INTRODUCTION
Children’s Time is one
example of micro-hypertext fiction written by the author Deena Larsen with seven different
nodes that can be seen by sliding the mouse on the image and the words will
change instantaneously. As the own author affirms, this hypertext forms part
from her Kanji-kus collection; that is “short poems based on the Japanese Kanji
or ideogram for the word itself. I want to explore the innate meanings inherent
in the world”. (www.deenalarsen.net). “Snakeskin publishers” published these short
poems in 2001.
The following links
can take us to more examples of kanji-kus by Deena Larsen.
o
o
http://www.deenalarsen.net/kanjis/cobra/index.html
o
o
http://www.deenalarsen.net/kanjis/sea/index.html
o
o
http://www.deenalarsen.net/kanjis/tsuki/index.html
o
o
http://www.deenalarsen.net/kanjis/bubbles/index.html
o
o
http://www.deenalarsen.net/kanjis/sandloves/index.html
When we get into the
web page of the poem, the first image we can see related to the poem is a
Japanese symbol meaning “children”.
(http://mural.uv.es/fersam/forma.html)
This symbol is
coloured by four main bright colours; yellow, green, pink (purple) and light
blue. Here we can see that the symbol is on a white background, which makes
more contrast between the symbol and the background. Written down in that
symbol, there are the name of the seven different nodes; pools of, children,
running, laughing, sliding, past and the wind.
As I said before, as
long as the reader slides the mouse on any of the words of the symbol, the node
changes directly. Moreover, in each node there are some “link words” which can
take the reader to another parts of the poem, to another nodes.
Making a first
reading of the poem, it seems quite simple; the description of some children in
a city swimming pool doing all the things that children do; that is, running,
laughing, etc. They offer a children description together with the lively
colours of the symbol.
However, as all the
hypertext, there is no beginning established, the reader can start reading from
the node he or she wants and each reader can follow the poem in a different
way; according to the way of clicking. Thus, making a first reading of this
poem, the points of view can vary depending on who and how is reading it. This
is a peculiar characteristic of this kind of hypertext fiction.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
LARSEN, DEENA, Deena
Larsen’s Hypertext and Electronic Literature Corner, last visited December
9th 2008, (http://www.deenalarsen.net/)
LARSEN, DEENA, Children’s
Time, copyright 2001, last visited December 9th 2008, (http://www.deenalarsen.net/children2/)
WIKIPEDIA,
Hipertexto, last modified December 9th 2008 18.04 h, last visited
December 9th 2008 (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipertexto)
Academic year 2008/2009
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
© Ana Maiz Rodríguez
amaizro@alumni.uv.es
Universitat de València Press