Textbook is inspired by Man Ray's "Untitled poem, 391, no. 17 (1924)," where lines of text are blacked out so that the original words are no longer readable. In our piece the words are spoken through a randomized set of tones over a backdrop of processed voices. The tones are represented by dots moving across the page, and the voices are represented by a circle and a square. Layers of sound can be mixed and panned and the rhythm can be regularized. This alteration in the sound is represented by visual cues, such as thickening lines, resizing shapes, and placing objects.

Using the mouse, interactions can be accomplished through clicking, dragging, and combinations of these actions.