@brandonluc01
Katherine Hayle’s article “Electronic Literature: What is it?” she discusses what properties of Electronic Literature make it distinguishable from that of print literature. Hayles makes it very clear that in order for anything to be E-Lit, it has to be “digital born.” She defines digital born as “a first-generation digital object created on a computer and meant to be read on a computer.” The common purpose artists creating digitally born pieces is to utilize the mediums of computers to convey messages to the multiple senses of the viewer. The most common medias used in E-Lit is audio and video. Artists can include videos or audio to accentuate the meaning of their poems and stories. One of the most distinguishing characteristic of E-Lit is how it uses hypertext to eliminate the linear reading style of print literature. Hypertext “offers the reader complete freedom to skip around, go backwards as well as forwards” thus making the reader in control of their reading experience.
The poem “Shy Boy”, by Thom Swiss, is not print because of it’s many characteristics that define it as an electronic literature. The poem contains a music track and an assortment of background noises which give the poem an ominous tone. The poem also includes visual effects such as disappearing text and reappearing shades of grey and black. These effects accentuate the loneliness of the character in the poem. This poem utilizes both visual and sound mediums of the computer to portray messages of the poem. Finally this poem eliminates the linear reading style of print by having the text appear on the screen out of order rather than running from top to bottom. “Shy Boy” is a great example of E-Lit.