Zong! Magnetic Poetry
Interactive magnetic poetry editor inspired by M. NourbeSe Philip’s ‘Zong!’ - a p5.js concrete poetry tool for rearranging words and creating visual poems.
Created Apr 23, 2024 - Last updated: Apr 23, 2024
🎭 Try the Interactive Poetry Editor
Open Full App → | Built for School for Poetic Computation
This interactive tool is inspired by “Zong #1” by M. NourbeSe Philip, a groundbreaking concrete poem that deconstructs legal language to tell the story of enslaved Africans.
Philip’s work transforms the sparse text of Gregson v. Gilbert (1783) - a legal case about the Zong slave ship massacre - into a haunting visual and linguistic memorial. The poem scatters words across the page like bodies across the ocean, creating meaning through absence and fragmentation.
💻 Technical Implementation
Built with p5.js for creative coding:
- Canvas-based interaction - Smooth drag and drop physics
- Dynamic word generation - Add unlimited custom words
- Responsive design - Works on desktop and mobile
- Print optimization - Clean output for physical copies
- SVG animations - Fluid background waves
Created during the “Let’s Play” session at School for Poetic Computation, exploring playful approaches to serious subjects through computational art.
🔗 Source & Inspiration
- Original Poem: “Zong #1” by M. NourbeSe Philip
- Full Text: Complete “Zong!” collection
- Code: Open source p5.js implementation
- p5.js: Creative coding framework
“The sea cannot be represented, only presenced” - M. NourbeSe Philip