Someone has chosen you to participate in The UNPRECEDENTED Project

Painting of five women dressed in historical clothing sitting on the ground with an artist woman wearing a red hat and red shirt, holding a palette and a brush, painting them.
The image depicts a painted scene of five women dressed in traditional period clothing sitting outdoors, listening to a woman in a red jacket and hat who appears to be giving a performance or storytelling session. The scene is framed with a bright red border, and there is a QR code with a 'SCAN ME' label above the women.
A group of women dressed in historical attire, sitting on the ground, attentively listening to a woman in red who is explaining something, with a QR code and 'SCAN ME' label above them.

UNPRECEDENTED is a public poetry experiment that asks us to search, find, and reflect. It involves no writing. Rather, we’re talking about erasure poetry: the process of removing certain words on a page of pre-existing text to reveal something new.

Your UNPRECEDENTED letter should include:

A page from The Decameron.

o   1—3 pages of Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th c. Black Plague-era book, The Decameron

o   1—3 red You Got One cards with a QR code linked to this page

o   1 mailing address of a Willing Participant*

To participate, you will need:

o   1 or 2 standard stamped envelopes

*most but not all

A page from The Decameron.

Here’s what to do

Choose.

 

Choose (1) page of The Decameron at random.

Play.

 

Before you make your poem, try not to read the words on the page – only see them. Treat your page like a word bank. What phrases jump out at you?

Obscure parts of the text by simply blacking out, collaging, drawing on, or destroying it. Put in a lot or a little effort.

Remember that this is an anonymous, low stakes, just-for-fun kind of thing. Don’t fret—enjoy it!

Stuck? Here’s a few tips.

Return.

 

When you’re finished, take a photo of your page for your own records. This is in case your missive gets lost in the mail — which has sadly happened before. RIP.


Next, seal your (1) erased page in your own stamped return envelope and address it to UNPRECEDENTED. Please put only your return address in the top left corner (no name).

            UNPRECEDENTED
                   PO Box 8346
              Asheville, NC 28814

Want to expedite the process?
Direct message a photo of your poem to our Instagram: @ UN.PRECEDENT.ED in addition to snail-mailing it.

All successfully returned pages are published anonymously in the online gallery, and on Instagram @un.precedent.ed. Some pages are incorporated into the traveling exhibition.

Pin.

A group of women in period costumes sitting on the ground in a garden, with a man in Renaissance attire appearing to speak to them, surrounded by a red border with a QR code and the text "SCAN ME".

Take one You Got One card and put it in your wallet. Remember to pin it somewhere public—e.g. a coffee shop, restroom, library, telephone pole, or classroom near you.

Lastly, get the remaining pages of The Decameron and You Got One cards. In a stamped envelope or forwarded email, pass the project on to (1) other person whom you think might enjoy it.*

Don’t wait to pass on the remaining pages to the next recipient. Choose your page, then pass it. This project is meant to be contagious.

*Most but not all letters will include an anonymous mailing address. If you would like to pass the project to a stranger but do not have a provided address, let me know.

Pass.

You must drop your poem and pages in the mail WITHIN 10 DAYS of recieving your letter.

Illustrations of The Decameron.
A line drawing depicting a biblical scene with multiple women, including the Virgin Mary, sitting and standing outdoors amidst trees, flowers, and animals. There is a cityscape in the background and labels identifying figures like Emilia, Papilio, Ph

Let’s say there are no pages left to send. Congratulations—you’re the last one! Just follow the first set of instructions & check back here to see when your page is published.

 Questions?
Contact me here or Instagram @un.precedent.ed.


Like this project?
Stamps get expensive, and love doesn’t pay the bills. Donate via Venmo: @UNPRECEDENTED

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-Anonymous, Long Island, New York

December, 2020