Every Rendition on a Broken Machine

What do JG Ballard and 90s teen star Clarissa have in common? They’re both subject to Ross Sutherland’s investigation into poetry, technology and the modern imagination Every Rendition on a Broken Machine. Originally published in our anthology Stress Fractures: Essays on Poetry, Ross was commissioned to make this 40 minute documentary for London Word Festival, where it received a rapturous welcome in April. The whole thing has now been released online, and I really can’t recommend it enough.

Hi my name is Ross Sutherland. I used to want to be a computer programmer, but since about 1996, I’ve been trying to write poetry instead.

To be honest, I never properly gave up on computing. Secretly, I always wanted to combine the two: poetry and computing! Together at last! That’s why I’ve spent the last 15 years (on and off) trying to get a computer program to write my poetry for me.

If you enjoyed the documentary, consider buying one of Ross’s books or send him a message via his website. Ross’s second full collection will be published this year, entitled Emergency Window. Excited? Yes!