Rebooting Electronic Literature Volume 3: Documenting Pre-Web Born Digital Media

Photos of Stuart Moulthrop's "Victory Garden"

The photos of Stuart Moulthrop's Victory Garden found in this chapter are copies Grigar owns and holds in her library in the Electronic Literature Lab. Thanks to a recent donation by Terry Harpold to her collection, she now owns all versions of the work.

Versions 1.1 and 2.1 (1991) Folio, Green Vinyl, Front


This vinyl folio is dark green in color, printed in gold ink. Along the top reads "STUART MOULTHROP" within a gold rectangle, followed by "VICTORY GARDEN" in stencil font, aligned center. The bottom-right corner is occupied by a jet plane sketched in ink.
 

Versions 1.1 and 2.1 (1991) Folio, Green Vinyl, Back

The back of the folio is also green and printed in gold ink. In the top half are two quotes from various Electronic Literature authors, which are as follows:

"Up all night, reading, unable to take my eyes of this thing. Brilliant giggly stonemad high technomysticism!"
          —John McDaid
     author of Uncle Buddy's Phantom Funhouse

"The sad, sweet, synchronous truth of the day-to-day stories of all of us at war."
          —Michael Joyce
     author of Afternoon, a story

The bottom half of the folio contains a summary of Victory Garden and contact information for Eastgate Systems, Inc.:

"This is not a game. We aren't playing anymore.

Victory Garden will change the way you look at electronic fiction. A dazzling interactive epic about ordinary folk and the Day The War Began, this cybernetic masterpiece will be required reading when your grandchildren go to college."

The contact information for Eastgate Systems, Inc. is separated by a horizontal rule. Their iconic logo of a brick wall occupies the left-hand side of the folio, while contact information is displayed in the right:

"Eastgate Systems, Inc.
CIVILIZED SOFTWARE
PO Box 1307
Cambridge MA 02238
(617) 924-9044     (800) 562-1638"
 

Versions 1.1 and 2.1 (1991) Folio, Green Vinyl, Open

  The left sleeve of the green vinyl folio contains two pamphlets regarding the Storyspace authoring software (one blue, one red) and a blue floppy for Stuart Moulthrop's Victory Garden. Contained within the right sleeve is the cover of the instructional booklet for operating Victory Garden. The booklet is made of white paper and printed on in black ink. At the top and center of the booklet reads "Stuart Moulthrop", followed by "VICTORY GARDEN" in a stencil font. Underneath reads the following, center-aligned:

with an Introduction by Michael Joyce
and
"Are we reading yet"
by J. Yellowlees Douglas

Beneath this block of text is a quote in italics, contained within a rectangle with a thick black border:

"Like many graduate students in that part of the world, Emily had made commitments to her Uncle to finance the work on her degree. In September of 1990, Uncle sent a letter calling in the chit."
 
Underneath is the copyright information, aligned left:
"©1991 by Stuart Moulthrop, Software © 1987-1991 by Eastgate Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication by any means without express written consent is prohibited."

At the bottom of the booklet cover is the contact information for Eastgate Systems, Inc., with their iconic logo of a brick wall and entryway to the right. The contact information reads as follows:

Published and distributed by
Eastgate Systems, Inc.
PO Box 1307
Cambridge, MA 02238
(800) 562-1638
+1 (617) 924-9044

Versions 1.1 and 2.1 (1991) Floppy Disk, Blue, Front

A blue floppy disk accompanies the green vinyl folio for Victory Garden. A white label occupies the upper half of the floppy, the upper third of which is maroon in color. Printed in the maroon space reads "CIVILIZED SOFTWARE from Eastgate Systems, Inc." "Victory Garden by Stuart Moulthrop" is printed on the right-hand side of the label, center-aligned. Underneath the work's title is Stuart Moulthrop's signature written in black ink, followed by "167/250" to signify that the floppy is imprint number 167 of 250. The bottom-left corner reads "Eastgate Systems, Inc. PO Box 1307, Cambridge MA 02238." The bottom-right corner contains two phone numbers, (800) 562-1638 and (617) 924-9044.
 

Versions 1.1 and 2.1 (1991) Floppy Disk, Blue, Back


The maroon portion of the label on the front of the floppy disk folds over to the back of the disk. White text reads "©1991 by Stuart Moulthrop. All Rights Reserved. Storyspace is a trademark and CIVILIZED SOFTWARE is a service mark of Eastgate Systems, Inc."
 

Versions 1.2 and 2.2 (1992) Folio, Grey Vinyl, Front

The vinyl folio is grey in color, printed on in green ink. Text at the top highlighted in green reads "STUART MOULTHROP," with "VICTORY GARDEN" printed underneath in a stencil font.
 

Versions 1.2 and 2.2 (1992) Folio, Grey Vinyl, Back

The back of the folio is also grey in color, and printed in green ink. In the top half are two quotes from Electronic Literature authors John McDaid and Stuart Moulthrop, which are as follows:

"Up all night, reading, unable to take my eyes of this thing. Brilliant giggly stonemad high technomysticism!"
          —John McDaid
     author of Uncle Buddy's Phantom Funhouse

"The sad, sweet, synchronous truth of the day-to-day stories of all of us at war."
          —Michael Joyce
     author of Afternoon, a story

The bottom half of the folio displays a summary of Victory Garden and contact information regarding Eastgate Systems, Inc.:

"This is not a game. We aren't playing anymore.

Victory Garden will change the way you look at electronic fiction. A dazzling interactive epic about ordinary folk and the Day The War Began, this cybernetic masterpiece will be required reading when your grandchildren go to college."

The contact information for Eastgate Systems, Inc. is separated by a horizontal rule. Their iconic logo of a brick wall occupies the left-hand side of the folio, while contact information is displayed in the right:

"Eastgate Systems, Inc.
CIVILIZED SOFTWARE
PO Box 1307
Cambridge MA 02238
(617) 924-9044     (800) 562-1638"
 

Versions 1.2 and 2.2 (1992) Folio, Grey Vinyl, Open, with Version 1.2 Floppy Disk


Within the folio's grey vinyl interior are installation instructions for Windows users, a black floppy disk containing Victory Garden version 1.2, and a general instructional booklet for navigating and contextualizing the work. Starting with the left sleeve of the folio, the Windows instructional booklet reads "Special Information for Windows Users" followed by "Installing Your Hypertext" across the top. The black floppy disk is kept within the same sleeve, and is configured for Macintosh systems. Contained in the right sleeve of the vinyl is the general instructional booklet, where "Stuart Moulthrop" is printed followed by "VICTORY GARDEN" in a stencil font. Underneath reads the following, center-aligned:

with an Introduction by Michael Joyce
and
"Are we reading yet"
by J. Yellowlees Douglas

Beneath this block of text is a quote in italics, contained within a rectangle with a thick black border:

"Like many graduate students in that part of the world, Emily had made commitments to her Uncle to finance the work on her degree. In September of 1990, Uncle sent a letter calling in the chit."
 
Underneath is the copyright information, aligned left:
"©1991 by Stuart Moulthrop, Software © 1987-1991 by Eastgate Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication by any means without express written consent is prohibited."

At the bottom of the booklet cover is the contact information for Eastgate Systems, Inc., with their iconic logo of a brick wall and entryway to the right. The contact information reads as follows:

Published and distributed by
Eastgate Systems, Inc.
PO Box 1307
Cambridge, MA 02238
(800) 562-1638
+1 (617) 924-9044

Version 1.2 (1992) Floppy Disk, Macintosh, Front

The Windows version is contained in a black floppy disk. The first third of the label on the front is maroon in color, with white center-aligned text reading “CIVILIZED SOFTWARE” and “from Eastgate Systems, Inc.” underneath. The bottom two thirds of the label is in white. Eastgate System’s logo is on the left side, with maroon text on the right that says “Stuart Moulthrop VICTORY GARDEN.” The bottom right of the label reads:
“Eastgate Systems, Inc.
PO Box 1307, Cambridge MA 02238.”
The bottom right of the label says:
“(800) 562-1638
(617) 924-9044.”
 

Version 1.2 (1992) Floppy Disk, Macintosh, Back

The label on the front folds over to the back of the floppy disk. White text is placed over a maroon backdrop: “Copyright 2001 by Stuart Moulthrop. All Rights Reserved. Storyspace is a trademark and CIVILIZED SOFTWARE a service mark of Eastgate Systems, Inc.”
 

Versions 1.2 and 2.3 (1994) Folio, Cardboard, Front

This folio of Victory Garden is 9 inches by 6 inches in size with a cream colored background. The cover of the folio contains a black and white image of a canyon wall face, which covers the majority of the front. The words “VICTORY GARDEN” are placed haphazardly across the upper half of the cover, written in a cream stencil font over vibrant red squares. On the left-hand side between “VICTORY” and “GARDEN” is a white sticker with “Property of Katherine Hayles” printed in black. Underneath the work’s title in quotes center-aligned reads “...indispensible. No one has taken on the hard questions about hypertext and fiction or played so intransigently with the myriad possibilities and obstacles of this new art form has Stuart Moulthrop. —Robert Coover, New York Times Book Review.” White text highlighted in black the bottom of the folio displays “Stuart Moulthrop.” 
 

Versions 1.2 and 2.3 (1994) Folio, Cardboard, Back

Paragraph 1
The back of the folio is cream colored. The top of the folio in quotes reads “‘Victory Garden' may be the most rich and readable piece of hyperfiction yet published.’”
[Aligned right]
“ — Electronic Entertainment.” 
A series of red squares are concentrated below the quote behind each letter in “VICTORY,” in the same positioning as they were on the front of the cover, though the squares here are significantly smaller.

Paragraph 2
“‘Like many graduate students in that part of the world, Emily had made commitments to her Uncle to finance work on her degree. In September of 1990, Uncle sent a letter calling in the chit.’”

Paragraph 3
“Victory Garden is a maze of stories and connected lives, overlaid on a collage of the Gulf War and its media frenzy. Emily Runbird is a graduate student who has been called up to serve in the Persian Gulf. Underneath the parties, seductions, unsafe driving and academic politics lies every character’s worry about Emily and the war.”

Paragraph 4
The title is displayed at the center of the folio in an identical fashion to the front, though it is smaller.

Paragraph 5
“‘Moulthrop has used hyperfiction to link real and imagined fragments, allowing the reader to do what the media and the government made impossible: to explore the story of the war, and of ourselves, for ourselves.’"
[Aligned right]
"— Harry Goldstein, The Utne Reader"

Paragraph 6
“‘Victory Garden marks a new stage in hyperfiction’s development.’”
[Aligned right]
“—Robert Coover, The New York Times Book Review.”

Paragraph 7
A black line separates the content at the bottom of the folio. “For Windows™ or Macintosh™. Requires 1 MB RAM and a hard disk drive” is printed underneath. Two bubbles are placed before “Windows” and “Macintosh," which are meant signify that this particular version of Victory Garden is compatible with either a Windows or Macintosh system.

Paragraph 8
Eastgate Systems’ logo is placed at the bottom left of the folio, which is an ink drawing of a brick wall with an ornate passageway. To the right of the logo reads the following:
“Published by
Eastgate Systems INC [The letters I N C are arranged reminiscent to a descending staircase.]
134 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02172
(800) 562-1638
(617) 924-9044.”
The bottom right of the folio contains the ISBN number with a bar code. The ISBN number is 1-884511-03-1.
 

Versions 1.2 and 2.3 (1994) Folio, Cardboard, Open, with Version 2.3 Floppy Disk

The left and right pages contain pockets for storing floppy disks and an instructional booklet. The left page advertises a subscription to the Eastgate Quarterly Review of Hypertext. The rights side contains information regarding the Storyspace hypertext authoring system.
 

Version 2.3 (1994) Floppy Disk, Windows, Front

  The Windows version is contained in a grey floppy disk. A sticker that reads "Property of Katherine Hayles" is placed over the top left of the floppy. The first third of the floppy disk's label on the front is maroon in color, with white center-aligned text reading “CIVILIZED SOFTWARE” and “from Eastgate Systems, Inc.” underneath. The bottom two thirds of the label is in white. Eastgate System’s logo is on the left side, with maroon text on the right that says “Stuart Moulthrop VICTORY GARDEN.” The bottom right of the label reads:
“Eastgate Systems, Inc.
PO Box 1307, Cambridge MA 02238.”
The bottom right of the label says:
“(800) 562-1638
(617) 924-9044.”
 

Version 2.3 (1994) Floppy Disk, Windows, Back

  The label on the front folds over to the back of the floppy disk. White text is placed over a maroon backdrop:
“Copyright 2001 by Stuart Moulthrop. All Rights Reserved. Storyspace is a trademark and CIVILIZED SOFTWARE a service mark of Eastgate Systems, Inc.”
 

Booklet, Front

  The cover of the booklet reads "Stuart Moulthrop" with "VICTORY GARDEN" stenciled underneath. Below is displayed "with an Introduction by Michael Joyce and 'Are we reading yet' by J. Yellowlees Douglas." A box in the lower third of the folio cover contains italicized text: "Like many graduate students in that part of the world, Emily had made commitments to her Uncle to finance the work on her degree. In September of 1990, Uncle sent a letter calling in the chit." Copyright information and Eastgate Systems, Inc.'s contact are listed on the bottom left.
 

Booklet, Back

  The back presents the software license agreement, warranty and disclaimer, and copyright information for Eastgate Systems, Inc.
 

Booklet, Open

  The left page provides the installation instructions for running Victory Garden on a Macintosh computer (whether it be on models Plus, Classic or larger.) The right page informs the reader how to navigate the work, such as pressing the RETURN key to follow a linear path.
 

World Wide Web Sampler, Screenshot

The web version known as Victory Garden, World Wide Web Sampler  is simple in design, displaying a series of white pages with linked passages of the hypertext. This version is represented by a square sampler, which is green and orange in color. A black V and G occupy the upper left and bottom right corners respectively. In the center are a series of red and green pixels overlaying a light peach patch, reminiscent to stitches in a sampler . A row of small squares run along the top and bottom of the sampler. Straight red lines run throughout to create rectangular shapes of light green, dark green, and orange colors.

Version 4.1 (2002) Jewel Case, Front

The jewel case for Victory Garden displays a blurred photo of the American flag, creating a series of cream and maroon stripes down the front cover. The black silhouette of a woman serving the military is positioned on the left side, casting a shadow that stretches down towards the right corner. "Victory" and "Garden" occupies the upper-right corner of the cover, printed in black. The first word is aligned to the left while the second is aligned right and placed underneath the first. "stuart moulthrop" is printed in black text at the bottom-right corner of the cover.

Version 4.1 (2002) Jewel Case, Back

The back of the jewel case for Victory Garden uses the same blurred background of the American flag as  the front cover, though more of the navy blue color can be seen along the upper left-hand side. "Victory Garden" followed by "stuart moulthrop" is written in black across the top, the latter printed in smaller text. A summary of Victory Garden is displayed underneath:
"The Gulf War and its media frenzy serve as the backdrop for this sprawling tale of campus politics, seduction, war and dissent.

In the winter of 1991, Emily Runbird is compelled to leave graduate school for a position as postal clerk in the Gulf War. She also leaves her lover, another graduate student named Victor Gardner, who has more than his share of trouble on the home front after Jude Bush, an undergraduate with a curious past, embarks on a mad campaign to seduce him. Meanwhile, Emily has made it clear that her true love is Victor's middle-aged and possibly deranged thesis advisor, Boris Urquhart."

"Indispensable. No one has taken on the hard questions about hypertext and fiction or played so intransigently with the myriad possibilities and obstacles of this new art form as Stuart Moulthrop, its leading practitioner and theorist. The publication of his first full-length narrative work, Victory Garden, marks a new stage in hypertext fiction's development."
          —Robert Coover, New York Times Book Review

A bar code is positioned underneath and to the right of the summary. Written across the top is "ISBN 1-884511-03-1," and below "9 781884 511035 >." To the left of the bar code reads "Windows™ and Macintosh™. Requires Windows 95 or later, or Macintosh OS 7 or later."

Bottom center of the jewel case is the logo of Eastgate Systems, Inc., a hand-drawn brick wall and entryway. To the left of the logo is Eastgate Systems' contact information, with their address on the right:

(800) 562-1638
(617) 924-9044
FAX (617) 924-9051
E-MAIL info@eastgate.com
WEB http://www.eastgate.com/

Eastgate Systems INC
134 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
USA

Version 4.1 (2002) CD-ROM and Jewel Case, Open

The blurred backdrop of the American flag can still be seen on the left-hand side of the jewel case's interior. Reviews for Victory Garden are written in black text:
More praise for Victory Garden:

"Moulthrop has used hyperfiction to link real and imagined fragments, allowing the reader to do what the media and the government made impossible: to explore the story of the war, and of ourselves, for ourselves."
          —Harry Goldstein, Utne Reader

"Victory Garden may be the most rich and readable piece of hyperfiction yet published."
          —Electronic Entertainment

Copyright information for Victory Garden is written in smaller text below the reviews:

Victory Garden copyright ©1991-2002 by Stuart Moulthrop. Software copyright ©2002 by Eastgate Systems. Packaging and documentation copyright ©2002 by Eastgate Systems. All rights reserved. Package designed and produced by Terri Chang. Unauthorized sale or distribution of this material is expressly prohibited. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 are trademarks of the Microsoft Corp."

Similar to the cover, the logo of Eastgate Systems, Inc. occupies the bottom center of the jewel case, a hand-drawn brick wall and entryway. To the left of the logo is Eastgate Systems' contact information, with their address on the right:

(800) 562-1638
(617) 924-9044
FAX (617) 924-9051
E-MAIL info@eastgate.com
WEB http://www.eastgate.com/

Eastgate Systems INC
134 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
USA

The CD-ROM for Victory Garden is contained within the jewel case on the right-hand side. It displays the same blurred photograph of an American flag as the rest of the jewel case. Printed across the top in black is "Victory Garden", with "stuart moulthrop" underneath in smaller text aligned right. "COMPACT disc DIGITAL DATA" is printed in white just below the disc's center, followed by "For Macintosh or Windows." Underneath is the copyright information, also in white and center-aligned:

Victory Garden copyright ©1991-2002 by Stuart Moulthrop. Software copyright ©1991-2002 by Eastgate Systems. Unauthorized sale or distribution of this material is expressly prohibited.


At the bottom of the disc is Eastgate Systems' contact information, in black:

Eastgate Systems INC
(800) 562-1638     (617) 924-9044
www.eastgate.com
 

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