English 274-001
Literature and the Other Arts: Technology in Text & Culture
Instr: Ogburn, Cara
Office: CRT 529; 229-2972
e-mail: ceogburn@uwm.edu
Office hours: TBA
Course Information: MW; 2:00-3:15pm; CRT 127
Course Description
In this class we will consider the effects and implications recent information technologies (namely the various technologies made possible by the Internet) have had in and on literature (broadly conceived) and culture. This blanket question will lead to a variety of others including what "literature" might mean in a contemporary context, what representations of "our" culture might reveal to us, what these kinds of texts point forward, toward, or at (in terms of communication, art, social interactions), etc.
We will consider these ideas through literature (including alternative textual forms) and critical theory, as well as through the "new media" opportunities presented on the Internet (including hypertext, the role of the meme, blogs, filesharing networks, etc.). Though the class does not presuppose a knowledge of the forms being explored it will require an interest in thinking through and with computer technologies in new and critical ways.
Reading List (tentative):
Pattern Recognition, William Gibson
Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood
Microserfs, Douglas Coupland
Closer, Patrick Marber
Writing Machines, N. Katherine Hayles
V: WaveSon.nets and Losing L'una, Stephanie Strickland
Assorted Hypertexts, Critical Works (including, for example, Donna Haraway, Jean Beaudrillard, Richard Dawkins, Critical Art Ensemble), Music (mash-ups, etc), Movies (such as Bladerunner, Me and You and Everyone We Know, and more TBD).
This class will be writing intensive. There will be weekly response papers to the readings as well as three longer papers and possibly an in-class midterm essay exam.
