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Extending Poetry Through Computation: Where can a poem welcome touch or jump off the page or go on forever?

Format
Multi-day workshop
Teachers
Omayeli Arenyeka, anna y lin, Lu Gillespie
Date
July 24, 2026 to July 25, 2026 (2 classes)
schedule
Day 1: 6–9pm Day 2: 1–4pm
Location
National Academy of Design (519 West 26th Street, 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10001)
Cost
$500 Full scholarship and solidarity rate tickets will be announced through our newsletter. Sign-up to be notified
Deadline
Sign-ups open until July 24, 2026. No application necessary.

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Description

In this workshop, we will do a close-read of poems to look for computational openings: places where the poem may invite interaction/touch, where it could move or grow, where it could curl up, places that map to the possibilities inherent in computation. From there, we will build our own computational poems using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Images courtesy of teachers.

Outcomes

Too long; didn’t read

  • Level: Beginner–Intermediate
  • Tools: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
  • Focus: Computational poetry + interaction design
  • Prereqs: none required, some coding experience helpful
  • Project: Interactive or generative poem

Full Description

During one session of a poetry open mic I used to go to, we handed off our poems to someone else to read. It was lovely and surprising to see and hear how the poem changed  in different hands, how people responded to the invitations within a poem, invitations to slow or hurry breathlessly through a line, invitations to pause or drag. It reminded  me of something I read about how each distinct word, phrase, sentence, or line has its own tactility and affordances.

These affordances, or invitations, mean that multiple people can read a poem and perform it differently. The invitations in a poem that translate to sonic qualities, can also translate to computational qualities. There can be areas in a poem that welcome touch or, where the poem jumps off the page or goes on forever.

In this workshop, students will closely read poems to look for computational openings and extend their (or others’) own poems using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Course of Study

Day 1:

  • Affordances of the web
  • Survey of computational poems/literature
  • Exercise: Metaphors we browse by
  • Exercise: Looking for computational openings

Day 2:

  • Intro to HTML/CSS/JS
  • Individual project time: Building a computational poem

Expectations

  • Participants will spend the first day engaging with a lecture and exercises that invite them to consider the affordances of websites and computation. Afterwards, they will consider how their learnings can be applied to a poem they’ve brought in.
  • In between the first and second day, participants are encouraged to annotate their poems for computational openings.
  • The second day will be focused on individual project time. With support from the teachers, participants will work on integrating computation into their poems.
  • Participants can expect to leave with ideas on how to extend their poetry and the beginnings or finishings of a computational poem.
Technical Experience

A background in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is encouraged, but not required. The class will cover the basics.

Materials
  • Laptop with code editor (e.g VSCode, Sublime, Atom)
  • Web browser
  • Basic craft materials (paper, pencils/pens/markers, etc)
  • A poem

Is this class for me?

This class may be for you if you:

  • Are interested in exploring new ways of narrativizing and new presentations of poetry and literature.
  • Are interested in the web as a creative medium.
  • Have a love/respect for words and what they can do on their own, simply on a paper.

Meet the Teachers

teacher

Omayeli Arenyeka

Yeli is a Nigerian artist, writer, and technologist based in Brooklyn. She primarily makes things that live on the internet. She is interested in the creative and critical possibilities of the web and data: its potentials for personal expression, solidarity and fostering disillusionment.

she/her · website · twitter · instagram

teacher

anna y lin

anna y lin is a creative technologist whose practice is heavily informed by research on counter-hegemonic technologies, as well as accessibility and user experience studies. Currently, her physical presence is in Brooklyn, and her online presence is located at ,annaylin.com,.

teacher

Lu Gillespie

Lu Gillespie is a Brooklyn-based creative technologist and researcher interested in the shared and unshared grammar between human and digital infrastructure. Her work studies algorithms and memory and exists primarily through the web and desktop interface.

How do I apply?

Sign Up Now

Applications are not required for workshops. Signups will remain open as long as seats remain. A limited number of scholarship tickets will be released via the SFPC email list two weeks before the date of the intensive.

How much does it cost to attend?

For 2 classes, it costs $500 + 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.

Applicant FAQ

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.