Stockbridge Stories on Hypertextopia!

[Julie]

If you'd like to learn more about where I might be in the summer when I'm not at Lehman College in front of a computer screen, come read "Stockbridge Stories," a piece I composed on Hypertextopia. You can read it in two ways -- either start with the fragment that I think of as the first chapter, or look at the whole story map and decide where you want to begin and what you want to read, in what order. If you look at it in map view, you'll see a bunch of boxes on the right that aren't attached to the main story. They're attached to each other, but they don't have anything in them, yet. I'm not quite ready to get rid of them.

Hypertextopia has caused me to think a lot about the idea of what I'm calling enchained narratives, and their value as published pieces of work. Would this be a way of publishing the big story that I have percolating in my mind and notebooks? I'm not sure. But it's been a very, very interesting piece of exploration.

[Kevin H.]

I like how you are questioning the narrative structure and playing with the asides provided by the links off the main text. This provides some interesting planning and ways to connect thoughts amid other thoughts. And what does that mean for the writer? the reader? I'm not sure but I am always intrigued about the ideas.
Thanks for sharing

Kevin Hodgson
Western Massachusetts Writing Project

[Julie Miele]

What a fantastic story, Julie. Your description is absolutely beautiful. It was so visual that at moments, I was completely transfixed. I seriously didn't feel like I was here in this room anymore.

In particular, the details earlier on related to Stockbridge and the people who are no longer here were very moving. At one point, it reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird. Different setting, I know, but a similar sense of home and warmth and childhood wonder. I also felt such a strong connection to the earth and to history. There's so much in the piece about food and herbs and woods and nature; and then there are all of the references to history - Fidel and Joni Mitchell and the books on the shelf. It's timeless and definitely gives off a sense of wonder and appreciation (and a tinge of longing) for all things past.

The scene at the quarry was lovely and fascinating at the same time. The imagery at the beginning was so clear, and I completely felt like I was there, in the water, with you, swimming with the water lilies. And I was hooked with anticipation as Geoff approached the boys.

Although I'm a bit confused at to what actually happened to his leg. Did he scrape it on the cliff? Was it stuck? You tell us that it wasn't broken, but I didn't really get what happened to it? Oh, and what were the complications?! That was intriguing.

The piece ends so nicely with Geoff's fond memories of this scary incident. That speaks a lot to his personality and to your relationship. It was really nice. Although I am wondering if there was any scarring or damage done. Can he walk alright?!

Thanks for sharing.
Julie