Woah. My eyes burn a bit. I feel like this is what people describe as a bad psychedelic trip. There is so much going on it’s hard to digest at the start. Also, I started out with the artist statement, which was really well put together and made extremely valid points about power vs. strength. There is absolutely power in strength. No matter what way one might show it. I’m also grateful that the author acknowledged the “game” label because it could easily be misunderstood, or disrespectful to the issues discussed.

Anyway, starting out with that beautifully written opening piece, I did not expect the Zine to be that chaotic. However, once I navigated through a few pages, I noticed that it was just the aesthetics that were chaotic. The actual content of the piece was intriguing, thought-provoking, and extremely comforting. A very interesting contrast, and realistic. Having intrusive thoughts feels just as overwhelming as the aesthetics in this zine but, just as the title and the written content of the work reminds us, everything is going to be OK.

A lot of the themes discussed emphasize the need to fight to exist and persistence. I’ve included a screenshot of an example of that below. I think this ties in with the artist statement about strength and how it can simply be defined by the act of living, or holding your ground through all the obstacles (ex. erasure, oppression, & extermination).

I think the fact that the piece is a celebration of “simply being here,” is what makes it such a motivating and comforting piece. We’ve all been through our own obstacles, no matter what they are, & it feels nice to be recognized for persisting through them and to be told “Everything is Going to Be OK”.

Alright, well… of course I’m going to write about Everything is Going to Be OK, because it is joyously morbid with an underlining heft of “we’re all fucked.” I’m a pretty cynical person, sometimes optimistically existential, sometimes depressingly so. But I really dig the cutesy humor on the surface to all of this, and the artwork pops so much that it never depresses me while experiencing the work. Afterwards, I reflected on my emotions in a way that is elated, despite the heft of “negativity” that I acknowledge is inside me while doing so.

I would compare this akin to watching something like David Lynch’s Eraserhead or Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession, where the works are not necessarily intending to make you feel like shit, but there are realizations and subconscious tacklings and tinglings that awaken a deeper sense of the the deeper within ourselves that may seem ugly, especially to those outside. However, for me, an elation does extend from works such as these in just how subconsciously and revelatory I can feel as a result of them, and feel so strongly in doing so. In reality, everything just IS, so perhaps a bit of joy can arise from that, a chaotic joy. The sort of joy where we let belief and inhibitions loose, let them breathe, and simply let them do. Consequences perhaps are just what they are, and they are just there, and significance is weightless.

The pancake resembling the common poop emoji had me rolling.

The imposing dread of potential destruction expressed throughout this bold piece of e-lit is a commentary on electronic literature as a whole, is it not? I mean, one of the characters points out the potential of Javascript KILLING US ALL. I am curious as to how much, and what specific aspects of it, will gradually fade and/or deteriorate over time. A considerable amount of effort obviously went into this colorfully bombastic bomb-reseblant piece. So what does it mean for it to gradually deteriorate over time, simply by being? Do I believe that the author-artist(s) will feel the heft of this, or will new works take a possessively cherished place in their hearts? Have they already? Will my memory serve me justly if I return to the set but impendingly technologically restricted work ten-fifteen-twenty years from now? Why do I care so much? Do I care enough? What would KanYe West think if he were to be enamored with the piece? Would Prince come back from the dead and become The Human Formerly Known As if its lifesource was attached to his? How depthful is our connection to art and creation truly? Does it extend well beyond us? Is ownership real? Is anything ever really ours? Is anything ever really?

I absolutely loved the Black Out Poetry tool by Jazar Chand! As someone who has curated lesson plans surrounding Black Out Poetry, I found this tool to be a great asset to any English classroom. This is a great resource for teachers looking for ways to engage students in writing, especially poetry. Students often dread taking on the task of writing poetry. This tool allows students to explore poetry beyond strict rules of structure, complicated language and literary devices. The site was incredibly easy to navigate with a smooth interface that did not require any downloads or add-on extensions, making it ideal for students using school owned devices or devices in public places.

The site allows uses to navigate the writing through “modes of interaction”: Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis, Symbiosis and Visual. At each stage of interaction the user has the ability to choose the level of computer/bot contribution, “Thesis” being the only mode in which the user selected text on his/her own and the mode I found most appealing. While the other modes of interaction were interesting many of the poems composed with high level bot contribution weren’t very cohesive.

Regardless of my own personal preferences, each mode created a sense of inquiry between me and the actual text and functions surrounding it. I wanted to know how each mode worked and why each mode was given its specific name. I believe at heart that is what electronic literature is all about, increasing user to text and engagement and above all create a spirit of query that flourishes.

I have always found blackout poetry to be interesting. I have always felt that blackout poetry says a lot with only a few words. The few words that are highlighted says more than 1000 words could. That’s just my thoughts on it.

I think I was expecting it to be as interactive as High Muck A Muck, it was interactive but in such a different way and I enjoyed it.

I loved that after watching the video, I was able to make my own blackout poetry. I started with The Great Gatsby which seemed to focus on family. I was able to pick out a few words that I felt stood out in the piece.

Here is my presentation paper. Looking forward to being in discussion about Nathalie Lawhead’s EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK with everyone tonight.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nMN9QzgBU34ciclw3X-zqxVO_zkchxMjfzsvjHuQIoE/edit?usp=sharing

From the moment I clicked this piece of elit, I know it was going to be a weird acid trip of an experience. I appreciate all the colors that are attached to this piece. It’s important when the subject matter is tackling such a significant topic. I enjoyed the introduction of the main characters, Alien-Melon, and Tat Ghoul. I like that it helped the reader navigate thought this work.

I like that the artists added humor in a subtle way. For instance, the green skull and bone hand that are used as toggles as well as the bones falling when something is loaded on the screen. I also liked that Tat Ghoul sounded like a weird Pokémon The humor of this piece really makes this an enjoyable read. I like the creepy skeleton slinking about at the edge of the graveyard. Also, the flying bat clickable links and the dancing skeleton with a shovel. 

Tat Ghoul and I share a love for the cemetery. I spent my youth hanging out in graveyards often. To this day I find them more peaceful and welcoming than any church. I like how each gravestone had a heart hologram on it when you hoovered over them. But the question mark cursor is my favorite little add on. I thought the imagery of Blue Suburbia was ominous and creepy but great. I also like that they played Beethoven in the background. 

The topic of death is prevalent here. Yet it deals with it in a humorous kind of way. It makes light of a very heavy subject matter. It is a part of life, and everyone must deal with death eventually in their lifetime. I also think it is a great way to represent depression and sadness in a less textbook medical way and more of a down to earth relatable way. 

This week both readings were truly different, but truly grabbed my attention each with the authors content. I showed me to different approaches that can be taken in E-lit, still fit the genre of E-literature, but can still be different in so many ways. Throughout this genre i have learned many different approaches so far throughout this semester, and with the wide variety I feel the authors always do what works best for them. Each of these compelling pieces both had a unique spin a ordinary ideas that we as writers may take for granted at times.

“If approached form this point of view then it is an obvious conclusion that you should be celebrated simply for being here”. This quote comes from the Artist Statement in “Everything is Going to Be Okay” that really spoke out to me even before I started the reading, but I really grew to understand it as I started the piece. The author believes in the idea that when it comes to victims of trauma, abuse, and depression are survivors which is opposite of what most people think on this topic. I felt this was a good way to portray this entire topic in whole and enlighten those who may not be aware of how deep this subject could possibly be.

I watched the initial video and was slightly confused at first. I wasn’t sure what was going on honestly. Only certain parts were meant to hear though as i look deeper into the entire piece. The bunny was introduced to us here and I truly liked how the author picked such a harmless creature, in look and action, and went with the theme of depression and trauma. She said she wanted to make it more fantasy, but she still portrayed the message with something that represents almost the opposite of it in a way. I also enjoyed how the entire work was a extension and it wasn’t all within the browser. I want to learn how to do this myself, possibly for the final project within this class. I thought it added a layer a depth, but also if we speak about the tech side gave here room to add the graphics she was trying to achieve.

Each “page” or click of this work really allowed for the reader to see another layer of this work unfold. She used game, stories, the readers input, and many other interactive models to portray this message. Unfolding the work was also up to the readers choice as everything was scattered around. This offers a unique reading experience for each reader, and I feel it keeps you engaged and wondering what might be coming next. I took an image from one part that i will leave below.

This is just one example of the work readers were able to create during this work. I feel this piece was a great telling of the people who have gone through things that may make them feel. like they don’t want to be here anymore, and for those who may not feel this deeply but still may have bad thoughts.

Blackout Poetry Tool was a unique twist on poetry and a great way I felt the author may have used their favorite pieces to influence this. An idea that seemed so simple but it made such an impact on the idea of what poetry could be. It allowed me to honestly dive deep into a way to see how other people see poetry as well.

So the way it works is at first you click your way into a poem, then the bot chooses, then the bot and you choose together, next you choose one the bot chooses one, and the last one the bot picks something that is already given.

With both of these you can clearly see how I thought of the words i chose carefully. The bot was very random, but both pieces could be used as poems you could possibly find meaning in. I like the idea of the bot being random, because I felt I may have thought about it to much. I truly enjoyed the entire experience of this piece because although it was simple it could offer a lot of potential insight.