After receiving my MFA and before I (hopefully) start my PhD in Rhetoric & Technical Communication, I would like to try out some of the ideas I have about hypertext theory and also learn from others who've been in the field longer than I have. Even though I want to continue in this field, I know that conferences will be the main place for learning more about literary hypertexts and I feel I can add to and benefit from the Talking About Writing session. As to the Write Now session, I want to keep my hypertext writing skills sharp and learn new strategies to use for myself and take into the classroom. I'm all about learning practical tips! :)
Why: In trying to transfer the strategies I've taught myself to write fiction and poetry to hypertext, I find that they work differently, if at all. In devising strategies for writing hypertext, I am easily overwhelmed by the vast scope of possibilities. It's clear that there are many good ideas and things to try somewhere in that scope, waiting for a sculptor to remove superfluous stone.
Deena Larsen
Why: I want to find out how people are changing perspectives in writing and thinking about hypertext and how hypertext has grown over the years.
Why: as a hypertext theorist and scholar with a strong cinema studies background I am extremely interested in questions around hypertext structure, academic writing in hypertext, cinematic hypertext and the relation/s of image to word in hypertext.
A SHORT (2 paragraph) paper about the issues they see in hypertext literature and development, and ways to address these issues.
One of the primary problems I am thinking about nowadays has to do with the intrinsic properties of cybermedia (digitally produced and consumed) and the difficulties inherent in collaboration across cyberspace given the nature of modern multimedia applications. I am also working on developing a creative writing (cybermedia) class for undergraduates which will allow them to choose working in one of three "genres" creative non-fiction, poetry and fiction. Given the changes occurring in cyberspace and among creative people, do these distinctions hold up? What are the "basics" of creative "writing" in cybermedia? What strategies for teaching such a course have others used?
I am also struggling with the limitations of hypermedia on the web and am very interested in hearing what solutions, work-arounds, or ideas others may have (like Rob's Connections System). And, of course, I am developing a proposal for a collaborative and interactive application based on complexity theory and fuzzy logic. The latter may be a bit too specific for discussion, however.