Week 4: Introduction to Hypertext

Tuesday, February 5

• In class:
  • Discussion of hypertext antecedents
  • Texts to be discussed:
    • Electronic Literature, pgs. 54-68.
    • “The Garden of Forking Paths” by Jorge Luis Borges
    • Read Wikipedia entry on Choose Your Own Adventure books.Underground Kingdom by Edward Packard
• Assignment:
  • Readings:
    • Electronic Literature, pgs. 68-74.
    • Explore Eastgate Systems website.
    • Read “Uncle Roger, File 1” in the ELC3.
    • Read “Judy Malloy’s Uncle Roger” in Pathfinders and watch Judy Malloy’s traversals.
  • Write a post in your Facebook Group that has a 1-paragraph response to Uncle Roger and a 1-paragraph response to something you learned about it in the Pathfinders project, including the traversals. Your response is due by the end of class on Thursday.
  • Read 2 of your classmates’ posts on “Uncle Roger” and respond to them (substantively) no later than midnight on Friday, February 8.

Thursday, February 7

• Class does not meet. See Feb. 5 assignment for online class activity.
• Assignment:
  • Read Electronic Literature, pgs. 74-86.
  • Readings:
    • “My Body: A Wunderkammer” by Shelley Jackson
    • “Entre Ville” by J.R. Carpenter
    • “Queerskins” by Illya Szillak
    • “Pangram (The Quick Brown Fox)” by Alan Bigelow
  • Write a post in our Facebook group that responds to two of the assigned works, comparing and contrasting their use of hypertext to structure their works. Post before class on Tuesday.