Electronic Literature Directory Goes Live

Posted on September 11, 2000

The Electronic Literature Organization has announced the launch of The Electronic Literature Directory, a new resource for readers and writers of digital texts. Created and maintained by the Electronic Literature Organization, the searchable directory catalogs over 360 authors, 560 works, and 80 publishers. The descriptive entries cover poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction that make significant use of electronic techniques or enhancements.

Among the new forms of writing represented here are hypertexts and other interactive pieces, kinetic or animated poems, multimedia works, generated texts, and works that allow reader collaboration. The directory contains live links to web works, publishing sites, and author home pages. Users can search the directory for individual authors or works, or they can browse numerous categories such as poetry, fiction, hypertext, or animated text. Authors and publishers listed in the directory are able to enter and edit their own listings. Future enhancements will include new search capabilities and the addition of reviews and reader recommendations.

The Electronic Literature Organization is a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote and facilitate the writing, reading, and publishing of literature designed for the electronic media. Based in Chicago, ELO is directed by a national board of experts in electronic literature, internet business, and electronic publishing, and is additionally advised by an international board of literary advisors and a board of internet industry advisors. ELO maintains the Electronic Literature Directory and an electronic literature Web resource center. Forthcoming ELO programs include a Future of Publishing Symposium and Electronic Literature Prizes.