Tonight we talked about navigation, and reading strategies, and interpretation al a Pressman's article. But the fun part was checking out the texts she discussed in her article and thinking about what it meant to "read" them. Clearly not only in navigation part of the interpretive process, thinking about strategies for navigation is both part of reading these texts - and part of the experiential meaning we get out of that reading. If you are interested in learning more about Blue Hyacinth or Facade - there is lots out there on the net.
Meanwhile, over the weekend you are going to spend some time with Michael Joyce's Twelve Blue.
Blog 1: Describe some of the strategies you used to "read" Twelve Blue. Indicate what you did + what you hoped to achieve - and what you got out of doing whatever you did. I am hoping you will dig around in this text long enough to try out more than one strategy.
In class we are going to talk about both what the text is "about" and what it was like reading it, and how and whether the navigation - and the larger experience of reading this text - work together to create its meaning.
Hopefully we will also have some class time to start some brainstorming for the short hypertext writing assignment.
Great class tonight, and have a good weekend.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Blog list
eng4081.blogspot.com Dr. Chandler
aniarosinski.blogspot.com Ania Rosinski
leaseacoupe.blogspot.com Lisa Cupo
heartsfinal.blogspot.com sam jackson
dyknowtheking.blogspot.com Nic Garripoli
elelit.blogspot.com Justine Hediger
mrjefferies.blogspot.com John Clark
electrosoph.blogspot.com Melissa Serritella
http://writingontheE.blogspot.com Ryan Valdez
http://neptune-angus.blogspot.com Yvonne Smith
aniarosinski.blogspot.com Ania Rosinski
leaseacoupe.blogspot.com Lisa Cupo
heartsfinal.blogspot.com sam jackson
dyknowtheking.blogspot.com Nic Garripoli
elelit.blogspot.com Justine Hediger
mrjefferies.blogspot.com John Clark
electrosoph.blogspot.com Melissa Serritella
http://writingontheE.blogspot.com Ryan Valdez
http://neptune-angus.blogspot.com Yvonne Smith
Links for class discussion January 27
Disappearing Rain (we will read this one as a class -but in case you want a preview here it is)
Blue Hyacinth
Interpretation of Blue Hyacinth
Facade
download + play
YouTube trailers
Twelve Blue
Blue Hyacinth
Interpretation of Blue Hyacinth
Facade
download + play
YouTube trailers
Twelve Blue
Monday, January 25, 2010
January 25
We talked through Hayles classification for Electronic Literature. There are probably lots of systems for classifying these texts, and as Ryan pointed out, Hayles system is based on the different software/physical configurations that run/create the texts. She identifies: hypertext fiction, network fiction (though most of these links are broken because this text is old), locative narratives (though this is somewhat different than the piece we looked at in class), installation pieces, "codework," generative art, and flash poems. If you use these terms to search the table of contents of the Electronic Literature Collection, Volume 1 = you can find more examples.
As we talked about the classification, we also talked about reading strategies - and we agreed that if we bring our expectations from print literature to electronic literature - we are going to feel frustrated. Electronic texts often have meaningful elements in the images, sounds or movements; they are not necessarily text or even word-based, and "what electronic texts are about" often connects to the experience of "reading" rather than to what is read. Many electronic texts are interactive - or connected to the network or the physical world - in ways that print texts are not. The reader's interactions may simply determine the organization of the text - or they may operate in some ways to *create* the text by limiting or changing the possibilities for further interactions. Clearly - the participant's choice of reading strategies will influence his/her experience of electronic texts.
We concluded the evening drafting up some "dream ideas" for the kind of text you would like to create for your final project (whether or not we can cobble together the technical skills to do so). There was some serious interest in flash poetry - so I am guessing we will spend some time on that. Whatever you choose - we will find a way to create some approximation of your idea using the software we as a class can figure out.
For Wednesday - read Navigating Electronic Literature [ http://newhorizons.eliterature.org/essay.php?id=14 ]by Jessica Pressman. Though we have covered much of this in class discussion, her essay pulls together some of what we said - and gives you some examples from outside our collection.
In class you will create your blogs, take a look at Twelve Blue, and do some more thinking about reading strategies and the kind of experience you want to create for your reader.
See you Wednesday.
As we talked about the classification, we also talked about reading strategies - and we agreed that if we bring our expectations from print literature to electronic literature - we are going to feel frustrated. Electronic texts often have meaningful elements in the images, sounds or movements; they are not necessarily text or even word-based, and "what electronic texts are about" often connects to the experience of "reading" rather than to what is read. Many electronic texts are interactive - or connected to the network or the physical world - in ways that print texts are not. The reader's interactions may simply determine the organization of the text - or they may operate in some ways to *create* the text by limiting or changing the possibilities for further interactions. Clearly - the participant's choice of reading strategies will influence his/her experience of electronic texts.
We concluded the evening drafting up some "dream ideas" for the kind of text you would like to create for your final project (whether or not we can cobble together the technical skills to do so). There was some serious interest in flash poetry - so I am guessing we will spend some time on that. Whatever you choose - we will find a way to create some approximation of your idea using the software we as a class can figure out.
For Wednesday - read Navigating Electronic Literature [ http://newhorizons.eliterature.org/essay.php?id=14 ]by Jessica Pressman. Though we have covered much of this in class discussion, her essay pulls together some of what we said - and gives you some examples from outside our collection.
In class you will create your blogs, take a look at Twelve Blue, and do some more thinking about reading strategies and the kind of experience you want to create for your reader.
See you Wednesday.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What we did in class tonight
Unlike the post I put on the screen in class - this post describes what we actually did. We talked through the syllabus and the calendar. You introduced yourselves. And we talked about a definition of literature - how we know what it is.
You noted that it is tied to reading - and in that way "not for everyone" => elite. That it is connected to a particular time and place (and a particular set of values, usually dominant values; at the same time we perceive it as "timeless" or representing values that endure. We often associate religious texts with the literary, and we also think of particular forms: e.g. novels = literature; comic books = not literature. This discussion led us to think about how literature does not have a permanent set of characteristics - but rather it is connected to particular cultural values - usually "dominant" cultural values= values, language forms, and beliefs.
We then discussed (very briefly) values associated with the internet. We noted that some of the more creative "artists" and internet innovators often have values that fall outside the mainstream. We didn't go into this in detail - but it will be something to think about as we explore the nature of electronic literature.
We closed class with some suggestions about expectations. Electronic literature is NOT print. It often contains print but the strategies for reading electronic literature will necessarily be different that the "habits" you bring from the print world. As you look through the ELC collection - notice the expectations & strategies you bring to the texts. What do you like & why? What frustrates you and why? Be open to new experiences - because they are there - just waiting.
Great class tonight - and I'll see you next week.
For Monday:
1. Read N. Katherine Hayles Electronic Literature: What is it? up through note 67. Pay attention to the terms she develops and think about the way she classifies literature and how it compares to the classification we put on the board (novels, poems, drama & religious texts).
2. Start reading through Electronic Literature Collection Volume 1. Click the "All titles" at the bottom of the screen - and look at the keywords and think about how they connect to Hayles classification. As you look through the texts, pay attention to your expectations - what is fun? what is frustrating? what do you like and why?
3. Send me an email using the gmail account you will use for the course. This account should include some version of your name that I can recognize. You can use your Kean email if you choose. In this email let me know how your computer access is working with the electronic literature assignments for the course. If you have problems - give me some hints about what kind - so I can make a plan for solving them.
You noted that it is tied to reading - and in that way "not for everyone" => elite. That it is connected to a particular time and place (and a particular set of values, usually dominant values; at the same time we perceive it as "timeless" or representing values that endure. We often associate religious texts with the literary, and we also think of particular forms: e.g. novels = literature; comic books = not literature. This discussion led us to think about how literature does not have a permanent set of characteristics - but rather it is connected to particular cultural values - usually "dominant" cultural values= values, language forms, and beliefs.
We then discussed (very briefly) values associated with the internet. We noted that some of the more creative "artists" and internet innovators often have values that fall outside the mainstream. We didn't go into this in detail - but it will be something to think about as we explore the nature of electronic literature.
We closed class with some suggestions about expectations. Electronic literature is NOT print. It often contains print but the strategies for reading electronic literature will necessarily be different that the "habits" you bring from the print world. As you look through the ELC collection - notice the expectations & strategies you bring to the texts. What do you like & why? What frustrates you and why? Be open to new experiences - because they are there - just waiting.
Great class tonight - and I'll see you next week.
For Monday:
1. Read N. Katherine Hayles Electronic Literature: What is it? up through note 67. Pay attention to the terms she develops and think about the way she classifies literature and how it compares to the classification we put on the board (novels, poems, drama & religious texts).
2. Start reading through Electronic Literature Collection Volume 1. Click the "All titles" at the bottom of the screen - and look at the keywords and think about how they connect to Hayles classification. As you look through the texts, pay attention to your expectations - what is fun? what is frustrating? what do you like and why?
3. Send me an email using the gmail account you will use for the course. This account should include some version of your name that I can recognize. You can use your Kean email if you choose. In this email let me know how your computer access is working with the electronic literature assignments for the course. If you have problems - give me some hints about what kind - so I can make a plan for solving them.
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