In 2014, I discovered the work of Nina Katchadourian.

Katchadourian is a Californian artist, who has a series of ‘stacks’ or ‘spine poems’. In these works, she arranges books (usually in stacks, but occasionally side by side) so that the titles create poems.

Below is my own ‘spine poetry’, inspired by Katchadourian, created using just the books on my shelves:

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The Alchemist on Poetry:

The making of a poem
out of danger;
mining for the light
out of the blue
day.

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Enduring Love:

Error.

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Frankenstein:

The lovely bones;
heaven eyes;
portrait in skin:

regeneration;

talk of the town.

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My Brilliant Career:

The accidental
strong words…

…Goodbye to all that.

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How to Paint a Dead Man:

Gold.
Silver.
The colour purple.
Fifty shades of grey.

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