Re: [-empyre-] Opening remarks on new media history

[noah wardrip-fruin <noah@queeg.com>]

At 11:55 PM -0500 1/1/04, Alan Sondheim wrote:
> I've not been able to afford the book, but have read numerous essays in
> it, and have taught new media.

I know it's not a solution that would work for everyone - but given 
that you've taught new media courses, and probably have plans to 
teach them in the future, I expect MITP would be happy to send you an 
examination copy. Just follow the link from here:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/0262232278

> When there's no department (I was the
> sub-department), the freedom's amazing, and the work can go in literally
> any conceivable direction. Add requisites and 'field,' and the
> expectations literally drown out everything else.

I think there are quite a few ways we can mean 'field' - from the 
magnetic through the place to graze and on through the 
over-constrained. I agree that we should resist attempts to create 
the sort of field that can answer the query, "What are the major 
research questions in your field?" At the same time, I think it would 
be good to have the kind of field that has arrayed a wide selection 
of resources, prior work, and open-ended questions - available to 
inspire those coming into the field, well-known enough for them to 
build upon.

Noah