Writing Machine Directory

This page is part of the Special Issue # 28 Writing Machines–Protocols–Feedback. It is provides a record of the various writing machines proposed or made during the production of that Special Issue.

Analog Exquisite Corpse Machine

Writing Machine # 1
Title: Analog Exquisite Corpse Machine (2025) by Steve Rushton
Machine overview:
Five columns of words which can slide up and down to form new sentences. A loose interpretation of the Surrealist Exquisite Corpse.
Media: Paper; Libre Office; glue; alphabet (English)

Machine output (example)

Earlier output (1925-26). The first recorded stanza using this form (by André Breton and his Surrealist friends) is recorded as: “The-exquisite-corpse-will-drink-new-wine.”

Writing Machine # 2

Title: The Writing Machine of...(2025) by Steve Rushton.
Machine overview: A reworking of The House of Dust Redux by Nick Montfort
Link:https://nickm.com/memslam/
based on a 1967 work by Alison Knowles & James Tenney
in Python 2/3

Here is an example of output generated by Alison Knowles’ House of Dust (1967)

"A HOUSE OF WOOD
UNDER WATER
USING NATURAL LIGHT
INHABITED BY FRIENDS

A HOUSE OF LEAVES
IN A METROPOLIS
USING ALL AVAILABLE LIGHTING
INHABITED BY ALL RACES OF MAN REPRESENTED WEARING PREDOMINANTLY RED CLOTHING

A HOUSE OF ROOTS
IN AN OVERPOPULATED AREA
USING ELECTRICITY
INHABITED BY HORSES AND BIRDS…

A HOUSE OF WOOD
IN A METROPOLIS
USING ELECTRICITY
INHABITED BY FRIENDS AND ENEMIES"

...and this is an example of the output from The Writing Machine of (2025)...

Output: HTML page of "self-generating poem"

Output: Code of the above (fragment)

Writing Machine # 3
Title: Barthes Radio (c. 2023) Death of the Author (1967) by Roland Barthes read by Xpub + Xpub tutors (2023)
Machine overview: Twenty-four sound files
Output (a): BarthesRadio
Output (b): Pad – text with list of readers: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/BarthesWormRadio

Writing Machine Group 3: Interpersonal word chain (exquisite corpse)

A chain of words, starting point is a word from someones personal notes from the class

Each person sees only the word of the person before them, and picks a word from the notes they associate with the previous word

The words are notated on one side of a notebook

The next round goes against reading direction

Words can be read in increments of 5 words, but also by order of the book.

Sentences can be read per 5, the number of the people in the group

• Dialectics reflect distracted by design output
• Technotext liberating language the fragile restraints generate
• Dialectics techno text reflect liberating language distracted the fragile by design restraints output generate
• Generate output restraints by design the fragile distracted language liberating reflect techno text dialectics
• special issue writes meaningfully bleeds hungrily
• Government production terminate assemblages pre-existing
• special issue government writes production meaningfully terminate bleeds assemblages hungrily pre-existing
• Pre-exising hungrily assemblages bleeds terminate meaningfully production writes government special issue
• Dialectics techno text reflect liberating language distracted the fragile by design restraints output generate special issue pre-eshisting writes assemblages meaningfully terminate bleeds production hungrily government juxtapositions