Literature 2.0

The emerging field of digital humanities calls for a revitalization of the study of literature. As we analyze texts, we seek meaning in order to superimpose that insight and make meaning of humanity. By embracing digital culture and opening ourselves to new ways of analyzing and studying literature, we can broaden the scope of our ability to find meaning. One of the best ways to do this is to change how we present and socialize our ideas. Traditionally, we read and interpret text, then we write about it. We incorporate scholarship, adding our own insights and engaging with the author of the scholarship. However, “engage” might not be the right word. More often than not, we present an authority’s ideas and show how they relate to our own ideas, then we move on to make our point. With the implementation of digital tools, we could revolutionize how we find, explore, and circulate literary meaning by integrating an iterative process into the practice of studying literature. This concept is what I would like to call literature 2.0.

A major step toward literature 2.0 is academic blogging. As laid forth by Dr. Gideon Burton, the three phases of academic blogging are: explore, develop, and launch.

·         Explore: Test the waters; experiment with different topics and come up with initial thoughts.

·         Develop: Begin narrowing your focus. Curate material. Seek social proof on your ideas.

·         Launch: Create something from your research that stands alone and is taken seriously. Find communities to join and provide input on the discussion.

The second stage is crucial to the development of novel ideas. Interacting with those who are informed on the subject gives a new plane on which to function; it allows you to discuss what has already been said, add your ideas, and then formulate new ones based on your findings. By teaching students to blog academically and apply these strategies to their research we can begin to take advantage of the wide range of tools that our digital culture has provided for analysis and enlightenment. Two examples of tools at our disposal are:

·        Social media: Websites that allow you to generate and share content. Students could learn to adapt the text in different ways in order to find new ways of interpreting a text. Instagram and Pinterest are examples.

·        Curation tools: Websites that allow you to collect content. Students could collect their research on these websites, which could include everything from articles, to visual elements, to links to external sites. Evernote, Diigo, and Storify are a few.

A marriage of traditional literary scholarship with literature 2.0 would yield a new generation of literature students who would experience a more comprehensive understanding of various texts. As our digitally-minded culture continues to progress, it is important to soldier forward with it and selectively utilize it to our benefit.