School
for
Poetic
Computation
A website is a poem that is already in everyone's pocket, a house built from photos of other houses, a book where every chapter is another book where every chapter is another book. In this class we will be studying the poetics of the web: the raw material of HTML, the systemic visuals of CSS, the endless interactive possibilities of Javascript and the browsers, servers, protocols, and infrastructure that holds it all together. Each week we will make websites. We will make small websites that only convey a single, tiny idea. We will make large websites whose clutter and convoluted interlocking pages feel like exploring an abandoned mansion. We will make websites that speak, websites with secrets, and websites that tell one perfectly executed joke. And as we build the web we will also learn its history from the early geocities days to the ways we tried to be fully present over the pandemic, and all the wonderful and useless websites artists have made in between.
Images courtesy of teachers.
Beginner-friendly — no prior coding experience required. Experienced coders are welcome to explore new approaches and gain structured guidance for building a project.
Todd Anderson is a digital poet, software artist and educator based in New York City. He has been making experimental software art for over 10 years including the live interactive poetry project Hotwriting, the Chrome Extension ARG 'An Experience', the performance-inside-the-browser extension HitchHiker, and multiple plays and performances with the multidisciplinary group H0t Club. He is perhaps best known as the host and curator of WordHack, the monthly language+technology talk series in NYC running every third Thursday since 2014.
he/him
· website
· twitter
· instagram
Tyler Yin is an artist, designer, and technologist based in Brooklyn, NY. His practice weaves text, image, and code together into browser poems and publications. He writes instructions for both human and computer interpretation, as the blurry distinctions between user and software continue to unravel.
he/they
· website
· twitter
· instagram
Kayla is an artist and educator based in Queens, New York. She makes websites, screensavers, and stages performances within the desktop environment. Previously, she was a programmer and designer for QuaranTV, a 24/7 public access livestream, and has taught computer classes at the Enoch Pratt Free Library and with Code in the Schools in Baltimore, Maryland. She holds a BFA in sculpture from MICA. Currently, she is program assistant at Rhizome. You can find her online at kayla.world.
she/her
· website
· instagram
Applications open until Applications closed on April 27, 2025.
You can expect to hear back from us about the status of your application on May 8, 2025. Please email us at admissions@sfpc.study with any questions you have.
For 5 classes, it costs $750 + processing fees, for a one-time payment. We also offer payment plans. Participants can schedule monthly payments of the same amount. First and last payments must be made before the start and end of class. *Processing fees apply for each payment.
SFPC processes all payments via Withfriends and Stripe. Please email admissions@sfpc.study if these payment options don't work for you.
For more information about what we look for in applicants, scholarships, and other frequently asked questions, please visit our applicant FAQ.
Interested in more learning opportunities at the School for Poetic Computation? Join our newsletter to stay up to date on future sessions and events, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Support our programming through scholarships. Get in touch over email.