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.