Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Constrained writing demoed via email exchange awhile ago
Cadaeic Cadenza (link via Jason Kottke) is a “constrained writing,” where the constraint is each word has the number of letters corresponding to a digit in π (first word has three letters, second word has one letter, third word has four letters, and so on).
It reminded me of an email exchange I had with my friend Hoade, wherein each email was constrained in some manner.
It starts with a reply to Hoade:
- From
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- To
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- Subject
- Re: Scooby Dooby Doo, Where Are You?
- Date
- Mon, 19 Jun 95 22:56:45 EDT
A long long time ago in a network far far away, The Great Sean Hoade wrote:
Conman—
Hello. Hope you are well. I am fine. Good. Help. I can just make one-syllable words, 'cept for the word “syllable.”
Will try to keep this small. Can I count on you to come down here two months from now? I look towards the day you are here. And I think I can help you with your word choice. Too bad you had to use a long word there. It is not hard to avoid those words. See?
- From
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- To
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- Subject
- cool
- Date
- Tue, 20 Jun 1995 17:27:19 -0500 (EST)
Harder, methinks, writing choices using only two-time counting …
- From
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- To
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- Subject
- Re: cool
- Date
- Tue, 20 Jun 95 18:18:38 EDT
Truthful wisdom indeed. Thinking dual phonems (spelling?) isn't easy. Although practice ensures success. Agree?
(And yes, I still have problems speling)
- From
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- To
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- Subject
- Re: cool
- Date
- Tue, 20 Jun 1995 20:06:21 -0500 (EST)
Sentence fragments? Forswear fragments, Conner! (Asshole …)
- From
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- To
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- Subject
- Re: cool
- Date
- Wed, 21 Jun 1995 18:44:25 -0500 (EST)
Attempting tripartite syllabic collections challenges heartily, Connerman.
Personal opinion: redundant repeating selections crucify attempters thoroughly.
The constrained emails died down for a few days, until this exchange:
- From
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- To
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- Subject
- Four syllables?
- Date
- Mon, 26 Jun 1995 23:22:30 -0500 (EST)
Enigmatic, mysterious communiques– incredible electronic correspondence!—solidify, obviously computerized benedictions Hoade-to-Conner.
Whaddyathink?
Hoade
P.S.—Aquarium!
- From
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- To
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- Subject
- Re: Four syllables?
- Date
- Mon, 26 Jun 95 22:51:18 EDT
Incredible! Spectacular! Impressively unspeakable phenomenon! Untoppably quisicential!
Did I mention that I kant spel?
Anyway, a few months go by, and our last exchange of contrained emails:
- From
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- To
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- Subject
- Re: Perfectly Prosaic Prose
- Date
- Sat, 27 Jan 1996 07:54:21 -0500 (EST)
And because computers drain everyone's future—good! Have I just kinda loose morals? No! Only pious, questioning rabbis say this (until vacuous women—Xanax—yawn zestlessly).
- From
- Sean Conner <spc@pineal.math.fau.edu>
- To
- Sean Hoade <shoade@sun1.iusb.edu>
- Subject
- Re: Perfectly Prosaic Prose
- Date
- Sun, 28 Jan 96 3:33:25 EST
Zounds! Your xiphoid women vanguard unilaterally try soldierly responses quickly. Personally, one needs many large Kaffirian juggernauts, instigating hectoring grandiose fanaticism. Egads! Damnation! Cabalists be aware!
Yeah, you try writing a twenty-six word paragraph in reverse alphabetical order and see how easy it is.
Granted, what we did wasn't as difficult as writing a work with letter counts based on π or a book without the letter “E” but that doesn't mean it was easy.
![[The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades]](https://www.conman.org/people/spc/about/2023/1023.t.jpg "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades")