. Love it for what it is, and know that it won't last as long as your love for the concept.

    5 votes
  2. EgoEimi
    Link
    Just bumping this up once to see if anyone else is interested in the idea of a machine that prints poetry In a public space. ;)

    Just bumping this up once to see if anyone else is interested in the idea of a machine that prints poetry In a public space. ;)

    4 votes
  3. [2]
    TemulentTeatotaler
    Link
    Cool idea! Always nice seeing things like the neighborhood libraries or food gardens. It might be nice to allow contributions from the community? Something like a QR code or drop box...

    Cool idea! Always nice seeing things like the neighborhood libraries or food gardens.

    It might be nice to allow contributions from the community? Something like a QR code or drop box to-be-scanned.

    Also curious about anti-vandalism measures or ideas.

    A small suggestion might be to incorporate artwork of eyes on it:

    The ‘watching eyes’ effect refers to a strange phenomenon whereby the mere presence of pictures of eyes or stylized eye images (hereafter: eye cues) is enough to cause people to adjust their behavior
    ...

    In our meta-analysis of 15 experiments from 13 research papers we report a reduction in the risk of antisocial behaviour of 35% when eye cues are present. By contrast, systematic reviews have suggested CCTV cameras reduce crime by only 16%. We conclude that there is sufficient evidence of a watching eyes effect on antisocial behaviour to justify their use in the very low-cost and potentially high-impact real-world interventions that are proliferating in public policy, particularly in the UK.

    4 votes
    1. EgoEimi
      Link Parent
      I think I'll start with a static corpora from the Chicago Poetry Foundation which I can manually annotate. I think that if the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, I'll build something more...

      It might be nice to allow contributions from the community? Something like a QR code or drop box to-be-scanned.

      I think I'll start with a static corpora from the Chicago Poetry Foundation which I can manually annotate. I think that if the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, I'll build something more complex with a wireless connection. 🙂

      A small suggestion might be to incorporate artwork of eyes on it:

      I really like this idea! It would make sense that giving the chassis an anthropomorphic form would deter people from vandalizing it. It's hard to hurt something when it stares back.

      4 votes
  4. mycketforvirrad
    Link
    Very much reminds me of this fantastic project from 2019: Short story vending machines to transport London commuters The Guardian – Alison Flood – 2nd April 2019

    Very much reminds me of this fantastic project from 2019:

    Short story vending machines to transport London commuters

    Weary city workers will have a new way of passing the time on their commute once the UK’s first short-story vending machines are installed at Canary Wharf this week.

    Dispensing one, three and five-minute stories free to passersby at the touch of a button, the vending machines are made by French company Short Édition. They already feature in locations across France, in Hong Kong and the US, where Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola was such a fan he invested in the company and had a dispenser installed at his San Francisco restaurant, Cafe Zoetrope.

    The Guardian – Alison Flood – 2nd April 2019

    3 votes
  5. Bonooru
    Link
    Reminds me of THIS machine at the OAK airport. It might be worth taking a look at its design for ideas.

    Reminds me of THIS machine at the OAK airport. It might be worth taking a look at its design for ideas.

    3 votes