Caring for Electronic Literature

Notes on the seminar given by Dene Grigar at the University of Coimbra:

Words were once untraceable. Before the invention of writing, they would disappear as soon as they were shared. Writing turned words into discernible shapes. Print, in turn, allowed a precise control over the surface of inscription and, by extension, over language. Books are often related to fixity and durability and they are seen as stable and self-contained objects built to last. However, Dene Grigar believes that all texts, regardless of the format being used, are prone to obsolescence or deterioration. Like words in oral tradition, texts can fall into oblivion if they are not preserved or remembered.

(Source: Author's Introduction)