Photos of Richard Smyth's "Genetis: A Rhizography"
The photos of Genetis: A Rhizography are taken from The Eastgate Review of Hypertext (Vol. 2, No. 4, 1996) that contains Smyth's work, along with Robert Kendall's animated poem, A Life Set for Two (featured in Rebooting Electronic Literature Volume 1). Dene Grigar owns and holds several copies of this work in her library in the Electronic Literature Lab.
Genetis: A Rhizography Folio, Front
The front folio of the Fall 1996 issue of The Eastgate Quarterly Review of Hypertext, which contains both Genetis: A Rhizography and Robert Kendall's A Life Set for Two, is dominated by a visibly pixelated picture of the sun setting or rising over water; the resolution of the image increases gradually as it approaches the bottom of the folio. The top title contains both information about the issue (it is Volume 2, Edition 4) and the price of the Review: $19.95. Authors are listed before titles, and the text of both is held between three sets of faint gray horizontal lines that zag and zig at right angles across the cover.
Genetis: A Rhizography Folio, Back
The back cover of the folio contains text describing both works in the Fall 1996 issue, A Life Set for Two and Genetis: A Rhizography. A description of Genetis as an example of "what Gregory Ulmer calls the mystory" and testament to "the power of writing in desperate circumstances" is accompanied, in a larger font, by two quotes from the text itself, the last of which is: "if this sounds like too much for you, go read a book." At the bottom of the cover is Eastgate Systems' logo and contact information, including the phone numbers, mailing address, and emailing address of the publishing house next to a box holding the work's ISBN number and a bar code to be scanned at the point of purchase.
Genetis: A Rhizography Folio, Open
The open first page of the Fall 1996 issue of The Eastgate Quarterly Review of Hypertext features text advertising subscriptions to the Quarterly Review ("four incomparable issues just $49.95") on the obverse of the cover, followed below by the contact information and logo of Eastgate Systems, Inc. Facing this text is the cover a paper booklet, which has the titles of the authors and works included and the title of the Quarterly Review on it.
Genetis: A Rhizography Folio, Front and Back
The front and back of the folio are again shown. The narrow spine of the folio carries the review's name, the last names of the two contributors (Kendall and Smyth), and "Eastgate Systems, Inc."
Genetis: A Rhizography CD-ROM
The CD-ROM for Genetis: A Rhizography is colored maroon, with a series of white rings that progress from its center to the lower right side, as with many of the CD-ROMs distributed by Eastgate Systems, Inc. Curving along one of the lower rings is small white text that reads “commodity-firmness-delight” in a sans-serif font; in an upper ring, “www.eastgate.com." “Eastgate” is printed in white on the left side of the disc, barely above the center, in a serif font.
Genetis: A Rhizography CD-ROM and Sleeve
This photo displays the CD-ROM for Genetis: A Rhizography within the sleeve. The front of the sleeve has a circle cut out of it, shielded in transparent plastic so as to showcase the CD-ROM inside. Visible at the top of the sleeve is the sticker from the back folded over onto the front, with a maroon sans-serif font that reads “Copyright ©1996 by Eastgate Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized sale or distribution of this material is expressly prohibited."
Genetis: A Rhizography Sleeve, Back
The CD-ROM for Genetis: A Rhizography comes in a square white paper sleeve. The back is sealed with a white sticker printed in maroon ink. The sticker is printed with the name of the Quarterly Review and the two works and authors in the issue, each on its own line with the authors' names appearing first on the left side. A thick maroon line separates the aforementioned content, approximately one-third of the way from the bottom of the sticker from the text below it. Inside this maroon line reads “SERIOUS HYPERTEXT from”, in a white serif font, aligned center, with the first two words in all caps. Below the maroon line is the logo of Eastgate Systems, Inc. on the left side, with contact information on the right. The logo comprises about one-fourth of the sticker’s horizontal space. It is a hand-drawn brick wall with a decorative arch in its center. The contact information on the right side reads “Eastgate Systems” in a serif font. “I N C” is printed directly to the right of it, with each letter cascading downward towards the right in a staircase effect. Below in smaller text reads the physical address of Eastgate Systems, Inc.: “134 Main St., Watertown, MA 02172” followed by two phone numbers underneath: “(800) 562-1638” and (617) 924-9044”.