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• 1 media/library-1666702_960_720.jpg 2019-04-29T18:31:56-07:00 Designer's Statement 14 Nazua Idris image_header 2020-01-04T17:47:10-08:00 When we first started our Electronic Literature graduate seminar with Dr. Dene Grigar, we were trying to look for e-lit pieces that will fit various critical lenses. However, after looking at various e-lit pieces and reading different theories, we gradually discovered the importance of understanding and analyzing the aesthetic and literary values of the e-lit pieces, rather than studying e-lit pieces for the sake of engaging with critical frameworks. Dr. Grigar always emphasized on the fact that appreciating Electronic Literature is itself a critical engagement. As readers of Electronic Literature, it is important to understand the aesthetic practices of this field; on the one hand, we have to be aware of the convergence of various genres, forms, and modes of literature and creative arts in e-lit pieces; on the other hand, we have to train ourselves to appreciate newer forms of readers’ engagements and understand new modes of aesthetics and scholarly arguments. As new readers, it took us a while to understand the unique approach of Electronic Literature – on the one hand, it expands on the characteristics of the earlier oral, visual, and print cultures; on the other hand, it utilizes the affordances of newer forms of digital technology to generate new aesthetic practices that resist linearity, unidirectional engagements, and compartmentalized and hierarchical ways of understanding literature and creative arts.
  
  
  
  
  Continuing with this spirit of Electronic Literature as a complex and multivalent aesthetic practice, we have designed this book incorporating our initial responses to the texts and theories of Electronic Literature as new readers of this genre. In terms of both form and content, we have tried to sustain Electronic Literature’s spirit of non-linearity and multivalence. In terms of form, for example, we have created multiple paths of navigating this book, so that the readers can engage with this book however they want. They can follow a linear-track by browsing the path from the first page of the book. They can jump to various pages either by using the top-down menu on the right left corner of the book or by clicking different sections on the table of contents as the sections are hyperlinked to their respective pages. Also, they can go to different chapters and find new paths to navigate the contents of that chapter. In addition to creating multiple navigational paths, we hyperlinked the resources we have used to their respective websites, instead of having a traditional bibliography at the end.
  
  
  
  
  In terms of the layout of each page of this book, we have endeavored to sustain the spirit of multivalence. While we used the chapter-divisions of linear print-based books for the ease of navigation, we have created multiple paths to break the linearity and provide our audience different access routes. Instead of going for a uniformed layout, we preferred diversity in terms of the presentation of the contents of this book. We did not follow any fixed word-count for our entries. We have chosen the images and the layouts according to our individual preferences. Some pages are more visual than others. Some sections incorporate scholarly approaches, while most of the sections are the reflections of our initial responses as new readers of e-lit. In addition, the responses of the authors are influenced by their respective life experiences, since the authors come from different national, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. We not only endeavored to sustain multiple perspectives and preferences, but also tried to create a form of collaboration that is more liberating and is respectful to individual choices and viewpoints.
  
  We also endeavored to maintain ethical use of intellectual properties. We have used images from new Creative Commons Search (CC Search) and old CC search results that are “labeled for reuse.” In terms of the e-lit pieces, we have taken screenshots from different pieces and embedded the images on our Scalar book. Also, we tried to find images that make some form of statement about Electronic Literature. For example, for most of the sections, the background image is a picture of a kindle on a colorful embroidered quilt. As mentioned above, we were intrigued by the aspect that Electronic Literature incorporates earlier literary and aesthetic practices, while exploring newer aesthetic forms and practices. We believe that this background image exemplifies this spirit of Electronic Literature.
  
  Finally, we have used Scalar platform keeping in mind our purpose of creating a non-linear, multi-modal, and collaborative project, that allows for greater author-audience interactions and engagements. We agree with Tara McPherson, who argues in A Feminist in a Software Lab that, Scalar allows the authors greater flexibility of form and structure and helps create scholarly arguments in more creative ways.
  
  This book is a work-in-progress. As we continue working on this book, we will add more sections on e-lit pieces and theoretical essays. Also, we need to add more analysis and discussion questions in each section in Chapter 1. The current responses in Chapter 1 consist of mostly summaries and a few reflective questions at the end of each section and exemplify our initial endeavors in grappling with the scholarly research in Electronic Literature. In addition, we plan to add two more chapters to our book. In the fourth chapter, we will explore more e-lit pieces based on our respective research interests, including visual studies, postcolonial theory, decolonial pedagogy, feminist rhetoric, and critical race theory. For chapter five, we are planning to produce a collaborative e-lit piece on Twine and various social media platforms. We will also embed a group traversal of our collaborative e-lit piece in chapter five. Moreover, once we add those chapters to this book, we will update the “Authors’ Bios” section. At present, this section only includes the images and basic information about the authors of this book. We will add descriptions about how we have approached Electronic Literature from our individual research interests and what contributions we have made in the creation of this book. Currently, the introduction to this book briefly explains some of these issues. Also, we will create opportunities for our audience to comment on different sections of our book, so that we can develop our project further. Finally, we are planning to learn coding and styling from Greg Philbrook, so that we can improve the design and layout of this book.