Electronic Corpse (Contributor): Poems from a Digital Salon

This anthology features collaboratively created poems by 84 contributors of all experiences and geographies – from state poets laureates to casual journalers; from Pennsylvania to Georgia to South Korea, India and South Africa. In 2012, inspired by the early 20th century French surrealist parlor game, Exquisite Corpse, M Ayodele Heath began hosting collaborative poetry-making sessions, or digital salons, on his Facebook page. To date, more than 150 poets participated in these virtual events. Heath chose the very best 50 poems, out of hundreds, to carefully catalog, assemble and preserve. The anthology has three sections: collaborative poems, poems from the most frequent contributors, and a step-by-step guide for the reader. What sounds like a very straightforward book of poetry is a complex, unique and layered book. In the same way, the visual surface of an electronic device is straightforward and intuitive, the back end of that device contains layer upon layer of parts and programming. Heath uses the structure of the anthology to encourage the reader to discover poems and poetry writing in new ways. The contributors (representing over 20 U.S. states and 4 countries) in Electronic Corpse: Poems From A Digital Salon are deeply symbolic. Crafted by poets of all colors, nationalities, genders, and classes, they are simply poems. Poems made by people who entered into a playful language exercise with no expected outcome or pre-conceived agenda. They are an example of what *we* can create together.