E-MAILS
A continuación hay una
serie de e-mails que le mandé a Peter y sus respuestas, ya que le pedí ayuda
con el trabajo y me ayudó mucho dándome datos suyos sobre el trabajo, ideas
para desarrollarlo, y también me explicó cosas que no entendía de su hipertexto
"The Rainbow Factory", ayudándome a comprenderlo mejor, y por
consiguiente, trabajarlo y analizarlo mejor.
De: aina_cogollos@hotmail.com
Enviado el: miércoles, 28 de abril de 2004 12:22:41
Para: Peter <peter@hphoward.demon.co.uk>
Asunto: The Rainbow Factory
Hello, Peter!
I´m a student of English Philology in the University of Valencia
(Spain). I´m
doing a work about your hypertext "The Rainbow Factory", I
have to analyse it,
but I don´t know how to start. Could you help me a little?? Thanks.
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De: Peter <peter@hphoward.demon.co.uk>
Enviado el: miércoles, 28 de abril de 2004 19:52:16
Para: aina_cogollos@hotmail.com
Asunto: The Rainbow Factory
Hello Aina,
Thank you for your message. I'm flattered that someone is studying my
Rainbow Factory hypertext.
I'm not sure how to help you, because you don't say what sort of
analysis you're wanting to do. Since you're studying English Philology,
maybe the various registers of language used in the piece might be a
starting point. The Rainbow Factory is essentially a parody, or series
of parodies. Some of the targets are: romantic poetry, theology,
elementary physics textbooks, genetic engineering, titles of academic
books, 'green' protesters, 1950s 'B' movies, Microsoft Windows help
files, financial scandals. You might find more.
The scene that plays when you click on a lower window is usually a trope
of that of the window above it. That might be a starting point.
You might want to look at the fonts used for various parts of the piece
and how they relate to what is being said (and whether they do this
successfully).
You could perhaps look at it in terms of gender issues. Is it sexist? Is
it feminist? (You'll have to make you own mind up about those, though I
think there are some quite strongly gender-laden aspects of the piece.
Remember that it's a parody, though, so any sexist elements might be
intentionally parodic. Or they might not.)
I hope this helps. If you have any more specific questions, then please
do get in touch.
All the best,
Peter
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On Mon, 3 May 2004, Aina Cogollos wrote...
Sorry, but I don´t know what is "green protesters", or "
1950s 'B'
movies"... I´m still studing! ;) But I can work with the other
ideas you
have given me. Sorry if my English is bad, I don´t practise it a lot and
it´s difficult to me to use it...thanks for everything!!
Aina
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De: Peter Howard <peter@hphoward.demon.co.uk>
Enviado el: lunes, 03 de mayo de 2004 11:28:24
Para: Aina Cogollos <aina_cogollos@hotmail.com>
Asunto: Re: hello again
Hello Aina,
Thanks for replying. "Green protesters" are people who protest
about
environmental issues. In one of the scenes, there are banners being
waved by people who object to the Rainbow Factory because it is
polluting the environment. "1950s 'B' movies" were cinema
films made in
the 1950s with a low budget. They were shown as in addition to the main
film. They often had sensational advertising to make up for the fact
that they weren't very good. "Revenge of the Killer Mutant
Rainbow" is
supposed to be a film of that sort.
Perhaps you could answer a question for me. I'd be very interested to
know how you decided to choose "The Rainbow Factory" to study.
All the best,
Peter
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De: Peter Howard <peter@hphoward.demon.co.uk>
Enviado el: martes, 04 de mayo de 2004 18:11:19
Para: Aina Cogollos <aina_cogollos@hotmail.com>
Asunto: Re:
Hello Aina,
I'm glad you chose to study "The Rainbow Factory" because you
liked it!
I'll try to answer your new questions.
There are some windows that I don´t understand a lot, as the one with
different types of rainbows (rectangular, monochrome, pastel...). It
could
talk about types of people? .
This is really a joke about fashion. The owners of The Rainbow Factory
have decided that ordinary rainbows are a bit old-fashioned, so they
have designed some new 'up-to-date' ones.
And this one that starts with a phrase that
says: "Please select the Fault that most closely resemble the one
that you
are experiencing..." (It can talk about how you feel, sad or
happy..etc?).
This is a parody of Microsoft Windows help pages. I took an actual page
from somewhere in a 'troubleshooting' part of Windows help and changed
the words so it referred to rainbows.
I don´t understand the second window where it puts some words and then
some
bigger words with big red letters appear, as : "HERESY"...
This is a parody of theological arguments, where people can sometimes
argue over very small points of interpretation of the Bible or other
religious works.
And this one where they go on strike... it´s about the green protesters
that you said?
Yes, that's right.
or the 'B'movies?
The B movie one is the 'Revenge of the Killer Mutant Rainbow' section
And above all I don´t understand the latest window where
letters appear constantly and always a word: SELL;SELL...
This is supposed to be a financial crisis. The Rainbow Factory hasn't
been doing too well, and its share price is falling. People are
panicking and selling their Rainbow Factory shares. (It's a bit like the
dotcom bubble.)
And also this one
where appears a rainbow and it starts to break in pieces, or fall...
These are failed experiments in trying to design new rainbows.
Could you tell me what it means "oh, bugger"...? I don´t
understand that
word and it´s not in the dictionaries.
"Oh, bugger" is an expression of annoyance. I might use it if
something
goes wrong. (It is also a slightly rude expression - one wouldn't use it
in front of a priest, for example!)
I hope this helps.
All the best,
Peter
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On Thu, 13 May 2004, Aina Cogollos wrote...
Hello Peter,
Thanks for everything again. If it wasn´t for your help I think I never
could finish this work!!!
When I finish my work in internet, I´ll send you the name of the web
page , and you
tell me what you think, if you want.Only two questions: What do you mean
when you say that the lower windows are a "trope" of the other ones?
and...what does it mean the window of the library of the factory??
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De: Peter Howard <peter@hphoward.demon.co.uk>
Enviado el: jueves, 13 de mayo de 2004 18:19:44
Para: Aina Cogollos <aina_cogollos@hotmail.com>
Asunto: Re: hi
On Thu, 13 May 2004, Aina Cogollos wrote...
When I finish my work in internet, I´ll send you the name of the web
page , and you
tell me what you think, if you want.
Yes please, Aina - I'd be interested to see it.
Only two questions: What do you mean when you say that the lower windows
are
a "trope" of the other ones? and...what does it mean the
window of the
library of the factory??
I meant that the lower window gives a different version of what goes on
in the Factory. The upper window usually gives a "management"
view, and
the lower one gives a "shop-floor" or "behind the
scenes" view of the
same aspect of the Factory. I'm not sure now that I was really right to
use the word "trope" to describe this.
I imagined that the Rainbow Factory would have its own library of books
about rainbows. To write that section, I searched on the Internet for
lists of books to do with aspects of farming. Then I changed the titles
to refer to rainbows instead. For example, I might have found a title
called "Diseases of Sheep" and I would have changed it to
"Diseases of
Rainbows."
I hope this helps.
If you don't get top marks for your project, I shall be very
disappointed! :-)
All the best,
Peter
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De : Aina Cogollos <aina_cogollos@hotmail.com>
Enviado el: martes, 18 de mayo de 2004 15:14:21
Para : Peter Howard<peter@hphoward.demon.co.uk>
Asunto : Hello again
Hello Peter:
I need some help. I have to do in my work a part with your work in
internet: what was your first work, when you wrote it... I had a part with some
works, but it has to be in chronological order, and I didn´t find any one
in Internet.me too to know if you have won prizes in poetry or hypertext poems,
if you are a teacher, what do you do in the internet... etc.
Thanks again,
Aina
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De: Peter Howard <peter@hphoward.demon.co.uk>
Enviado el: miércoles, 19 de mayo de 2004 17:31:55
Para: Aina Cogollos <aina_cogollos@hotmail.com>
Asunto: Re: Hello again
Hi Aina,
I don't think I can give you exactly what you want, in terms of a list
of works in chronological order.
Here is an extract from my CV, which lists some poetry activities I've
been involved with and poetry competitions I've been awarded prizes in.
Poetry-related Activities
For several years, I was both secretary and magazine editor of the
Poetry Special Interest Group of British Mensa (1990 -1992). I was a
Section Leader on the CompuServe on-line Poetry Forum (1996 - 1998),
with responsibility for the World Wide Web Poetry and No Holds Barred
Workshop sections. I have recently run hands-on workshop courses on
Internet Literature and Poetry sites for Bedfordshire County Libraries
(1997). For five years wrote a quarterly Internet column for
Poetry
Review. I maintain my own WWW page, which contains a regularly updated
list of poetry sites, the hypertext poem Midwinter Fair, some of my own
poetry, and an experimental 'poetry generating program' written in
Javascript.
Trace Writers Conference October 1998
Beyond Art (April 1999) Colloquium Humanities Computing Unit of Oxford
University
Literature Assessor for Eastern Arts Board
Digital Poetry Masterclass for The Poetry Can as part of Bath Literature
Festival (Feb 2000)
Panellist at trAce Incubation Conference (July 2002)
Poetry Publications
Individual Poems
Physics Bulletin, Feb. 1987; Vigil Vol. 2, 1988; Poetry Nottingham,
Winter 1987; Channel 4 TV, 1989; Outposts 178, 1994; Envoi 107, 1994;
The Independent, August 1993; Kent and Sussex Competition Anthology,
1994; Jersey Eisteddfod Anthology, 1994; Poetry Review Vol. 85 No. 1,
1995; Bedford Writers Anthology, 1995; Ripley Poetry Competition
Anthology, 1995; The Interpreter's House, Spring 1996; Rialto, Spring
1996; Envoi 115, 1996; The Faber Book of Christmas, 1996; Orbis, 101/2,
Summer/Autumn 1996, Lace Poetry Competition Anthology, 1996. I also have
poems on various WWW sites.
A selection of his recent poetry appears in the OxfordPoets 2001
anthology.
Competitions
2nd prize in The Daily Telegraph/Arvon Competition (2000).
2nd Prize-winner in: Canterbury Festival Competition, 1994 and 1996
Highly commended in: Blue Nose Poets Competition, 1996, LACE
Competition, 1996
Commended in: Society of Women Writers and Journalists Competition,
1993; Kent and Sussex Competition, 1994; Jersey Eisteddfod, 1994; Ripley
Poetry Competition, 1995; Dulwich Competition, 1996.
Commission
Poem commissioned for The Secret Garden (Prospero Poets)
Short Collection
Low Probability of Racoons, Envoi Poets Publications, 1994.
There is an interview of me on the Poetry Kit website, which might be of
use. Also, there is a biography of me there.
I also teach a course for the trAce Online Writing School called
"Animated Poetry in Flash"
Some of my hypertexts have been published online by the Snakeskin,
Boomerang and Beehive sites.
I haven't won any awards for my hypertexts, but then, there aren't a
great many awards for hypertext poetry.
I had a look at your site and I liked what I saw, though I couldn't
understand much of it.
All the best,
Peter
“E-mails”
by Aina Cogollos, 7/12/2008, “http://mural.uv.es/aicoca/emails.html”