A book launch party for “Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature” by Dene Grigar and Stuart Moulthrop begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Nouspace-Angst Gallery, 1015 Main St. The multimedia, open-source Web book relates the history of electronic literature.
Grigar is associate professor and director of the Creative Media and Digital Culture Program at Washington State University Vancouver. Moulthrop is professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Created for an array of digital devices, the Web book was released June 1 for free download through the open-source platform Scalar at http://scalar.usc.edu/works/pathfinders.
“Pathfinders” consists of four of the earliest computer-based fictional works performed by the authors on vintage computer systems. The works represent the cultural impact of digital technologies on experimental writing, video games, cinema and virtual reality experiences. The project features 173 screens of content, 53,857 words, 104 videos and 203 color photos and audio files.
The works were among the first to be sold commercially in the U.S. The project was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
