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John Cayley’s categories include functional codeworks, which merge executable commands with creative writing. These works are both human-readable and computer-executable.
Cayley, J. (2006). Time code language: New media poetics and programmed signification.
In New Media Poetics: Contexts, Technotexts, and Theories, pp. 307-334.
The code-poetry of Jessica A. Rodriguez, particularly her project MEMORIAS exemplifies executable code-poetry, blending Live Coding and Electronic Literature.
MEMORIAS is a web-based project featuring six executable codeworks, integrating natural languages (Spanish, English, Spanglish) with computing languages to generate audiovisual textures.
Level: Intermediate
Explore the intersection of computer language syntax and poetry by crafting an executable code-poem using JSoLangs in Estuary
Estuary is a live coding platform for collaboration and experimentation with sound, music, and visuals in a web browser.
JSoLangs are small JavaScript programs [built with the peggyjs/peggy library] that transpile live-coded text into one or more of Estuary’s underlying languages (Ogborn, et al., 2021).
📖 Reference: Ogborn, D., Littler, C., & Sicchio, K. (2021).
JSoLangs: Ephemeral esolangs in a collaborative live coding environment. CSDH/SCHN @ Congress - 2021 University of Alberta.
JSoLangs allow you to create new poetic languages on top of Estuary’s existing live coding environments. First, choose one of the following tools:
💡 Tip: Choose the tool that best fits your artistic or conceptual goals!
📌 Follow these tutorials to learn how your tool works:
📌 Explore:
✅ Identify basic commands & syntax that control visuals, text, or sound.
✅ Modify example code to see how it changes the output.
📖 Follow this tutorial to learn how to create a JSoLang:
➡️ Estuary: Working with JSoLangs
Now, write a short code-poem that is both readable as text and executable in Estuary.
✅ Use at least three syntax elements from your chosen tool.
✅ Experiment with poetic structure—play with rhythm, repetition, or glitch aesthetics.
✅ Test & refine—observe how syntax manipulation shapes meaning.
💾 Save your work in a separate file for future use in Estuary.
By engaging with executable code-poetry, you are blending programming logic with poetic language, transforming syntax into an expressive medium.
How does this experience change your perception of code, language, and creative writing?