Someone has chosen you to participate in The UNPRECEDENTED Project.
UNPRECEDENTED is a public poetry experiment that asks us to search, find, and reflect. It involves no writing. Rather, we’re talking about erasure poetry: the process of removing certain words on a page of pre-existing text to reveal something new.
Some of the page-masters who participate create beautiful masterpieces. And all of the pages I receive are surprising, intriguing, one-time acts of happenstance. But UNPRECEDENTED is not a high-pressure art project. It is an activity—just something to pass the time.
Your UNPRECEDENTED letter should include:
o 1—3 pages of Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th c. Black Plague book, The Decameron
o 1—3 red You Got One cards with a QR code linked to this page
o 1 mailing address of a Willing Participant*
To participate, you will need:
o 1 or 2 standard stamped envelopes
*most but not all
Here’s what to do
Choose.
Choose (1) page of The Decameron at random.
Play.
Before you make your poem, try not to read the words on the page – only see them. Treat your page like a word bank. What phrases jump out at you?
Obscure parts of the text by simply blacking out, collaging, drawing on, or destroying it. Put in a lot or a little effort.
Remember that this is an anonymous, low stakes, just-for-fun kind of thing. Don’t fret—enjoy it!
Stuck? Here’s a few tips.
Return.
When you’re finished, take a photo of your page for your own records. This is incase your missive gets lost in the mail — which has sadly happened before. RIP.
Next, seal your (1) erased page in your own stamped return envelope and address it to UNPRECEDENTED. Please put only your return address in the top left corner (no name).
UNPRECEDENTED
PO Box 8346
Asheville, NC 28814
Want to expedite the process?
Direct message a photo of your poem to our Instagram: @ UN.PRECEDENT.ED in addition to snail-mailing it.
All successfully returned pages are published anonymously in the online gallery, and on Instagram @un.precedent.ed. Some pages are incorporated into the traveling exhibition.
Pin.
Pass.
Take one You Got One card and put it in your wallet. Remember to pin it somewhere public—e.g. a coffee shop, restroom, library, telephone pole, or classroom near you. This will help the project spread.
Next, get the remaining pages of The Decameron and You Got One cards. In a stamped envelope or forwarded email, pass the project on to (1) other person whom you think might enjoy it. This can be someone you know personally like a friend, colleague, or family member. You could also choose to pass a page to a willing stranger somewhere in the world.*
Don’t wait to pass on the remaining pages to the next recipient. Choose your page, then pass it. This project is meant to be contagious.
*Most but not all letters will include an anonymous mailing address. If you would like to pass the project to a stranger but do not have a provided address, contact me.
You must drop your poem and pages in the mail
WITHIN 10 DAYS of recieving your letter.
Let’s say there are no pages left to send. Congratulations—you’re the last one! Just follow the first set of instructions & check back here to see when your page is published.
Questions?
Contact me here or Instagram.
Like this project?
Stamps get expensive, and love doesn’t pay the bills. Donate via Venmo: @UNPRECEDENTED
-Anonymous, Long Island, New York
December, 2020