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Subject:
From:
Tim Romano <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Tim Romano <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 26 Oct 1999 08:13:20 -0400
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I regard electronic editions as an inexpensive and relatively easy way to
present_visual_ information (manuscripts, typescripts, illuminations, etc.)
to a wider audience. They can be disseminated via the web and also on
physical media.  To do this sort of thing with the printed book and color
plates would be considerably more difficult and cost much much more.  The
other kinds of things electronic editions can do (search engines, text
manipulation, etc) I consider to be at best ancillary benefits and at worst
detrimental: the Luddite in me wants to warn people that gizmos of the
latter variety may become an ersatz for good old-fashioned reading and thus
over time may cause people to lose sight of what it means to come to know a
body of work intimately.
Tim Romano
 
P.S. In the near future -- five years, max--  it will be possible to read
such editions on little handhelds, which will also play films and deliver
high-fidelity sound. Tenured Professors of English Literature will be able
to bring an entire library with them to their mountain chalets.
 
Richard Edwards sent the following to me personally though I believe his
intention was to post it to the list; I didn't want to edit his posting so
I've kept the opening word of praise ;-)
 
Richard Edwards wrote:
 
I've had a look at Tim Romano's "Wanderer" site and I must say it's
impressive. But what works for a short poem won't necessarily work for a
work as big as the Cantos. Who goes to the electronic literature foundation
site to read Paradise Lost? They might go there to do a word search, but not
to read it, surely. And what's wrong with using a concordance?
 
I'm not a Luddite and I don't want to spoil anyone's fun but although the
web is a remarkable resource I don't believe it is a substitute for books.
Web document formats come and go; the world is in danger of suffering a
massive memory loss merely through the progressive obsolescence of computer
software (eg I understand that a substantial proportion of the US census
information is now irretrievably lost on account of unresolved software
incompatibility). Is it worth the mammoth effort of producing an electronic
edition which within months will be attracting the scorn of techies like
Martin Deporres?
 
Of course I realise you are not suggesting web presentation as a substitute
for paper publishing and I can see that it might be a way of making a
facsimile of the typescripts inexpensively accessibl. But given the current
state of Pound's text isn't web publication rather a long way down the list
of priorities? And aren't there more pressing things to discuss at the MLA?
 
Richard Edwards

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