🎭 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