Great opening class this evening. I enjoyed reconnecting with some of you, and meeting the rest of you for the first time. By now each of you should have a working twitter account. You should be ready to start tweeting once in while during class with our class hashtag - #elitclass.
A review of what we did:
-We talked through the syllabus and the "tentative" calendar was distributed.
-You introduced yourselves.
-And we talked about a definition of literature - how we know what it is:
You noted that there are certain expectations tied to literature - 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). Sometimes it is associated with an elite intellectual culture, and there is a certain notion of "aesthetics" or beauty tied to our general sense of what literature should be. 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 noted that perhaps electronic forms of literature might "unsettle" us, or disrupt our typical associations with the act of reading. But we also noted that there is a general sense that e-lit will open up possibilities - that "going digital" might facilitate reaching more readers.
We also talked about the role of the reader, and the emphasis in e-lit on interactivity. What role does the readers imagination play when reading traditionally verses reading digital texts? Is there a "social" vs. "private" distinction (regarding the reader's imagination) that may emerge with the advent of electronic literature?
As you look through the ELC collection this week - notice the expectations & strategies you bring to the texts. What do you like & why? What frustrates you and why?
You noted that there are certain expectations tied to literature - 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). Sometimes it is associated with an elite intellectual culture, and there is a certain notion of "aesthetics" or beauty tied to our general sense of what literature should be. 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 noted that perhaps electronic forms of literature might "unsettle" us, or disrupt our typical associations with the act of reading. But we also noted that there is a general sense that e-lit will open up possibilities - that "going digital" might facilitate reaching more readers.
We also talked about the role of the reader, and the emphasis in e-lit on interactivity. What role does the readers imagination play when reading traditionally verses reading digital texts? Is there a "social" vs. "private" distinction (regarding the reader's imagination) that may emerge with the advent of electronic literature?
As you look through the ELC collection this week - 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.
Again, a great class tonight to start us off on this journey together. I'll see you next week.
For next Tuesday:
1. Read N. Katherine Hayles Electronic Literature: What is it?. Pay attention to the terms she develops and think about the way she classifies literature. How do the categories compares to traditional literary classifications (novels, poems, drama, etc.).
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?
For next Tuesday:
1. Read N. Katherine Hayles Electronic Literature: What is it?. Pay attention to the terms she develops and think about the way she classifies literature. How do the categories compares to traditional literary classifications (novels, poems, drama, etc.).
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?
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