Review of a collection of writings from the Oulipo, including minutes of meetings, lectures and correspondence.
Read MoreBook review: All That Is Evident Is Suspect
in Bookshelf, Oulipo, Reviews, Audio, Oulipo book
Oulipo
A Minor Harp, by Terry Freedman
Writing the blues
What do these pieces of writing have in common, apart from being examples of creative nonfiction about blues music?
Read MoreReview: Oulipo and Modern Thought
If your interest in the Oulipo goes beyond simply trying out their techniques, and you wish to learn about the context in which it was conceived and the developments in went through, you will find this book very useful.
Read MoreThe 100 word constraint
Working within a limit of 100 words is both terrifying and liberating.
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Private Eye, by Terry Freedman
I've never written a detective story but...
in Bad writing, Oulipo
The trouble with detective fiction.
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Neon tube map, by Terry Freedman. I’m thinking: does this count as a visual homophone (a homovide?) of a tube map?
A short story involving homophonics
Homophones are words that sound the same but don’t mean the same, such as fare (food) and fare (cost of travel), or their and there. In Oulipo, you take a phrase and think of one which sounds like it. I believe that it is permissible to stretch the definition of “sounds like”, so I have taken advantage of that fact.
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Shock, Horror! by Terry Freedman.jpg
Sect's Grindstones! The message decoded
My Christmas, Oulipo-inspired message decoded.
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Review of the Oulipo Compendium
A different way of thinking! Photo of a notice outside Chives cafe in London, by Terry Freedman
Using preverbs to break writer's block
How to use an Oulipo technique involving proverbs to get through writer’s block.
Read MoreReview of The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem
If you are a teacher of English or creative writing, you will find this book to be a rich source of material to discuss and analyse with your students. And if you are a writer, this book will I’m sure prove to be a good investment in extending your craft.
Read MoreFilm Studies as a way to improve your writing
You may not believe this, but film-making and film studies on the one hand, and writing on the other, have a great deal in common.
Read MoreReview of the Penguin Book of Oulipo
The word Oulipo is an acronym of a French group, Ouvroir de littérature potentielle. This is usually translated as Workshop of Potential Literature, although given its association with the sharing and critique of work on creative writing courses, the word ‘workshop’ might be ditched in favour of ‘work room’.
Read MoreRevoke of the Penny Borough of Ourselves
One of the techniques employed by the Oulipo is known as N+7. This is where you take each noun, and replace it with a word that is seven words on in the dictionary. Of course, results vary according to what dictionary you use. The following article is an N+7 version of my review of the Penguin Book of Oulipo. Enjoy!
Read MoreShort story adventures
My first foray into the world of Oulipo.
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