Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature

FAIN: HD-51768-13

Electronic Literature Organization (Cambridge, MA 02139-4301)
Rudyne (Dene) Grigar (Project Director: October 2012 to May 2017)
Stuart A. Moulthrop (Co Project Director: October 2012 to May 2017)

The development of preservation strategies for born-digital literature, including capturing reading experiences of both the original authors as well as other readers, all to be incorporated in the Electronic Literature Directory.

The Pathfinders project records performances by authors and ordinary readers of key early works of electronic literature, and develops presentation strategies to make these recordings accessible and useful to scholars and teachers. In the process we 1) preserve vanishing cultural material; 2) develop new strategies for recording and disseminating that material; and 3) provide prototypes for similar work on other digital texts.

Media Coverage

(Media Coverage)
Date: 7/12/2016

(Media Coverage)
Date: 7/12/2016

(Review)
Date: 7/12/2016

Review of Traversals: The Use of Preservation for Early Electronic Writing (Review)
Publication: Leonardo Reviews
Date: 7/1/2018
URL: https://www.leonardo.info/review/2018/07/review-of-traversals-the-use-of-preservation-for-early-electronic-writing

Associated Products

First Pathfinder Arriving on July 8th (Blog Post)
Title: First Pathfinder Arriving on July 8th
Author: Dene Grigar
Abstract: Stuart Moulthrop, who for the last 25 years has produced many critically significant works of digital writing and art, is arriving for a series of videotaping, on July 8-9, at Washington State University Vancouver, and a public lecture on July 9th at Nouspace Gallery. The videotaping, taking place in the Electronic Literature Lab (ELL) located at the university, is aimed at producing a performance of his work that can be archived for posterity in international databases and made available in a multimedia web book.
Date: 6-24-2013
Primary URL: http://dtc-wsuv.org/wp/pathfinders
Primary URL Description: The URL is aimed at reporting and announcing the activities surrounding the "Pathfinders" project. It was created and is maintained by Dr. Dene Grigar for the purpose of the grant.
Blog Title: "Pathfinders" Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature"
Website: "Pathfinders" Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature"

Traversals: The Use of Preservation for Early Electronic Writing (Book)
Title: Traversals: The Use of Preservation for Early Electronic Writing
Author: Stuart Moulthrop
Author: Dene Grigar
Abstract: Moulthrop, Stuart and Dene Grigar. Traversals: The Use of Preservation for Early Electronic Writing. Forthcoming. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Publication date: spring 2017.
Year: 2017
Publisher: The MIT Press
Type: Multi-author monograph

Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature (Book)
Title: Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature
Author: Dene Grigar
Author: Stuart Moulthrop
Abstract: Grigar, Dene and Stuart Moulthrop. Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature. An open-source, multimedia book funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. June 2015. Access at: http://scalar.usc.edu/works/pathfinders.
Year: 2015
Primary URL: http://scalar.usc.edu/works/pathfinders
Access Model: Open-source
Type: Multi-author monograph
Copy sent to NEH?: No

Preservation Paths. A Review of Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature by Dene Grigar and Stuart Moulthrop. (Article)
Title: Preservation Paths. A Review of Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature by Dene Grigar and Stuart Moulthrop.
Author: Élika Ortega
Abstract: Ortega, Élika. “Preservation Paths. A Review of Pathfinders: Documenting the Experience of Early Digital Literature by Dene Grigar and Stuart Moulthrop.” Digital Literary Studies 1.1 (2016). https://journals.psu.edu/dls/article/view/59747.
Year: 2016
Primary URL: https://journals.psu.edu/dls/article/view/59747
Format: Other
Publisher: Digital Literary Studies

The Legacy of Judy Malloy (Book)
Title: The Legacy of Judy Malloy
Author: Dene Grigar
Editor: Maria Mencia
Abstract: Grigar, Dene. “The Legacy of Judy Malloy.” Forthcoming in #WomenTechLit. Ed. Maria Mencia. Morgantown, WV: The University of West Virginia Press. Essay submitted to volume.
Year: 2017
Publisher: The University of West Virginia Press
Type: Edited Volume
Copy sent to NEH?: No

Traversals: A Method of Preservation for Born-Digital Texts (Book)
Title: Traversals: A Method of Preservation for Born-Digital Texts
Author: Dene Grigar
Author: Stuart Moulthrop
Editor: Jentery Sayers
Abstract: Moulthrop, Stuart and Dene Grigar. “Traversals: A Method of Preservation for Born-Digital Texts.” The Routledge Companion to Media Studies and Digital Humanities. Ed. Jentery Sayers. NY, NY: Routledge Press. Essay submitted to volume.
Year: 2017
Publisher: Routledge Press
Type: Edited Volume
Copy sent to NEH?: No

Pathfinders: An Exhibit of Early Digital Literature and Its Impact (Exhibition)
Title: Pathfinders: An Exhibit of Early Digital Literature and Its Impact
Curator: Dene Grigar
Curator: Stuart Moulthrop
Abstract: Grigar, Dene and Stuart Moulthrop. “Pathfinders: An Exhibit of Early Digital Literature and Its Impact.” The 2014 Modern Language Association Conference. Chicago, IL; January 2014. My archival site: http://dtc- wsuv.org/wp/pathfinders/exhibit.
Year: 2014
Primary URL: http://dtc- wsuv.org/wp/pathfinders/exhibit.

Uncle Buddy & an Argument for Collection (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: Uncle Buddy & an Argument for Collection
Author: Dene Grigar
Abstract: Grigar, Dene. “Uncle Buddy & an Argument for Collection.” 2015 Narrative Conference. March 2015; Chicago, IL.
Date Range: March 2015
Location: Chicago, IL

Preserving Literature through Documenting Readers’ Experience: The Pathfinders Project (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: Preserving Literature through Documenting Readers’ Experience: The Pathfinders Project
Author: Dene Grigar
Author: Stuart Moulthrop
Abstract: Grigar, Dene and Stuart Moulthrop. "Preserving Literature through Documenting Readers’ Experience: The Pathfinders Project." The Electronic Literature Organization 2014 Conference. July 2014; Milwaukee, WI.
Date Range: July 2014
Location: Milwaukee, WI

Digital Humanities and Media Studies: Exploring the Intersections (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: Digital Humanities and Media Studies: Exploring the Intersections
Author: Dene Grigar
Abstract: Grigar, Dene. “Digital Humanities and Media Studies: Exploring the Intersections.” The 2014 Society for Cinema andMedia Studies. March 2014; Seattle, WA.
Date Range: March 2014
Location: Seattle, WA

Preserving Vintage Electronic Literature (Article)
Title: Preserving Vintage Electronic Literature
Author: Michael Ashenfelder
Abstract: Ashenfelder, Michael. “Preserving Vintage Electronic Literature.” The Signal: Digital Preservation. Library of Congress. 13 Nov. 2013. http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2013/11/preserving-vintage-electronic- literature/.
Year: 2013
Primary URL: http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2013/11/preserving-vintage-electronic- literature/
Periodical Title: The Signal: Digital Preservation
Publisher: Library of Congress

Electronic literature lives on through WSUV project (Article)
Title: Electronic literature lives on through WSUV project
Author: Unknown
Abstract: “Electronic literature lives on through WSUV project.” The Columbian. 12 July 2013. http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/jul/12/electronic-literature-lives-on-wsuv-pathfinders/.
Year: 2013
Primary URL: http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/jul/12/electronic-literature-lives-on-wsuv-pathfinders/.
Format: Other
Periodical Title: The Columbian
Publisher: The Columbian

The Book (and E-Lit) as Nostalgic Object (Web Resource)
Title: The Book (and E-Lit) as Nostalgic Object
Author: Amaranth Borsuk
Abstract: Borsuk, Amaranth. “The Book (and E-Lit) as Nostalgic Object.” Sprint Beyond the Book. 7 Feb. 2014. http://sprintbeyondthebook.com/2014/02/the-book-and-e-lit-as-nostalgic-object/.
Year: 2014
Primary URL: http://sprintbeyondthebook.com/2014/02/the-book-and-e-lit-as-nostalgic-object/.

Where did the story of e-book begin? (Web Resource)
Title: Where did the story of e-book begin?
Author: Alison Flood
Abstract: Flood, Alison. “Where did the story of e-books begin?” The Guardian. 12 Mar. 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/12/ebooks-begin-medium-reading-peter- james?CMP=twt_gu.
Year: 2014
Primary URL: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/12/ebooks-begin-medium-reading-peter- james?CMP=twt_gu.

Caring for Electronic Literature (Web Resource)
Title: Caring for Electronic Literature
Author: Daniela Côrtes Maduro
Abstract: Maduro, Daniela Côrtes. “Caring for Electronic Literature.” Materialidades da Literatura. 7 Dec. 2014. Retrieved: http://matlit.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/caring-for-electronic-literature/.
Year: 2014
Primary URL: http://matlit.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/caring-for-electronic-literature/.

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