Poet’s Blocks

Poet’s Blocks is a game inspired by my experience teaching writing to 4th graders. The premise is that by establishing a few parameters and a time limit, you create a universe where players of all ages feel comfortable writing poetry.

I have played with artists, engineers, friends, family, strangers, coworkers, classmates, and kids. To most people, the notion of writing poetry is foreign and intimidating, yet the constraints of the game free them to tap into a part of their spirits that they otherwise rarely access. The poems generated from this game are hilarious and beautiful, and only exist because 3 blocks were rolled and a 3-minute timer was flipped.

Example poems written by a software engineer and a medical student:

Production Notes:
Poet's Blocks was originally designed for Graduate Design Seminar at George Mason University in Spring 2013. Printing: Inkjet on adhesive vinyl; Type: Block Berthold & Baskerville.