Divergent Streams - Abby T.

In Chapter 7 of Electronic Literature, Scott Rettberg describes a few alternative genres of digital literature as well as digital literature as a field. Locative narratives, the first of these subtypes, centers around the use of locative technologies such as GPS and Google Earth used to explore the relationship between location and literature. A good number of these pieces involve collaboration or reader participation, such as audio walk narratives and projects such as Christopher Allen, Brian House, and Jesse Shapins’ 2004 Yellow Arrow Project. Interactive installations are another subtype, one focused on emphasizing sensation by expanding electronic literature into art installations and performances. The third alternative genre – or rather a group of genres – Rettberg covers are expanded cinema, virtual reality, and augmented reality. Expanded cinema is defined as a cinematic experience which is created using techniques traditionally associated with electronic literature, such as a combinatory system (Rettberg 193). As for virtual and augmented reality, these are often used to present digital literature in a more immersive environment (Rettberg 196).

Gateway to the World by Maria Mencía: maria mencia

When I read about Maria Mencía’s 2014 Gateway to the World, I initially thought it didn’t seem that interesting. Seeing images of the Hamburg installation, however, did pique my interest. According to Rettberg, the piece maps the routes of vessels coming and going from the Port of Hamburg, and “To each vessel a string of text associated with the name of the vessel is attached, resulting in a calligramatic kinetic poem” (186). Reading Mencía’s explanation for the piece added additional meaning; she revealed that “The vast and busy port served as a metaphor for the immensity of the Internet, the flow of information and its meaning of openness and outreach to the World Wide Web.” My own interpretation of the piece was a bit different. To me, the cluttered string of words was representative of the way technology amplifies the amount of knowledge available to us, and how this can result in a kind of information overload which prevents the actual meaning of the information from being understood. I find it so interesting that the same piece can produce such contradictory interpretations!