A Cultural analysis of resistances to digital poetries

Using a series of interviews, critical theory and practice-based interventions this PhD interrogates expressions of cultural authority and cultural capital and their relation to expressions of resistance to digital media poetries from correspondents associated with the print media publication of poetry in the UK in the period 2012-2017. The PhD also consists of a practice-led element which aims to generate a typology of resistances to digital poetries. Through both an interview process and practice-asresearch, the research generates a number of texts to be analysed through closereading and comparative textual analysis. The project considers ‘digital poetries’ in its broadest sense, encouraging interview correspondents to express their own definitions before and after reading a sample of digital poetries, including mainly convergent media artworks (i.e. interactive virtual environments, generative poetry interfaces, kinetic poetry) drawn from both my own practice and that of others. The core interest of the research is to identify and analyse the structures of resistances rather than to draw conclusions that are somehow ‘representative’ or to provide definitive ‘solutions.’ Rather than an empirical sociology this cultural analysis draws more on literary anthropology and autoethnography, treating correspondents as individuals and directly engaging with the role and position of the researcher and practitioner. Themes apparent in this typology of resistances include: the economics of production and dissemination of literature, the role of cultural authority in questions of distinction, and the role of the concept of literariness. This is a creative critical thesis document which mixes academic writing with modes of writing which are nonstandard as an illustration of the proposed distributed subject position of practitionerresearcher. As a practice-based and practice-led project the thesis also includes a portfolio of creative practice which includes writing, publishing and digital practices.

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