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.
Steve's Writing Machines
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 Machines from class: 15-09-2025
Writing Machine Group 1: Multinational Poetry Remix
Protocol:
With a group of people...
1. Pick most well-known poet from each country of origin
2. Pick most well-known poem from this poet
3. Pick first line from first verse
4. Pick first line from second verse
5. Translate these lines
6. Sort countries of origin alphabetically (English names) for the first verse
7. Mirror countries of origin for the second verse
8. Put the lines together in one new poem
Output:
Moonlight before my bed, like frost upon the floor
Do you not see, the Yellow River's waters rushing from Heaven, never to return
Who rides so late through night and wind?
I have no mother, I have no father
If my time should come, I'd like no one to entice me
-
I am but a wild animal, cut from it's kind
I haven't eaten third day
My son, why do you hide your face so anxiously?
Do you not see, before the bright mirror in the high hall, grieving over white hair
I lift my eyes to the mountain moon, then bow them, dreaming of home.
Writing Machine Group 2: Corridors to Home
Rule 1: Writing Machine starts when leaving WDKA building, and ends when arrived at home front door.
Rule 2: Set a timer of x minutes
Rule 3: When the timer goes off, write down the first word you see in your environment.
If no word is shown to you, the word is "and".
Rule 4: Repeat the timer until you get home!
Results:
- Here hello 20 Maasveld zone.
- Centrum den dierenvervoer handgesneden uitgang de huur care bied fresiadreef
- Gratis vapiano big brands bachata treinstel t'Catshuys supermarkt & bakkerij. (WdkA - The Hague Moerwijk, 15.09.25 - every 15')
- Lieflaang specialisten jumbo WC sprinter locale & great outdoors blaak door open. (The Hague Moerwijk - WdKA, 16.09.25 - every 5')
Writing Machine Group 3: The Interpersonal Words Chain (exquisite corpse)
A chain of words, where the 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
Outputs
- 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
-
Babblebash
_ _ _ _ _ _ | |__ __ _| |__ | |__ | | ___| |__ __ _ ___| |__ | '_ \ / _` | '_ \| '_ \| |/ _ \ '_ \ / _` / __| '_ \ | |_) | (_| | |_) | |_) | | __/ |_) | (_| \__ \ | | | |_.__/ \__,_|_.__/|_.__/|_|\___|_.__/ \__,_|___/_| |_| Babbelbash brings terminals together to babble with each other.
This machine consists of words sent to a printer by a group of people with pre-assigned roles.
Functioning
echo "MSG" > /dev/usb/lp0
man babblebash
--babbelbash.v.0.0
nick [NICKNAME]
newrole ARTICLE ADJECTIVE NOUN VERB ADVERB READER LINEBREAKER
assign [NICKNAME] [ROLE]
[WORD]
start
stop
--babbelbash.v.0.1
nick [NICKNAME]
newrole ARTICLE ADJECTIVE NOUN VERB ADVERB READER LINEBREAKER PREPOSITION SOUND CONTEXTGIVER PUNCTUATOR
assign [NICKNAME] [ROLE]
[WORD]
stop
{CONTEXT}
-[SOUND]
'
BREAK THE LINE HERE
'
Output
A Writing Machine for 22-09-25
Output: page one of the mash up
Protocol: Mash up to be distributed to Xpub students at 14:00hr on 22-09-25 in the Aquarium.
A selection of texts about orality and literacy cut and pasted to make a 7 page PDF.
Mud-cell Poem
Mud-cell Poem is a writing machine powered by The Electric Garden, an artistic research project by Sunjoo Lee. It was developed during the workshop 'Fermenting the Earth, Wiring the Mud' at iMAL, together with Sunjoo Lee, Anna Pastor, and wonderful participants. The Electric Garden emits small electricity gathered by metabolic process of microbial fuel cells. This energy is stored in a capacitor and released once it reaches a certain threshold.
Protocol
When the release happens, it sends raw data, temperature and time to the computer with the help of Arduino. Then from the computer, a script converts these information into a poem. The script uses definitions from Wikipedia and texts that explore the relationship between technology and ecology as an ingredient. These texts are split into phrases under four words, then randomized to form a poem. Each time a pulse of energy is released, one new line of the poem appears on the terminal.
Output
serial port open
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
Invalid data.
cycles
Invalid data.
lot of wood was
the world coppicing expanded
highest ratio
managed
the
and provided
the planting
which
management in europe
the carbon released by
welldeveloped
Thought for further discussion
During the development of this project, there were discussions on how the poem should exist. Should it be accessible on the internet for everyone, or remain local close to the garden, for example on an e-ink display? Should the website run on the server powered by the electricity from the garden? Could a poem be written on a soil traced by a plotter? Is the poem infinite or will parts of it be deleted over time?
State Writing Machines
Aquarium Conversation Simulator
Nod-Blink-Yawn State Machine
> in
to give a touch of human warmth to our schematic demonstration
Clara van Bloemendaal is the dragon of Arnhem
>
touch
>
NOD
>
TURN OPPOSITE x4
>
touch Clara
>
touch Clara has
>
touch Clara has to do with
>
touch Clara has to do with straightforward
>
touch Clara has to do with straightforward dragon
>
touch Clara has to do with straightforward dragon
> out
Barbara and Youjung's Writing Machine
Robin and Ema's State Machine
Bart and Daan's Writing Machine
made during prototyping on 23 September
using File:Prototyping_20250923_state_machines.pdf and Graphviz
