English 2204 / Summer 2010

“Digital Storytelling”

 

FOR THURSDAY 7/15/2010:

 

First, so we have some common experiences to start with and discuss, I would like all of us to view (“read”) the following digital texts stories:

“Digital Storytelling” on Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling

“Electronic Literature” on Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_literature

“Shyam Sharm” @ http://ryantrauman.com/blog/?p=122

“Cookies: A Cautionary Tale” @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5nhoZpThPw

“Mind the Gap” @

 

Second, if you want a good laugh at the expense of your professor, you might consider viewing the following “attempts”:

His adaptation – or recreation, or criticism, or interpretation, or performance – of Walt Whitman’s poem, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” using VoiceThread @ http://voicethread.com/share/220308/ or @ http://teachingscott.blogspot.com/2008/10/walt-whitmans-astronomer-poem.html

His attempt – using his cat, his wife, a digital camera and iMovie – to explain the writing process, titled “Charm’s Writing Process” @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0GoKhgEZwo or @ http://teachingscott.blogspot.com/2008/11/charms-writing-process.html

His blog also has various explanations, examples, and reflections on the things he did in his classes at the U of MN @ http://teachingscott.blogspot.com/

 

Third, last summer, students in this class found and presented the following “stories.” You might try out some or all of these:

“Inanimate Alice #1 (China)” @ http://www.inanimatealice.com/

“Inanimate Alice #2 (Italy)” @ http://www.inanimatealice.com/

“The Breathing Wall” @ http://www.thebreathingwall.com/

“Red Riding Hood” @ http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/leishman__redridinghood.html

“The American Dream” @ http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/pop_culture.html

“Chartres Cathedral” @ http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/engines_of_our_ingenuity.html

“Time and Efficiency” @ http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/engines_of_our_ingenuity.html

 

Four, spend some time exploring “Digital Storytelling and Literature” at the following sites.  Try to find and view 5-10 other digital stories of your choice, and pick 2-3 of your “favorites.”

Definitely explore the University of Houston’s Digital Storytelling site @ http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/

Also definitely explore the Electronic Literature Association’s Digital Literature Collection @ http://collection.eliterature.org/1/

This Digital Storytelling and Literature wiki, created by pre-service English teachers at the U of MN, definitely has some digital storytelling examples @ http://ci5461teachingwriting.pbwiki.com/Digital+Literacy+Projects

This Digital Storytelling wiki by John Evans might have some examples and tutorials @ http://joevans.pbwiki.com/Digital+Storytelling

Explore “New River Journal,” for digital literature and art, @ http://www.cddc.vt.edu/journals/newriver/

Explore “Space,” a student-run journal with digital productions, @ http://2008space.googlepages.com/

Explore “Blackbird,” a student-run literature and arts journal, @ http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/

Explore “Inanimate Alice,” a digital novel, @ http://www.inanimatealice.com/

Explore “The Breathing Wall” @ http://www.thebreathingwall.com/

Explore “Digital Dime Novels” @ http://writing.borngraphics.com/indexN.htm

Explore “We Tell Stories,” digital fiction from Penguin, @ http://www.wetellstories.co.uk/

Explore Cory Doctorow’s “Little Brother,” a free download novel about internet control, @ http://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/

Explore “Literary Worlds,” virtual literary worlds for specific literary texts, where you can research, interact, and role play @ http://brn227.brown.wmich.edu/literaryworlds/

I have also found mention of Maxine Fung’s adaptation or recreation of Brecht’s My Brother Was a Pilot but I have not found it.  What I’ve found is @ http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/HistoryWired/Landow/LandowTwentyMinutes.html

I have also found mention of Stuart Moulthrop’s interactive novel, Victory Garden, but apparently one must download it @ http://www.eastgate.com/catalog/VictoryGarden.html and @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Garden_%28novel%29

Finally, while this site is still, even after one year, “under construction,” at one time the DUSTY (Digital Underground Storytelling for Youth) Site was well known @ http://oaklanddusty.org/

 

Finally, when you have finished browsing all of the above links, please answer the following questions and BRING your responses with you to class.  Your responses can be either typed or hand-written, and they can be in “rough-draft” prose.  I’m more interested in your ideas than in grammar, etc.!

 

Wrap-Up Writing for Digital Storytelling / Literature:

1.) What is the best thing that you read/viewed today, and why?  (Be sure to include the title and web address of the site!)  Be prepared to show and talk about this in class!  For example:

2.) What is the worst thing that you read/viewed today, and why?  (Be sure to include the title and web address of the site!)

3.) Add to our collective body of knowledge of “Digital Storytelling” and ANYTHING ELSE RELATED – such as video and audio production and editing, Flash, etc. – by listing one or more sites, tools, etc. that YOU visit/read/view frequently, and be prepared to talk about these sites in class.  It can be anything!  You are the expert here!

4.) Do you like / prefer the “interactive nature” of some of these digital stories?  Are they almost like “games”?

5.) What kind(s) of “video” do you like / prefer in digital stories?  Or are “still images” and “graphics” better for you?

6.) What kind(s) of “audio” do you like / prefer in digital stories?  Voice-overs?  Music?  Special effects?  Other?

7.) Do digital stories “need” a beginning, a middle, and an ending?  In other words, do they need to follow the “traditional story arc” (a.k.a. “Freytag’s Pyramid”)?  How would you “classify” other / non-traditional storylines?

8.) What are your overall impressions of digital storytelling/literature?  Does it have value?  (How?  Why or why not?)  Does this kind of storytelling deserve a place in this class?  (Why or why not?)  Will you explore hypertext storytelling/literature further?  (Why or why not?)

 

OTHER RESOURCES for Graphic Fiction / Novels and Comics:

“Graphic Novel” on Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel

“Comics” on Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics

“Comic Strip” on Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_strip

“Comic Book” on Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_book

Comic Book Database @ http://comicbookdb.com/

Links to newspaper comic strips and political cartoons @ http://www.ucomics.com/comics/

1043 comic strips/panels @ http://dmoz.org/Arts/Comics/Comic_Strips_and_Panels/

145 online comic books @ http://dmoz.org/Arts/Comics/Online/Comic_Books/

ImageText: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, @ http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext

New York City Comic Book Museum @ http://www.nyccomicbookmuseum.org/main.htm

Columbia University’s Graphic Novels site @ http://columbiauniversity.us/cu/lweb/eguides/graphic_novels/index.html

ALAN Review, an article on graphic novels, @ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4063/is_200501/ai_n13486860/pg_3

No Flying, No Tights, a review website for teens, @ http://www.noflyingnotights.com/

NBC’s “Heroes,” a TV show employing graphic design, @ http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/novels/novels_library.shtml