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Text in the shape of an American flag. Above the flag is the title in bold: “Untitled [American, 2020], and beneath that the words in italics: “Consisting of unedited excerpts from CNN’S “Bottom Line” #CNNTownHall, April 23, 2020 at 9pm”. The sentences are fragmented to create the Union and the stripes. The text in the union is in bold while the stripes are standard lettering. The text reads: “How long do asymptomatic carry virus in their body”, “Is there a plan to do random testing”, “How will summer camp work with social distancing”, “Can the virus be transmitted by touching tennis balls”, “Is life back to normal in #wuhan”, “How are Native Americans faring”, “Why are there tests available for pets and zoo animals”, “Do I need to be worried about my cat”, “Is it safe to give blood”, “Is it safe to visit my grandchildren”, “Does the virus live in grass or pavement”, “How long does it stay on surfaces, like subway seats and hand rail”, “How do you tell the difference between allergies and covid 19”, “Why is it that some people have different symptoms”, “Why does the USA have many more deaths”, “How can students and staff be safe in school with 30 kids in one class”, “What kinds of masks should kids wear”, “Does constant use of hand sanitizer make it any less effective”, “How long does the virus take on your face before traveling into your respiratory tract”, “Can covid be a cause of heart failure”, Can sunlight kill coronavirus”, “Is it safe to go to the dentist”, “How are they progressing regarding a vaccine”, “When will it be safe to go back to college”, “What are your thoughts on personal swimming pool use this summer”, “Do they think mosquitoes will be able to spread the virus”, “Can coronavirus travel on cigarette smoke”, “How long do you think can quarantine last”, “How do I talk to someone who doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation”, “Does the federal government have the power to shut down Georgia”, “What exactly is the criteria for “recovered”’, “How long will we live with the virus”.
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Untitled [American, 2020]
This is a “found poem” consisting of unedited tweets containing #CNNTownHall and displayed during a live CNN broadcast on 4/23/20 at 9pm. As I scanned the lines with their unusual syntax and heavy emotional content it seemed as though I were reading a poem co-written by authors across America.