Note: This timeline generally cites the first of works done by poets (/publishers); it does not reflect all works or publications, or even all types of an artist’s work.

1959
· First programs of computer poems, “Stochastische Texte” (a text generator) by Théo Lutz in Stuttgart; published in Augenblick.

· Brion Gysin (USA), “I am that I am” permutational poem (digitized 1965).

 

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1960
· Oulipo founded (France).

1961
· Nanni Balestrini (Italy) “Tape Mark I” Created with code and punched cards on an IBM 7070 (extract from Lao Tzu and Michihito Hachiya texts recombined).
· Rul Gunzenhäuser (Germany), “Weinachtgedicht” (automatic poems).

1962
· R.M. Worthy (USA), “Auto-Beatnik” (5/25/62 Time Magazine).

1963
· Balestrini, “Tape Mark II.”
· Edwin Morgan (USA), “Computer’s first Christmas Card.”
· Clair Philippy (USA), “blank verse at the rate of 150 words a minute” 5 poems published in Electronic Age.

1964
· Jean Baudot (Canada), La Machine a écrire (text generator).
· Phillipy creates strophes using a vocabulary with 100 words with the assistance of computer.
· “Un doute agréable couleur de lotus endormi” imitation surrealist poem created on Calliope hardware system by L. Couffignal and A. Ducrocq (France).

1965
· Emmet Williams (USA) uses 101 most used words from Dante’s Divine Comedy to create a computer poem.

1966
· Williams, “The IBM Poem.”
· Gerhard Stickel (Germany): “Autopoeme,” “Monte-Carlo-Texte.”

1968
· “The Computer and the Arts” exhibition, Institute of Contemporary Art, London. Featured works by: Marc Adrian, Cambridge Language Research Unit, Alison Knowles & James Tenney, Edward Morgan, Jean A. Baudot, Balestrini
· E.M. de Melo e Castro (Portugal), Roda Lume (videopoem)
· Andries Van Dam (USA), Hypertext Editing System (later became Intermedia)
· “Hank and Mary, a love story, a chorale” (Tenney), “for Emmet Williams” (Knowles/Tenney)
· Dick Higgins (USA), Computers for the Arts (chapbook)

1969
· Jackson Mac Low (USA) “PFR-3 Poems” Art and Technology Program, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

 

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1970
· Alan Sondheim, “4320”

1973

· Computer Poems anthology by Richard W. Bailey (USA) (16 authors including Marie Borroff, Robert Gaskins, Louis T. Millic, Morgan, Morris)

1974
· Energy Crisis Poems, “rjs” (USA) (ref. Hartman)

1975
· Richard Kostelanetz (USA), 3 Prose Pieces (Video)
· “Europalia” event in Brussels

1976
· Angel Carmona (Spain) “Poemas V2: poesía compuesta por una computadora” (poetry composed by a computer; book) (“first book completely made by a computer” -Barbosa)

1979
· Phillippe Bootz (France), combinatory poems on mini-computer

 

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1980
· Poèmes d’Amour,” love poem generator, Jean Pierre Balpe (France)

1981
· Sylvestre Pestana (Spain) “Povo-Ovo”
· Charles Hartman (USA), poetry composer (the Scansion Machine)

1982
· Eduardo Kac (Brazil)
· A.L.A.M.O. (workshop of mathematics and computer-assisted literature) (FRANCE)
· Roger Laufer/Michel Bret, Deux Mots

1983
· Kac, “Holopoems” (digitized in ’89)
· John Cayley, “wine flying”

1984
· William Chamberland/Thomas Etter (Racter), The Policeman’s Beard Is Half-Constructed (book)
· Ladislao Pablo Györi (Argentina)
· Hugh Kenner/Joseph O’Rourke (USA), Travesty software
· Swift Current (online magazine, Canada)
· bp nichol, First Screening (animated poems in BASIC)

1985
· Les Immatériaux (ALAMO) exhibit at Pompidou Center, Paris
· John Cage, “Mesostics” (published on the WELL)
· Art Access, online (Minitel) publication, France
· Xexoxial Endarchy (USA), “Dictionary of Neologisms”
· Fred Truck (USA), Art Com Electronic Network on the WELL 1986
· Philippe Bootz telematic, computer animated poems, “Metamorphose”
· Richard Kostelanetz “Partitions” (video)

1987
· Miekal And (USA), “Hyper ZAUM” project

1988
· Jim Rosenberg (USA), “Intergrams”
· Installation of computer animated texts by LAIRE team (France)
· John Cayley (UK) “wine flying” converted to diskette

1989
· alire produced on diskette
· E.M. de Melo e Castro, Signagens (digital videopoems)
· Charles O. Hartman, diastext program
· Rod Willmot (Canada), “Everglade” (hypertext poem)

 

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1990
· André Vallias (Brazil), “Nous n’avons pas compris Descartes”
· Robert Kendall (USA) , "The CLue: A MiniMystery" and "It All Comes Down to ____", kinetic poems created for DOS

1991
· Kostelanetz video poems digitized
· Cayley’s Indra’s Net (hypercard)

1992
· “p0es1a-digitale dichtkunst” exhibition in Germany curated by Andre Vallias, featured works by Fritz Lichtenauer, Rosenberg, Kac, others.
· Action Poétique published with disk (France)
· Augusto de Campos (Brazil) visual poems (computerized)

1993
· Eastgate Quarterly Review of Hypertext Vol. 1, No. 1, Rosenberg’s “Intergrams”
· Patrick-Henri Burgaud (Holland) (w/Jean-Marie Dutey), La Mer
· online publications online in U.S.: GRIST, We Magazine Issue 17
· Judith Malloy (USA), Its Name Was Penelope (Eastgate, Hypercard)
· Deena Larsen (USA), Marble Springs
· Poetry in Motion cd-rom (Voyager Company, USA)
· MOO poems, Chris Funkhouser (USA)

1994
· A:\LITTÉRATURE interactive (diskette) publication, France
· Poetry in Motion (Voyager, cd-rom)
· Electronic Poetry Center founded (SUNY Buffalo)
· Balpe, Génération

1995
· The Little Magazine Volume 21 cd-rom
· Sentences (Kenner/Hartman; book)
· VISPO (WWW; Jim Andrews)
· Puppet Motel, Laurie Anderson (Voyager Company)
· Fred Truck, Bottega (cd-rom)