“Digital Writing & Digital Divides in the U.S.” with Leonardo Flores

The Scholars’ Lab at the University of Virginia invites you to attend a virtual presentation on “Digital Writing & Digital Divides in the U.S.: Electronic Literature & Privilege” by Leonardo Flores on Wednesday, 6 April, 10:30–11:45 a.m. ET. This Zoom presentation is free and open to the public; advance registration is required. Click here to view the details and register.

Leonardo will trace how white practitioners have dominated e-lit authorship and study: materially through who’s had access to technology and programming education, and via biased definitions of the field limiting it to only certain privileged aesthetics. As President of the Electronic Literature Organization, he’s exploring expanding how we frame “e-lit” to “digital writing,” to diversify what work and authors are recognized by the field, and highlight creators who don’t label their work as literary—and doing research and outreach to help identify and amplify authors and digital writing/e-lit by folks from ethnically underrepresented groups.

Leonardo Flores is Chair of the English Department at Appalachian State University and President of the Electronic Literature Organization. His research areas are electronic literature, with a focus on digital poetry, and the history and strategic growth of the field. He’s known for I ♥ E-Poetry, the Electronic Literature Collection, Volume 3, “Third Generation Electronic Literature” and the Antología Lit(e)Lat, Volume 1. For more information on his current work, visit leonardoflores.net.

Please direct any questions to Dr. Amanda Wyatt Visconti, Managing Director of the Scholars’ Lab, at abv6x@virginia.edu.