Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000 21:55:19 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: SPOON-ANN: Electronic Literature Directory


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Electronic Literature Directory Goes Live.
Nonprofit Organization Launches Comprehensive Directory of Electronic
Literature.

Chicago, IL, Sept 5, 2000 – The Electronic Literature Directory
(http://directory.eliterature.org) is a unique and valuable new resource for
readers and writers of digital texts. Created and maintained by the
Electronic Literature Organization, this searchable database provides the
most comprehensive reference tool available for electronic literature.
Currently the Directory catalogs over 360 authors, 560 works, and 80
publishers. The descriptive entries cover poetry, fiction, drama, and
nonfiction that make significant use of electronic techniques or
enhancements.

The Directory provides easy access to one of the most exciting and
fastest-growing bodies of cutting-edge literature. Among the new forms of
writing represented here are hypertexts and other interactive pieces,
kinetic or animated poems, multimedia works, generated texts, and works that
allow reader collaboration. Directory users can also enjoy the enhancements
that the new technology brings to traditional literature, such as streaming
audio readings of poetry by masters ranging from e.e. cummings and Dylan
Thomas to contemporary Pulitzer Prize winners.

The Directory contains live links to Web works, publishing sites, and author
home pages, making it a prime portal for readers. Users can search the
Directory for individual authors or works, or they can browse numerous
categories such as poetry, fiction, hypertext, or animated text. Additional
search and selection capabilities will be added in the future, letting users
find works by specifying virtually any attribute, from the language of the
text to the distribution medium. Another future enhancement will be the
addition of reviews and reader recommendations.

The Electronic Literature Directory is based on an open-submission,
community-driven structure: authors and publishers listed in the Directory
are able to enter and edit their own listings to ensure accuracy and
completeness. The collaboration of authors, publishers, and ELO staff in
maintaining content will ensure that the Directory is always comprehensive,
accurate, and up to date.

ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC LITERATURE ORGANIZATION

The Electronic Literature Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
with a mission to promote and facilitate the writing, reading, and
publishing of literature designed for the electronic media. Based in
Chicago, ELO is directed by a national board of leading experts in
electronic literature, internet business, and electronic publishing, and is
additionally advised by an international board of literary advisors and a
board of internet industry advisors. ELO maintains the Electronic Literature
Directory and an electronic literature Web resource center, staffed by a
network of leading e-lit writers operating independently in different parts
of the USA. Forthcoming ELO programs include a Future of Publishing
Symposium and Electronic Literature Prizes. ELO is supported by the
donations of individual members and by corporate sponsors including Jupiter
Communications, NBCi, and ZDNet.

Electronic Literature Directory
http://directory.eliterature.org

Electronic Literature Organization
http://www.eliterature.org

CONTACT INFO:

Scott Rettberg, Executive Director (Chicago)
rettberg-AT-eliterature.org
773.769.3540

Robert Kendall, Directory Administrator (San Francisco)
directory-AT-eliterature.org
650.326.4682

Nick Traenkner, Directory Programmer (Kent, Ohio)
nick-AT-kentinfoworks.com
330.672.2285
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