English 475 is organized into three relatively freestanding parts. You are free to explore each of these three parts in whichever order you wish.
Part One: Pasts, Presents, Futures by Carolyn Guertin
In this part of English 475 we will examine hypertext as an aesthetic and as artistic medium.
Entering the world of a new literacy, you will explore a diverse selection of texts in a burgeoning art form and a new medium for literature. Many of the links listed here include literary texts which are required reading for this course.
Part Two: The Politics of Hypertext by Monique Tschofen
In this part of the course we will examine the social, linguistic and political implications of hypertext as a rhetoric.
We will look critically at the competing arguments about the function, effects and value of hypertextual media. The larger debate about digital media and cyberculture is the context for our study. Most of the readings here are theoretical and refer back to many of the issues discussed in Part one.
Part Three: Hypertext and Literary Research by Steven Totosy
In this part of the course we will examine the impact of new media on the study of literature and the role of online research for the humanities. In the readings and the discussion we will consider the changing nature of the text, the author and the reader. Most of the readings are theoretical and reflect several of the issues raised in Parts One and Two of this course. The focus here is World Wide Web as a tool for literary exploration and research. The links are taken from the original text by Steven Totosy de Zepetnek.