Join us this week as our Editors-at-Large bring us updates on fascinating digital archives, literary time capsules, and a prestigious award. From e-lit cult works, to ruminations on the future, to a podcast on Mexican literature, read on to learn more!
MARGENTO, Editor-at-Large, Reporting for Canada
“Why this huge line,” I wondered, “rolling out of the University of Victoria (UVic) McPherson Library?” The bright British Columbia sunlight, the sweet breeze across the greens, not even the irresistible campus café patios could prevent people from crowding in for one of the coolest events of the year.
The “Hypertext & Art” exhibit, hosted by the Digital Humanities Summer Institute (DHSI) from June 10 to June 14, was living up to the reputation and coverage it had already garnered thanks to its exhibition in Rome at Max Planck Institute for Art History in fall 2023 and the indefatigable work done in the field by its well-known and widely awarded curator, author Dene Grigar. The tagline of the exhibit was “A Retrospective of Forms,” and that is exactly what Grigar has been doing for quite a number of years now at the Electronic Literature Lab she leads at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV), where she archived over three hundred works of electronic literature and other media alongside dozens of vintage computers, software, and peripherals.
Yet when I finally managed to set foot in the relatively tight space of the much sought-after exhibit, I was further struck by the richness and wide range of meaning Grigar and her WSUV team—alongside the local branch led by John Durno (UVic)—gave to “forms.” Not only hypertext as a(n electronic) literary form was at stake there, but forms of mediation, interactivity, and immersion with overwhelming historical coverage and immediate impact at the same time. Alongside dinosaurs like Macintosh Classic IIs running System Software 7.0.1 from the 1980s and 90s—on which visitors could experience early hypertexts as they were originally envisioned—were Apple iMacs from the early 2000s running 10.10.1 (Yosemite) and dernier-cri iPads displaying web-based hypertexts, Grigar’s Traversals, and interviews.
I was personally stunned to have the opportunity to ‘re-read’ e-lit cult works such as Michael Joyce’s Twilight, A Symphony and afternoon, a story released forty years ago on ancient machines like the ones they were initially designed and experienced on, alongside hypertext multimedia classics in (paradoxical?) vintage vinyl folio editions like Sarah Smith’s King of Space and the almost inexhaustibly multifaceted and ever praised Victory Garden by Stuart Moulthrop. More recent works exhibited or referenced on the occasion also boosted all fans’ confidence in the genre across evolving forms and formats, as hypertext fiction as recent as 2023 is now available on iPhones, by means of QR codes, or, most enticingly, in virtual reality (VR) environments.
Miranda Mazariegos, Editor-at-Large, Reporting for Latin America
Valeria Luiselli, a renowned Mexican author, recently presented her manuscript of “The Force of Resonance” for the Future Library. This Norwegian art project will keep manuscripts from some of the most well-known authors for a hundred years. Therefore, Luiselli’s project will not be available for readers until 2114, as will other manuscripts from the authors who have joined the project: Margaret Atwood, Ocean Vuong, Elif Shafak, Sjón, among others.
The artist leading the project, Katie Paterson, announces the author who will submit a new project each year, and Luiselli is the first Latin American author to be nominated. On joining the project, Luiselli said: “I accepted this beautiful invitation . . . because I hope, with all my strength and longing and capacity to imagine, that in the year 2114, there will be an abundance of musical scores, wild horses, acapella choirs, oil paintings, baobabs, astrological predictions, humpback whales, old and new languages, blooming saguaros, hands that write, and eyes that read.” According to Wired, Luiselli’s text will remain unedited until published 90 years from now.
René Esaú Sánchez, Editor-at-Large, Reporting for Mexico
When Carlos Fuentes passed away in 2012, the world of Mexican literature felt an irreplaceable void. To honor his monumental legacy, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Culture Office, and Silvia Lemus, Fuentes’ widow, established the Carlos Fuentes Prize for Literary Creation in Spanish. This prize is not merely an award but a tribute to the enduring influence of Fuentes’ literary brilliance.
Last week, Spanish poet Luis García Montero was honored with this prestigious prize, celebrated for his captivating novels, evocative poems, and profound essays. By receiving this award, García Montero joins a distinguished circle of literary giants, including Mario Vargas Llosa, Sergio Ramírez, Eduardo Lizalde, Luis Goytisolo, Luisa Valenzuela, Diamela Eltit, Margo Glantz, and Elena Poniatowska.
The judges praised García Montero for his “extraordinary ability to transform individual experiences into collective ones, enhancing beauty, finesse, and precision in language.” In English, Valparaíso has published ‘Selected Poems,’ translated by Gordon E. McNeer, and Katie King has translated ‘A Form of Resistance: Reasons for Keeping Mementos.’ Along with the recognition, Luis García Montero will receive $125,000, a diploma, and a unique sculpture crafted by renowned Mexican artist Vicente Rojo.
In a move to further cultural engagement, Mexico’s National College (Colegio Nacional) has launched its first podcast, aiming to reach and inspire new audiences. The first season of ‘Voces desde El Colegio Nacional’ is a rich tribute to Mexican literature. Across twenty-two episodes, listeners are invited to delve into the ideas and legacies of iconic authors such as Carlos Fuentes, José Emilio Pacheco, Juan Villoro, and Christopher Domínguez Michael.
The National College, akin to the prestigious Collège de France, was established to foster a vibrant exchange of ideas among intellectuals and the public. ‘Voces desde El Colegio Nacional’ is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music. This podcast serves as a modern conduit, expanding the digital presence of literature and ensuring that the insights of Mexico’s literary heritage continue to inspire and enlighten future generations.
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