Technoculture and Technotexts
ENG 178 A:
Perspectives in the
Study of American Culture
UCLA, Spring 2008
Dr. Jessica
Pressman
|
Lectures: M W 12-1:50, PP
2214 |
Jessicapressman@sbcglobal.net |
|
Office Hours: M W 11-12
and by appointment, Hum 207 |
Office phone (during
office hours only): x68614 |
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines how
new media technologies affect literature and reading practices. We will read contemporary works of both print
and digital literature to explore how digital technologies shape aesthetics and
challenge our expectations about what literature is and what it does. The first
half of the quarter is dedicated to exploring how new media technotexts
and their influence on the culture of reading. The second half of the quarter
examines how contemporary print novels respond to the threat and/or inspiration
of new media in the reading technology of the bound book.
REQUIRED
Danielewski, Mark. Only
Revolutions (2006)
Plant, Sadie. Zeros + Ones (1997)
Plascencia,
REQUIREMENTS
2 Short Essays (2-3
pages): First, 15%, Second, 25%=40%
1 Longer Essay (4-5 pages)= 40%
Final Exam= 20%
READING SCHEDULE
Week 1: The Context
March 31: Introduction
April 2: Robert Coover, “The End of Books” (New York Times article)
[handout]
Timothy
Egan “Book Lust” (New York Times article) [handout]
Week 2: Media Histories and His-stories
April 7: Sadie Plant, Zeros + Ones
April 9: Sadie Plant, Zeros + Ones
Week 3: New Readers and
April 14: Jorge Luis Borges,
“The Library of Babel” [handout]
Mark Marino, “Marginalia in the Library of Babel” (online)
http://writerresponsetheory.org/wordpress/about/mark-marino/marginalia-in-the-library-of-babel
April 16: Jorge Luis Borges,
“The Library of Babel” [handout]
Mark Marino, “Marginalia in the Library of Babel” (online)
http://writerresponsetheory.org/wordpress/about/mark-marino/marginalia-in-the-library-of-babel
FIRST ESSAY DUE
Week 4: New Poetics and Reading Strategies
April 21: William Poundstone,
“Project for the Tachistoscope [Bottomless Pit]” (online)
http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/poundstone__project_for_tachistoscope_
bottomless_pit.html
Young-hae Chang Heavy Industries, “All
Fall Down” (online) www.yhchang.com
April 23: Ingrid Ankerson and Megan Sapnar “Cruising” (online)
http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/ankerson_sapnar__cruising.html
Jodi Zelllen and Deena
Larsen, “Going Through the Signs” (online)
http://machinepoetics.com/page_space/experiment/zellen-larsen
The Novel’s Response
Week 5: Characters Revolt
April 28: People of Paper
April 30: People of Paper
Week 6: Language and Semiotics
May 5: People of Paper
May 7: Raw Shark Texts
SECOND ESSAY DUE
Week 7: Text Attacks
May 12: Raw Shark Texts
May 14: Raw Shark Texts
Week 8: The Book Revolts
May 19: Only Revolutions
May 21: Only Revolutions
Week 9: The Book Revolts
May 26: Memorial Day, no
class
May 28: Only Revolutions
FINAL ESSAY DUE
Week 10: Conclusion and Final
June 2: Conclusion and
Review
June 4: last class (FINAL EXAM)