Arguably, the dominant form of literature in the twentieth century was prose fiction, of which the novel was a titan, if not a god. Indeed, there is something god-like about the novel and its relation to western civilization’s sense of identity and order.
Archive | (New) Media
RSS feed for this sectionMedia and New Media is something else I do as an English Professor. This also includes technostudies.
A Crisis of Interpretation
After September 11, 2001, the United States has arguably entered a continuum characterized by the capitalist drive to just do it. This is a zeitgeist that emphasizes action over thought — movement over contemplation. A trend toward anti-intellectualism had been growing since the last century, and the fact of terrorism seems to have been the final blow, toppling American thoughtfulness along with the twin towers.
Growing Up Digital (Redux)
I received my first computer when I graduated from high school: an Eagle PC. Instead of getting what I really wanted — an Apple Macintosh — I had to settle for a generic IBM clone.
Response & Revolution
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the digital age is its challenge to established systems of control. In many instances, monolithic media forms have encountered a wave of digital literacy that, tsunami-like, washes away political, social, and economic structures that have stood for years.
The New Store
Yesterday, with a bad case of insomnia, I was playing around with my Amazon Affiliates account. And while I’m sure some part of my brain was aware of this, I discovered that I could make my own store, and I did so on LitMUSE.
Faust, Mailer, and the Comfort of Evil
Lately, I’ve been feeling like Faust. You know, the guy who sells his soul to the devil to have experiences he otherwise would not have in his life of a scholar. Of course there are many differences between me and the legendary scholar, but, like Faust, in my striving for the ultimate meaning in the universe, the reality of of it often seems too, well, real.
A New Look
I have been ill for the past week. It always seems to happen at the beginning of the semester. Invariably, I touch one of the stinky, virus-infested keyboards and forget to wash my hands. It’s just like a Windoze peecee to give me a real virus. Probably something karmic. Being sick has allowed me to [...]
