History 696: Narrative Blog
Questions to think about for 27 September (list below is still tentative)
As you do the reading for next week's class, think about these questions. You should also post a blog commentary (ca. 300-500 words) on one of the questions.
1. Bill Cronon calls his essay "A Place for Stories." What is the story that Cronon tells in his essay?
2. What would Keith Jenkins say about Cronon's essay? How would Cronon respond?
3. What is the meaning of the title of Murray's book? What is Murray's own narrative?
4. Is Murray's book "radical" or "conservative?" What do those terms mean in relation to her book? What would Cronon or Jenkins or Landow say about her book?
5. One critic of Murray's book complains that "her utopianism colors all her arguments in this volume, leading her to ignore or play down the more disturbing consequences of technology while unabashedly embracing its possibilities." Do you agree? Why or why not?
6. Compare Manovich and Murray in tone, approach, and analysis. With whom do you agree?