Comments on: Data mining as literary criticism http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/ The Humanities and Technology Camp in Ohio Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:27:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Laura Mandell http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Laura Mandell Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:21:34 +0000 http://thatcamp.clevelandhistory.org/?p=370#comment-134 David: This is a great panel proposal. Also, I have used both wordle and juXta on the text of Frankenstein as a way of combining close reading with distant reading. I put up a panel about my poetry visualizations, but maybe we could combine? Best, Laura David:

This is a great panel proposal.

Also, I have used both wordle and juXta on the text of Frankenstein as a way of combining close reading with distant reading.

I put up a panel about my poetry visualizations, but maybe we could combine?

Best, Laura

]]> By: Stacia Kuceyeski http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Stacia Kuceyeski Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:14:41 +0000 http://thatcamp.clevelandhistory.org/?p=370#comment-132 Hi Dave! Looking forward to seeing you again and hearing all about this project. I think it has real applications in some of our TAH grants, although it may really blow some of our teachers minds! Hi Dave! Looking forward to seeing you again and hearing all about this project. I think it has real applications in some of our TAH grants, although it may really blow some of our teachers minds!

]]> By: Boone Gorges http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-123 Boone Gorges Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:45:15 +0000 http://thatcamp.clevelandhistory.org/?p=370#comment-123 Sounds like a cool idea for a session. Like some of the other commenters, I'm a fan of Wordle. I'm a bit skeptical about using it as a jumping off point for critical analysis of texts, as I think that word frequency is somewhat of a superficial metric for finding or imposing deeper meaning on something. But I would love to hear arguments to the contrary. It'd be especially interesting to talk about the extent to which these kinds of visualization strategies can and cannot be applied to texts from different domains (fiction, blog posts, essays, etc). Sounds like a cool idea for a session. Like some of the other commenters, I’m a fan of Wordle. I’m a bit skeptical about using it as a jumping off point for critical analysis of texts, as I think that word frequency is somewhat of a superficial metric for finding or imposing deeper meaning on something. But I would love to hear arguments to the contrary. It’d be especially interesting to talk about the extent to which these kinds of visualization strategies can and cannot be applied to texts from different domains (fiction, blog posts, essays, etc).

]]> By: Lewis Ulman http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-87 Lewis Ulman Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:57:11 +0000 http://thatcamp.clevelandhistory.org/?p=370#comment-87 Hi, Dave. Can't wait to hear more! In my electronic textual editing course this winter, my grad students and I will be working with Laura Mandell (Miami U of Ohio — see her session for THATCamp) on text visualizations. Care to join in the fun? Hi, Dave. Can’t wait to hear more! In my electronic textual editing course this winter, my grad students and I will be working with Laura Mandell (Miami U of Ohio — see her session for THATCamp) on text visualizations. Care to join in the fun?

]]> By: Erin Bell http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Erin Bell Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:36:02 +0000 http://thatcamp.clevelandhistory.org/?p=370#comment-67 Hi David, this sounds pretty cool. I actually had a similar idea for using Wordles to analyze content across each of the national and regional THATCamp websites to see what common/unique themes emerge. I'm a big fan of Wordle and think it's a great format for visualizing textual patterns. I have not read any of Moretti's writing (though I plan on it now), but from what I can tell, his early work in this area was met with some gasps of disbelief by literary academics who disapproved of this scientific/quantitative approach to the classics. To my mind (not being a literature expert), this kind of analysis seems like a breakthrough that opens up a whole new area of inquiry in a field that, in my estimation, seems to have been more or less static over centuries (not that ideas and approaches in the "traditional" study of literature haven't changed, only that this seems hugely different). Considering some of the academic backlash Moretti received (along with popular praise), I think we can begin to think about Digital Humanities as a field that is kind of "in between". (I'm arbitrarily associating Moretti with Digital Humanities because I think it's instructive). To what extent does pursuing this kind of work put you at odds with the "traditional" view of the humanities? How does Digital Humanities -- largely still a self-proclaimed, rather than accredited field -- fill in a gap within the humanities where things like visualization, textual analysis, and other kinds of quantitative and technical approaches may be met with indifference, skepticism, or hostility? Does Digital Humanities have a broader audience than traditional scholarship or just a more dispersed one? Is it a scholarly audience or public or both? This comment got a bit out of hand and is based on very limited information about Moretti. Let that serve as a disclaimer to any bad ideas on my part, but also an indication of your excellent choice of topic! Looking forward to another great installation. Let Jim or I know about how you would like to set this up (equipment, placement, etc.). Hi David, this sounds pretty cool. I actually had a similar idea for using Wordles to analyze content across each of the national and regional THATCamp websites to see what common/unique themes emerge. I’m a big fan of Wordle and think it’s a great format for visualizing textual patterns.

I have not read any of Moretti’s writing (though I plan on it now), but from what I can tell, his early work in this area was met with some gasps of disbelief by literary academics who disapproved of this scientific/quantitative approach to the classics. To my mind (not being a literature expert), this kind of analysis seems like a breakthrough that opens up a whole new area of inquiry in a field that, in my estimation, seems to have been more or less static over centuries (not that ideas and approaches in the “traditional” study of literature haven’t changed, only that this seems hugely different).

Considering some of the academic backlash Moretti received (along with popular praise), I think we can begin to think about Digital Humanities as a field that is kind of “in between”. (I’m arbitrarily associating Moretti with Digital Humanities because I think it’s instructive). To what extent does pursuing this kind of work put you at odds with the “traditional” view of the humanities? How does Digital Humanities — largely still a self-proclaimed, rather than accredited field — fill in a gap within the humanities where things like visualization, textual analysis, and other kinds of quantitative and technical approaches may be met with indifference, skepticism, or hostility? Does Digital Humanities have a broader audience than traditional scholarship or just a more dispersed one? Is it a scholarly audience or public or both?

This comment got a bit out of hand and is based on very limited information about Moretti. Let that serve as a disclaimer to any bad ideas on my part, but also an indication of your excellent choice of topic!

Looking forward to another great installation. Let Jim or I know about how you would like to set this up (equipment, placement, etc.).

]]> By: David Staley http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-61 David Staley Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:44:54 +0000 http://thatcamp.clevelandhistory.org/?p=370#comment-61 Hi Brooke, Hey, that's right, you are thoughtful Wordle user as well! Hope I'm able to match your standards... D. Hi Brooke,

Hey, that’s right, you are thoughtful Wordle user as well! Hope I’m able to match your standards…

D.

]]> By: brooke http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-59 brooke Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:44:19 +0000 http://thatcamp.clevelandhistory.org/?p=370#comment-59 hi dave! it will be interesting to see what you came up with this time! hi dave! it will be interesting to see what you came up with this time!

]]> By: jamesdcalder http://thatcampcolumbus.org/2009/12/18/data-mining-as-literary-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-58 jamesdcalder Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:25:42 +0000 http://thatcamp.clevelandhistory.org/?p=370#comment-58 Very cool! This is an interesting combination for literary theory, art and digital humanities. I'd also like to learn more about Franco Moretti, when did he write and do you think he would have seen something like this as fitting into his theoretical framework? Very cool! This is an interesting combination for literary theory, art and digital humanities. I’d also like to learn more about Franco Moretti, when did he write and do you think he would have seen something like this as fitting into his theoretical framework?

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