Memory and Motion: The Body in Electronic Writing

17.20-18.10: Anna Gibbs/Maria Angel (Sydney, Australia)

Abstract: This paper explores the new materialism of the corporeal body in electronic writing and online environments. Mark Hansen (2004) argues that the privilege of literature lies not in its imitation of the flexibility of technical media but in its relationship with the body. We propose that electronic environments have a strong relationship to affective modes of communication highlighted by their appeal to sensory novelty through technological innovation ­ new media platforms proliferate the potentials for combining visibility with aural and tactile modes. This paper argues for a new materialism of electronic culture, one that has serious implications for the way that we understand memory.