Elayna's Bring It to the Table- Week One
"Imagine that instead of turning pages you could make any word in the book a link to some other part of the book, or even some other book" (Electronic Literature, Rettberg). To think of a world beyond words on a page, we'd stumble into the complex realm of electronic literature, or E-Lit. Within the text, it was most simply explained "as new forms and genres of writing that explore the specific capabilities of the computer and network" (Rettberg). It's interesting to dive deeper, and unlock several genres of electronic literature or ways electronics take advantage of their softwares to produce creativity through literature in several aspect. In comparison to a book that "is fixed" (Rettberg), with intentions to "get thoughts down in print and carry them through time" (Rettberg), electronic literature is forever evolving, enduring change, and creating a innovative way to view literature.
Referenced in Chapter 1 of "Electronic Literature" by Scott Rettberg, was N. Katherine Hayles' books. What caught my eye was the creative title of "My Mother Was a Computer" written by Hayles' in 2005. While I was unable to access the text, I chose her book "Electronic Literature: New Horizons for the Literary" written in 2008. This text was described in the book as "the book that has had the most impact in establishing an initial set of referents and laying out some forms that characterize the field" (Rettberg). In other words, this text was able to pave the way for electronic literature by describing different genres in ways that make sense to a general audience. What I thought was intriguing was the way Scott Rettberg's version of Electronic Literature, utilizes the same title in order to carry on the legacy of the Hayles' original piece! Her work portrayed an extensive amount of knowledge and experience in the field, and was able to simply explain what E-Lit is, even with its complexities. I loved her take on printed literature vs digital literature. "To see electronic literature only through the lens of print is, in significant sense, not to see it at all" (Electronic Literature, Hayles). This really made me think about the infinite possibilities that electronic literature has to offer!
https://tactileword.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hayles-electronic-literature.pdf
I love the quote the you referenced in the beginning of your response! Traditional literature sets those limits onto words, not allowing them to leave the page they are placed onto. Digital literature really does offer so many opportunities for exploration beyond what is written.
ReplyDeleteI loved when you said "electronic literature is forever evolving, enduring change, and creating a innovative way to view literature". I think this is important to bring up because it shows the difference between electronic lit and physical lit. I also find it very interesting that it can always change because typically I think of literature as being concrete, but now I can explore how they are different and the importance of it.
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