There’s a lot of talk about “vooks” these days. UsuÂalÂly vooks are all about movÂing traÂdiÂtionÂal books over to digÂiÂtal enviÂronÂments (e.g., the iPad) and surÂroundÂing them with supÂportÂing web media. But one comÂpaÂny, UbiÂmark, is takÂing a difÂferÂent approach. They’re keepÂing the printÂed word and putting the web inside the traÂdiÂtionÂal book. Kind of. Using smart phones, readÂers can take picÂtures of “2D codes” embedÂded in print books. And, from there, the smart phone will launch maps, video, and othÂer web media that will colÂlecÂtiveÂly enrich the words on the page. The video above, using Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days as an examÂple, shows what this all looks like in action.
File this under “betÂter late than nevÂer.” Mark Twain spent his last decade writÂing his memÂoirs, proÂducÂing some 5,000 uneditÂed pages. HowÂevÂer, he stipÂuÂlatÂed that they couldÂn’t be pubÂlished for at least a cenÂtuÂry folÂlowÂing his death. (AproÂpos see this very rare footage recordÂed by Thomas EdiÂson showÂing Twain in his last year.) Fast forÂward to 2010. We have now clocked 100 years. And this NovemÂber, UC BerkeÂley will pubÂlish the first volÂume of Twain’s manÂuÂscript. The IndeÂpenÂdent tells you more about this litÂerÂary event, and sugÂgests why Twain wantÂed to keep his autoÂbiÂogÂraÂphy under wraps. Get the full artiÂcle here.
HuffÂPo has pulled togethÂer a list of The 12 GreatÂest LitÂerÂary One-Hit WonÂders. And it’s a strange list indeed. When you think of “one-hit wonÂders,” you think of memÂoÂrable songs recordÂed by very unmemÂoÂrable artists – artists who got their 15 minÂutes of fame and then fell right off the radar. MeanÂwhile, the HuffÂPo list includes some of the most endurÂing names in AmerÂiÂcan litÂerÂaÂture – F. Scott FitzgerÂald, J.D. Salinger, and HerÂman Melville. They gave us their big novÂels – The Great GatsÂby, The CatchÂer in the Rye, and Moby Dick – then wrote some othÂer lastÂing pieces of ficÂtion, both short and long. They hardÂly fadÂed into oblivÂion. And, years latÂer, we’re cerÂtainÂly not askÂing, “what ever hapÂpened to old what’s his name?”
He was ArgentiÂna’s favorite son, one of the great South AmerÂiÂcan writÂers of the last cenÂtuÂry (along with Gabriel GarÂcia MarÂquez, CarÂlos Fuentes, and Mario VarÂgas Llosa), and the winÂner of 46 nationÂal and interÂnaÂtionÂal litÂerÂary prizes. We’re talkÂing about Jorge Luis Borges, the masÂter of the postÂmodÂern short stoÂry. Borges was born in 1899, and to celÂeÂbrate his 100th birthÂday (though he died in 1986), Philippe Molins directÂed the docÂuÂmenÂtary, Jorge Luis Borges: The MirÂror Man. The film’s major strength (as one reviewÂer put it) is that it’s a “bit of everyÂthing – part biogÂraÂphy, part litÂerÂary critÂiÂcism, part hero-worÂship, part book readÂing, and part psyÂcholÂoÂgy.” It runs 47 minÂutes and includes a fair amount of archival footage. (You can watch it in a largÂer forÂmat on Vimeo here.)
A big thanks goes to Mike for sendÂing The MirÂror Man our way. If you have your own great piece of culÂturÂal media to share with us and your felÂlow OC readÂers, please feel free to send it along.
OC conÂtribÂuÂtor Seth HarÂwood has someÂthing excitÂing going on over at his site today: he’s launchÂing the pre-order sales of his new novÂel YOUNG JUNIUS, which is due out this fall. This is partÂly worth notÂing because Seth’s path to pubÂliÂcaÂtion involves givÂing away his work for free as MP3 audioÂbooks. You can even lisÂten to all of YOUNG JUNIUS before you make a buy. If you’re a fan of crime or mysÂtery ficÂtion, or you dig The Wire, you’ll love this book!
Now, Seth is partÂnerÂing with indeÂpenÂdent pubÂlishÂer Tyrus Books to break new ground in pubÂlishÂing strateÂgies. To read the full descripÂtion of what he’s up to, go here. The brief verÂsion involves the pre-order of speÂcial, limÂitÂed ediÂtion copies of the book that feaÂture cloth bindÂing, fan-creÂatÂed covÂer art, phoÂtos of the stoÂry’s locaÂtions, signed perÂsonÂalÂizaÂtion and more. By offerÂing these for a limÂitÂed time via his site, he and Tyrus are able to print just the quanÂtiÂty sold and balÂance some of the cost (reduce the risk) of the book’s full print run–hardcover, paperÂback AND speÂcial ediÂtion.
If you’d like to read more about this or order a copy, head over to sethharwood.com. When you do, use the code OC to save $3 off the covÂer price of the book! Enjoy!!
Seth HarÂwood is a voraÂcious readÂer, subÂverÂsive pubÂlishÂing maven and crime novÂelÂist.
This year, Tim BurÂton’s proÂducÂtion of Alice In WonÂderÂland was welÂcomed by a flurÂry of media buzz and a rather polarÂized pubÂlic response debatÂing whether the iconÂic direcÂtor had butchered or reinÂventÂed the even more iconÂic chilÂdren’s clasÂsic. But disÂcusÂsion of the film’s creÂative merÂits aside, one thing it did do brilÂliantÂly was rekinÂdle the pubÂlic’s interÂest in what’s easÂiÂly the most beloved work of chilÂdren’s litÂerÂaÂture of the past two cenÂturies.
So beloved, in fact, that Lewis CarÂrolÂl’s 1865 novÂel has genÂerÂatÂed hunÂdreds of reprints, film adapÂtaÂtions and varÂiÂous derivÂaÂtive works over the years. Many of these works are now availÂable in the pubÂlic domain — even a simÂple search in the InterÂnet Archive sends you down a rabÂbit hole of adapÂtaÂtions and remakes, spanÂning from landÂmark earÂly cinÂeÂma treaÂsures to offÂbeat prodÂucts of conÂtemÂpoÂrary digÂiÂtal culÂture.
Today, we’ve curatÂed a selecÂtion of the most interÂestÂing and culÂturÂalÂly sigÂnifÂiÂcant — the “curiÂouser and curiÂouser,” if you will — free verÂsions of, tribÂutes to, and derivÂaÂtives of Alice’s AdvenÂtures In WonÂderÂland.
The funÂdaÂmenÂtals: A Project GutenÂberg free digÂiÂtal copy of CarÂrolÂl’s origÂiÂnal Alice’s AdvenÂtures In WonÂderÂland text
A 1916 abridged verÂsion intendÂed for younger chilÂdren, digÂiÂtized by the Library of ConÂgress, is availÂable from the InterÂnaÂtionÂal ChilÂdren’s DigÂiÂtal Library and feaÂtures some wonÂderÂful illusÂtraÂtion — though, regretÂtably, it lacks the Cheshire Cat
For a clasÂsic with a spin, try this audio verÂsion read by blogÂger extraÂorÂdiÂnaire, BoingÂBoÂing co-ediÂtor, PopÂuÂlar SciÂence columÂnist and vocal free conÂtent advoÂcate Cory DocÂtorow
The earÂliÂest cinÂeÂmatÂic adapÂtaÂtion of the book, directÂed by Cecil HepÂworth in 1903, is a silent film gem, clockÂing in at just 8 minÂutes and 19 secÂonds. Watch above.
In 1915, W. W. Young directÂed the secÂond AmerÂiÂcan adapÂtaÂtion of Alice — a masÂsive six-reel proÂducÂtion that showÂcased the rapid evoÂluÂtion of filmÂmakÂing in just a decade since the first proÂducÂtion. Though much of the film is now lost, 42 minÂutes of it can be seen at the InterÂnet Archive for free
A 1966 British adapÂtaÂtion by direcÂtor Jonathan Miller for the BBC feaÂtures an ambiÂtious cast — includÂing Peter SellÂers as the King of Hearts, Sir John GielÂguld as Mock TurÂtle, Michael RedÂgrave as The CaterÂpilÂlar and Peter Cook as the Mad HatÂter — and its soundÂtrack, scored by the legÂendary Ravi Shankar, exudes the borÂderÂline folk-psyÂcheÂdelia sound of the WoodÂstock era. The film, dividÂed into sevÂen parts, is availÂable for free on YouTube.
This 2‑minute verÂsion of Alice In WonÂderÂland shot in the virÂtuÂal world SecÂond Life is an eerie tesÂtaÂment to just how wideÂly CarÂrolÂl’s clasÂsic resÂonates.
PerÂhaps the biggest treaÂsure of all, Lewis CarÂrolÂl’s origÂiÂnal manÂuÂscript, availÂable from the British Library — 91 pages of preÂcious litÂerÂary hisÂtoÂry, with origÂiÂnal illusÂtraÂtions from artist John TenÂniel. The online gallery also feaÂtures a prefÂace telling the fasÂciÂnatÂing stoÂry of the Oxford mathÂeÂmatiÂcian’s real-life inspiÂraÂtion for the book and the fate of the real Alice
Maria PopoÂva is the founder and ediÂtor in chief of Brain PickÂings, a curatÂed invenÂtoÂry of eclecÂtic interÂestÂingÂness and indisÂcrimÂiÂnate curiosÂiÂty. She writes for Wired UK, GOOD MagÂaÂzine and HuffÂinÂgÂton Post, and spends a disÂturbÂing amount of time curatÂing interÂestÂingÂness on TwitÂter.
The details are still hazy. But we know this: Google will be launchÂing a “colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive research proÂgram to explore the digÂiÂtal humanÂiÂties” using Google Books. ScholÂars will get up to $50,000 per year, and they’ll come from eight potenÂtial disÂciÂplines (archaeÂolÂoÂgy, hisÂtoÂry, anthroÂpolÂoÂgy, linÂguisÂtics, litÂerÂaÂture, clasÂsics, phiÂlosÂoÂphy & sociÂolÂoÂgy). And what’s the point of their research? EssenÂtialÂly to make Google’s online digÂiÂtal library more effecÂtive and friendÂly for researchers. Just last year, a promiÂnent acaÂdÂeÂmÂic called Google Books a “DisÂasÂter for ScholÂars” in a high proÂfile forum. The new grants should begin to address these conÂcerns in some meanÂingÂful ways. For more inforÂmaÂtion, head over to The ChronÂiÂcle of HighÂer EduÂcaÂtion, which has the full stoÂry.
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