HON 202-007 Reading Literature in the Digital Age

What happens when books become screens? When narrative turns into an interactive multimedia experience on a tablet? When reading becomes augmented by statistical analysis and data visualization? When literature is less written than composed as a form of new media art? When communities of readers interact with texts and each other through digital networks? This class invites students to ask these and more questions about how our texts, reading, and interpretive practices are changing in a digital age. We will examine electronic texts as well as experimental books and apps; read literature while exploring how computers can analyze and visualize language; and collaboratively document our experiences across a variety of social media platforms. Our works include classic as well as contemporary texts: some canonical, others experimental. This course requires no special technological skills beyond a basic familiarity with file management and the web. It welcomes students of any disciplinary persuasion, especially those curious to experiment in the classroom.