Presentation slideshow for First International Conference on Translating E-Literature, May 12-14, 2012.

1. Porting E-Poetry: The Case of
Leonardo Flores, PhD
University of Puerto Rico: Mayagüez

2. Digital Preservation Methods
for Electronic Literature
• Bit-by-bit preservation of source materials.
• Documentation – through image, audio, and
video capture of a performance of the work.
• Emulation – emulating the original
computational environment in another OS.
• Porting - translating software from one
programming language to another with the
goal of producing the same effect in different
hardware and software configurations.

3. bpNichol First Screening
• Created on an Apple IIe
between 1983-1984 in
Apple Basic.
• Underwhich edition (1984):
100 copies published in
5.25” floppy disks.
• Apple II series discontinued
by 1993.

4. First Screening on Hypercard
• J. B. Hohm started
working on a Hypercard
version of First Screening
in 1992.
• It was published in 1993
by Red Deer College Press
in 3.5” disks.
• Hypercard was
discontinued in 2004.
• Classic Environment not
functional beyond Mac
OS 10.4 (Tiger), released
in 2005.

5. Digital Preservation of First Screening
• 3-year preservation project (2004-2007) by Jim
Andrews, Lionel Kearns, Dan Waber, Geof Huth, and
Marko Niemi produced and published:
1. The original DSK file of the 1984 edition, which can be
opened with an Apple IIe emulator, along with the
Apple BASIC source code as a text file, and scanned
images of the original printed matter.
2. A video documenting the emulated version in Quicktime
format.
3. The 1993 HyperCard version, along with the printed
matter of that edition.
4. A JavaScript version that runs in browsers.

6. First Screening (video version)

7. Evaluating First Screening Digital
Preservation at Vispo.com:
Pros Cons
• Well documented • Different formats
• Offers work in multiple presented as (more or
formats less) equivalent
• Offers supplemental representations of work
materials • Porting focuses on
• Includes source code linguistic text and
animation
• Javascript port preserves:
• Graphical text is
– Linguistic text
neglected
– Animation
• Lovingly executed

8. Emulated version
Pros Cons
• Most faithful version • Requires installation of
• Same source code as emulator on user’s
original computer
• Emulator simulates Apple • Nichol assumes user
IIe operating system knowledge of Apple Basic
• User enters visual and • Contemporary users may
conceptual space of have difficulty using
Apple IIe computers and emulated version.
Apple Basic. • Emulators have to be
ported
• Variability with emulation

9. First Screening (emulated version)
• AppleWin 1.20.0.0 for Windows
• Available at: http://applewin.berlios.de/
• Copyright Information:
• © 1994-1996, Michael O'Brien
• © 2001, Oliver Schmidt
• © 2002-2005, Tom Charlesworth
• © 2006-2011, Tom Charlesworth, Michael
Pohoreski, Nick Westgate, Linards Ticmanis
• Reminder: List 100,116

10. Emulated Version of First Screening
• Interactions are part of design:
– Typing in commands
– Constraints and affordances on interactivity
– Interacting with and exploring the code
– Code poem at the end (coda?)
• Code has “voice” and is part of textual
performance.
• Interaction with hardware is lost in emulation.

11. Issues with
Quicktime Video Documentation
• Different digital object: easy to confuse with the real
thing because it has the same linguistic text and
animation.
• Different typography (graphical text).
• Different interactivity:
– Video controls: play, pause, fast forward, rewind.
– Random access: skip around video
– Scalable full screen
• Incomplete:
– Off screen romance
– Code poem

12. First Screening (Hypercard port)
Pros Cons
• Authorized by Ellie • Hypercard stack
Nichol (bpNichol’s changes interface.
widow) • Offers customization
• Preserves linguistic and options to users:
animated text – Animation speed
• Extended the life of the – Font
work by a decade. • Hypercard is obsolete &
emulation is difficult.

13. First Screening (JavaScript port)
Pros Cons
• Runs in browsers • Different computational
• Ease of use for object(s): 36 files
contemporary • JavaScript standards
audiences evolve, so code must be
• Simulates interaction updated:
• Replicates linguistic text – Bug at the end of Tower
poem ends sequence.
and animation
• Different font (graphical
text

14. Graphical Text Comparison
Emulated version Javascript version
• Shape of numbers: 3 & 0
• Apple Font: Motter Tektura, designed by Othmar Motter in 1975
• Lines & dots given limited resolution
• Sans serif, monospaced font
• Javascript Font: Courier, designed by Howard Kettler in 1955
• Slab serif, monospaced font designed to evokes typewriter keystrokes
• Official US Government font until replaced by Times New Roman in 2004

15. Code Poem Comparison
Emulated Version JavaScript Version
• Look the same
• Read the same
• Not the same

16. Screen Text vs Code
JavaScript Screen Text JavaScript Code

17. REMarks about Screen & Code
• Differences between code and screen are
significant in bpNichol’s work:
– Title “First Screening” evokes computer and film
– Early (est?) kinetic digital poem
– “Offscreen Romance” plays off of onscreen
chemistry and off-screen romance between Fred
Astaire and Ginger Rogers
– Code poem is not a kinetic text
– Code poem engages REM programming code

18. Challenges of Translating E-Literature
• The work of electronic literature isn’t just
what is seen on screen.
• Translation should take into account:
– Linguistic text: sequence of words
– Graphical text: typography, formatting
– Interface: interactivity, navigation
– Textual behavior: movement, timing, etc.
– Code: porting, emulation

19. Recommendations
• Be sensitive to:
– Interface, functionality
– Graphical text: typography, formatting
– Original source and programming codes
• Emulate & recreate environment, or
• Translate to new environment or interfaces for
contemporary audiences.
• For preservation purposes:
– Produce multiple versions
– Make original materials available
– Document every decision

20. ¡Gracias!
Leonardo Flores, PhD
Associate Professor of English
University of Puerto Rico: Mayagüez
leonardo.flores@upr.edu
I ♥ E-Poetry
http://leonardoflores.net