Unfolding Community in Electronic Literature

Abstract

Although the creative practice comprises a wide variety of narratives emerging in digital environments, we consider ‘electronic literature’ to be a scholarly and artistic field. Its sense of community is built on a transmedial narration of the field itself. I explore the development of the field in relation to the sense of community to identify a collection of trends that have emerged in electronic literature as an academic field. My findings center around three themes: 1) belonging and demarcation, 2) infrastructure and resources, and 3) transnationality and inclusivity. I combine theory about communities with sources that reference community in electronic literature, drawing from sources across media. I further argue for the urgency of considering ‘community’ as a formative element in electronic literature, a vital concept in understanding digital narrative in the globalized network society in which they emerge.