Today I read Skeleton Sky, by Carolyn Guertin, for the first time. I think I read the whole thing, but I'm not sure. At first, the non-linear format of the poem frustrated me immensely. It was difficult to wrap my mind around the concept. What on earth is she trying to say? Is it about nature? No. Perhaps it's spiritual. Could it be about creation? I still don't know; however, as I continued to read, I became more engaged with the process. I realized that I was really enjoying the experience. This poem certainly reflects the digital-age elements that Dresang outlines in her Radical Change Theory (1999). I don't think I've ever experienced anything quite like it, and I doubt one would ever have the same experience on consecutive readings. This type of poetry could result in a whole new category of addiction!
According to Dresang, Radical Change is "a framework or theory that allows the reader to identify literature with characteristics of the digital age." The theory addresses the digital-age concepts of connectivity, interactivity, and access within literature. It sounds more simple than it is. As I have tried to unpack this theory, I find that I have trouble wrapping my mind around it as well. Perhaps that is because I was educated in an age of linear thought.
Skeleton Sky is loaded with hyper-text that connects to other parts of the poem eventually becoming recursive (connectivity). It requires the reader to mentally and physically engage by making decisions about which path to follow (interactivity). And it offers the reader "access to a broader and deeper range of information". When I consider the traditional hand-held YA novels I've read this semester, Will Grayson, Will Grayson (Green & Levithan) and The Orange Houses (Griffin) immediately jump out as Radical Change novels.
Each of these novels is told from multiple perspectives. The reader connects with each perspective as the characters in the novels connect with each other. The reader has to evaluate these perspectives and wrestle with the outcomes. In Will Grayson, Will Grayson, the font is different for each narrator. The transition involves visual cues. In The Orange Houses, the voice of the three narrators signals the change. The passage of time is also significant in this novel, adding a sense of urgency. Although both books connect the reader to the greater community, employ techniques that engage the reader with the text, and provide access to a broader range of information and issues, they are definitely linear in nature. However, both contain passages in which events occur concurrently. I think it would be difficult to produce a novel in the traditional hand-held format that would have the non-linear quality of Skeleton Sky. I have read books that are somewhat non-linear, but I can't at the moment recall their titles. They have all been books modeled after scrapbooks in which the reader explores letters tucked into envelopes and various memorabilia including ticket stubs and photographs.
Graphic novels are a particularly intriguing form of Radical Change literature. The passage of time is often non-linear in these novels with multiple events occurring concurrently. Flashback is also frequently used. The reader has to fully engage with the representation of time to follow the plot. In her reassessment of Radical Change, Dresang points out that the reader must create "the story/text that falls into the gutter between the panels" (2008). Rather than creating story text, I think graphic novels require the reader to decode a different type of text to complete the story. The reader must decode images in conjunction with the text. The images add another way of knowing for the reader. In other words, the pictures provide greater access to understanding.
I have supported the use of graphic novels in the classroom for a long time. These novels address Gardner's Multiple Intelligences in a variety of ways. They are both art and literature. They are visually stimulating and, typically, involve a great deal of physical action on the part of the characters. Because the action is visually represented, I think the reader responds to it in a more vicarious way much like one does with television or video games. Also, like with poetry, an economy of words is necessary requiring the author to carefully consider word choice. A complex vocabulary tends to be the result. I like the idea of teaching units on graphic novels in which students can select, from a pre-determined group, a novel that is appealing for both story and art. Additionally, I would like to have students write their own graphica stories. While this might sound intimidating at first for students who are not artistically inclined, Web 2.0 technologies such as ToonDoo make this sort of assignment less threatening. Graphic novels provide an exciting way to help students to connect with ideas and concepts in order to create knowledge, a fresh way to connect with the world.
Dresang, E. T., (1999). Radical Changes: Books for youth in a digital age. New York: H.W. Wilson Co.
Dresang, E. T. (2008). Radical change revisited: Dynamic digital age books for youth. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 8(3). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol8/iss3/seminal/article2.cfm
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