08 Oct 2008 [ Prev | Next ]

Electronic Literature

Electronic literature is a constantly changing field.

Many authors recognize the feeling of being "lost" in a digital text, and try to exploit it for artistic effect. In other cases, it's necessary for the user to confront the discomfort that comes from being "lost" and overcome it, just as we have to accept commercial breaks on TV, the lack of pictures in novels, and the omission of whole subplots when a book is made into a movie.

The following exercise, which involves reading four literary and one critical work, and writing two short blog entries and one longer hyperlinked essay, is intended to give some structure to your encounter with electronic literature.

  1. Explore for 30 minutes.
    Choose four items from the Electronic Literature Collection Volume 1.  Interact with each for 5-10 minutes, and record your reflections in a brief blog entry.
  2. Investigate for 30 minutes.
    Of the four items you chose, select one to interact with for at least another half hour. (If the text is short and you exhaust it before time is up, go on to another item.)  Record your more detailed experiences in a separate blog entry. (Include a link to the items you chose to investigate.)
  3. Engage for 30 minutes. Keeping in mind these encounters with electronic literature, read "Is Hypertext Fiction Possible?" (George P. Landow), and return to your electronic literature selections for further reading as necessary.
  4. Synthesize.
    Write Ex 2-3, a richly-linked blog essay (roughly 750 words) that records your reactions. Because your first two blog entries will likely record what it felt like to encounter these texts and make them reveal their literary content, this essay should move beyond "It was fun" or "It was boring" and instead discuss the works themselves. (See this handout on "Close Reading").




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38 Comments

Jed Fetterman said:

What are you thinking about when a movie is due to start in ten minutes (and one second)?
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JedidiahFetterman/2008/10/movie_in_the_mall.html

Jed Fetterman said:

Here is the final piece of the puzzle, and don't compare this to a puzzle. You'll know what I mean if you read it.
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JedidiahFetterman/2008/10/apples_to_oranges.html

Maddie Gillespie said:

Here comes the dawn of a new era! Nah, just kidding. You really think I'm getting up that early?!
Part 1:
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MadelynGillespie/2008/10/twelve_blue_the_fall_of.html
Part 2:
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MadelynGillespie/2008/10/how_many_dawns_are_left_in_you.html

Anne Williams said:

Part 1-http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AnneWilliams/2008/10/electronic_literature_texts_ad.html

Part 2-http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AnneWilliams/2008/10/a_closer_look_at_michealangelo.html

and Part 3-http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AnneWilliams/2008/10/carving_in_possibilities_from.html

David Wilbanks said:

Only now did I notice the word "brief" in the instructions.
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DavidWilbanks/2008/10/first_glance.html

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Recent Comments

Alex Hull on Electronic Literature: Part Three... http://blogs.setonhill.edu/Alexandri
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Alex Hull on Electronic Literature: Part One... http://blogs.setonhill.edu/AlexandriaH
Aero Windwalker on Electronic Literature: Synthesize: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/KepingWang/
Aero Windwalker on Electronic Literature: Engage: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/KepingWang/2008
Aero Windwalker on Electronic Literature: Investigate: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/KepingWang
Aero Windwalker on Electronic Literature: Explore: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/KepingWang/200
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