Digital Stories Review

What am I looking for?

Visuals, Narrative Cohesiveness, Engagement Level, Ease of Use

#1 Flash: The Dreamlife of Letters

Summary

In 1999, Brian Kim Steffans had to respond to a text by feminist theorist Rachel Blau DuPlessis. He decided to alphabetize all the words in DuPlessis' text and create "very short 'concrete' poems based on the chance meeting of words."

Review

Steffans' piece is reflective of internet prowess in the late 90s. The piece uses dynamic transitions between words to show their connection in the larger story. Size and repetition are also utilized to emphasize the importance of certain words. However, the length of the story made it hard to stay engaged. In addition, you had to watch the story in full at least once to access a menu that would take you to different portions.  One addition that could be possible with modern technology would be to add a hyperlink to each word that will send the viewer to that particular section of the original text.

#2 Twitter Fiction: Seven Short Stories About Drones 

Summary

Teju Cole wrote several short stories about drone strikes through a series of tweets on Twitter. He came up with the idea while stuck in Mumbai traffic. 

Review

The shortness of this story made it very engaging. Using Twitter also made the story accessible to a wide range of viewers, not just fans of Teju’s traditionally published work. Including characters from different backgrounds emphasizes how the violence of drone strikes is unpredictable, even in targeted strikes. However, I don’t know if this would be as impactful in the original format. Having all of the stories provided makes it easier to read and understand the common themes through them. I feel like most people on Twitter may have been confused if they only saw one tweet, especially if they didn’t see the original tweet about these posts being a group of short stories. While there weren’t any visuals, Cole managed to provide vivid descriptions in a few words, giving the reader a clear mental picture. Personally, don’t think that interactivity would improve this story. I think that simply observing emphasizes the point of the story.

#3 Siri: A Coping Mechanism 

Summary 

Patrick Roche tells the story of a son, his mother, and his best friend through the perspective of Siri. 

Review

I really enjoyed this story! Roche does a great job of balancing a poignant yet comedic tone. The narration keeps an upbeat and engaging tone, drawing the listener in with a mostly monotone voice. I like the idea of personifying technology and seeing human experiences from its perspective. There weren’t any visuals, so perhaps Roche could have used voices that varied more for the mother-human characters. Overall, I thought this was a well-thought-out and cohesive piece. While I don’t think this fictional story needed to be any longer. I would like to see new stories delivered in this way. Having Siri as the center of the story allows for so many different ideas. Another interesting idea would be adding interactivity. Have Siri ask yes or no questions, and based on the audience's response, the story will change.