Digital Bibliography

(Project Description: This post is the first in a short series between Stacey Pigg and me. Each post should explore some aspect of our work spaces. It’s rare to find someone who thinks about the work spaces and processes as much as I do. She probably thinks about it even more than I do, given that part of her dissertation focuses on how people construct spaces for writing work in a coffee shop. So, a project emerges. Blog posts exploring space, work, writing, productivity, scholarship, etc. How many posts? How often? Not sure. It’s a blog; it’ll evolve. Or it might not. (Wanna comment on these work spaces? Spotlight your own? Leave a comment. Copycat this on your own site. Point us to it. Or relax and see what we can do. Either way, we welcome you to our spaces.)

What defines my work space? Triple monitors.

That’s right–three of ‘em. I first ran across the idea of dual monitors about 5 years ago. I’d never reaally even thought about it before then. I’d just picked up a Windows XP laptop and was curious about the VGA port. Turns out that an external monitor for a lap is just about as simple as plugging in a printer or a mouse. I was hooked. My laptop lacked the processing power I was after as I started to get more interested in video production and digital storytelling. I needed a desktop. But most desktops from places like Dell or HP only had ports for a single monitor. This is probably where I really started to get interested in the idea of tinkering/DIY/hacking. I quickly researched how to build my own desktop computer, ordered the parts, put it together, installed XP, and I was off. Dual monitors. I can’t imagine going back. Read the rest of this entry »

Sitting down tonight for a night of writing that’s a little different. Thinking about narrative. And digital technologies. And my narrative. Or narratives.

Sitting on the couch in my office. Soft light from a japanese lamp on the end table covered with books. And a glass of merlot. A small fan. My 13″ Macbook Pro. And Ommwriter. One of those “zen” word processing programs. Cheesy, chimey music. The house is empty except for me. Roommate gone for a week. Friends busy. Just me. And these words. And this wine.

Spent some time today re-reading a book on digital storytelling by Joe Lambert (of the Center for Digital Storytelling in Berkeley). I’m co-teaching a class this summer with Tony O’Keeffe at Bellarmine University. Mostly, it was Tony who proposed the class out of his interests sparked at the Digital Media and Communication Institute at Ohio State.

And I’m thinking about some elements of narrative which are particularly important to me. Point of view. Conflict. Character. Setting. Complexity. Resonance. Image.

And I have the impulse to produce another story. Read the rest of this entry »

• The most stunning video collage I’ve ever seen: http://bit.ly/a8JrJ3. Marco Brambilla’s “Civilization.” #
• Mao, King Kong, and the Future of the Book – Triple Canopy http://post.ly/ps4x #
• via Triple Canopy: “Mao, King Kong, and the Future of the Book” (Bob Stein/Dan Visel Interview) http://post.ly/ps7w #
• via TechRhet ListServ: CompFAQs from CompPile | Free-accessOnlineJournals / Home Page browse http://post.ly/ptAi #
• just booked eight (yes eight!) periods for each of his fall courses in the library computer labs. Life saver! Now to redesign syllabus. #
• Read the rest of this entry »