The Taper publication was exhibited at the recent ELO25 conference in Toronto, where we showcased computational poetry and literary art that captivated attendees with its innovative blend of creativity and technology. Taper, an online literary publication, brought its unique vision to life, aligning perfectly with the conference theme, “Love Letters to the Past and Future.” Issue 13: Superstitions featured 28 talented authors, including Chris Arnold, Angela Chang, Kavi Duvvoori, Leonardo Flores, and Helen Shewolfe Tseng, while Issue 14: Sonnets showcased 23 authors, such as Kyle Booten, John Cayley, and Christine Wilks. Their contributions pushed the boundaries of digital poetic forms, inspiring new generations of electronic literature creators.
The exhibit centered on the latest two issues: Taper Issue 13, exploring themes of luck, the supernatural, love, and mysticism, with a browser landing page also featuring Taper Issue 14, which reimagines the sonnet through interactive visuals, generative poetic systems, and musical compositions. Visitors engaged with interactive poems crafted within 2 kilobytes or less of HTML5 code, adhering to Taper’s custom template in the spirit of OuLiPo’s creative constraints.
These “love letters” to electronic literature intertwined personal narratives with digital artistry, inviting readers to explore and reuse poem elements for future digital poetry explorations.A special thanks to our on-site team, Kavi Duvvoori and Leonardo Flores, who helped set up the exhibit, and to the ELO25 organizers, including Joel Ong, Melanie Wilmink, Wm Michael Irwin, David Han, and Caitlin, for their incredible support. We couldn’t have had such a great event without the organizers and ground crew and I am so thankful to them.
The exhibit featured a mouse-and-keyboard station for hands-on interaction, complemented by printed materials that highlighted contributors and linked to both issues (check them out at https://taper.badquar.to/13 and https://taper.badquar.to/14).To commemorate the event, I designed a bunch of postcards for the audience members to take home. Here is my Taper Cakepops Hello from ELO2025 Postcard. This retro-inspired postcard captures the creative spirit of Taper’s workspace and makes a perfect keepsake for poetry and tech enthusiasts alike. Missed the exhibit? Visit https://taper.badquar.to. If you are a Taper author and was featured at the exhibit and would like your custom postcard sent to you digitally, let me know. Or, I can post it to to a printer site where you can print out on demand and have it sent to you. I programmatically designed all 60 postcards for the exhibit, center images are from Taper‘s Superstitions and Sonnets issues.
