A Response to Electronic Literature

        What is electronic literature? According to the Electronic Literature Organization, electronic literature, or e-lit, refers to works with important literary aspects that take advantage of the capabilities and contexts provided by the stand-alone or networked computer. So in layman's terms, it is any work of literature that uses a computer to tell a story. E-lit can take many different forms. One work of Electronic Literature that stuck out to us, was Mr. Plimpton's Revenge.
       Mr. Plimpton's Revenge is a very unique type of literature. This is a type of electronic literature,

which is a evolving and popular literature that uses the powers and wonders of technology. The story is about a novice write named Dinty W. Moore and his numerous awkward encounters with a more experienced writer, Mr. Plimpton. Dinty tells the story from the future, recalling his early memories. He takes the reader along for a ride down memory lane in an interesting fashion. The story is written inside a Google Maps page, allowing to reader to explore inside various cities where the story took place. Stretching from Pittsburgh to Baltimore to New York City. This allows the reader to have a better understanding of the context and the culture of each scene. By using this form of electronic literature, it allows the reader to feel like they are inside the story. Dinty W. Moore takes the reader into his trials and tribulations of forming a relationship with Mr. Plimpton. The medium in which Mr. Plimpton's Revenge is written helps enhance the reader's experience.

The reader is able to be more involved in what they are reading and view locations from the story on the screen. By using Google Maps, the reader is able to zoom-in on the different locations where the story takes place. The reader is able to interact with the piece that they are reading. If the reader waned to, they could move the map by hand from the different places on the map. This would allow the reader to feel like they are going on this journey with Mr. Moore and Mr. Plimpton. This would not be possible if the literature was a more traditional piece of work. Dinty adds some distinct features to a linear piece of literature.
       Throughout the story, their is a constant struggle for Dinty to form a relationship with Mr. Plimpton. He attempts to interact with Mr. Plimpton several times in order to make his presence known and to build a professional relationship. He also has a battle with his inner self, due to his lack of confidence and drug consumption. As the story goes on Dinty explains each and every on of his encounter with Mr. Plimpton. Dinty also adds his personal thoughts into the mix. At the end of the story the reader will be able to discover what Mr. Plimpton's Revenge is all about! Overall, this for of electronic literature is astounding due to the progression of technology allowing readers to travel with the characters to places like Pittsburgh, Baltimore and New York City.
      E-Lit is a field that is constantly growing and changing. Literature today not only moves from print to electronic media, but is also increasingly born digital, which means, works are created explicitly for the networked computer. The Electronic Literature Collection (ELO), seeks to bring the literary workings of this network and the process-intensive aspects of literature into visibility.
       The confrontation with technology at the level of creation is what distinguishes electronic literature from, for example, e-books, digitalized versions of print works and other products of print authors "going digital." The use of e-lit brings about so many new opportunities for writers to be creative and explore different ways of make reading fun for audiences of all ages!