Carly Stone: Voiceworks Online application

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Hello, reader! Welcome to my cover letter. It's part of my Voiceworks Editorial Committee application :) My name's Carly. What's yours? <<textbox "$name" "">> [[Thanks!]]

"Digital literature" is a nitty-gritty term for a pretty broad concept. I think it refers to anything we can read on a computer. Here, the definition of "computer" is pretty broad, too. On [[Toolkits Live|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPhYtJG-ex8&feature=youtu.be]], Benjamin Laird talks about the abacus as a tool for digital literature, when Dadaist poets used an early "computer" to generate algorithmic poetry. Don't get me wrong, $name: I've got nothing against print. In fact, I think the print publication occupies an important position in contemporary creative culture. There's something incredibly special about crystalising the conscious experience in the physical, tangible form. But, as a print writer and editor, I'm often frustrated by the parameters of the page. Unlike print, digital literature isn't demarcated to its own little box. As a form, it's radically integrated with rest of the world: it can be interactive, mobile, and online. As we develop digital intelligences, memories, and social networks, our collective consciousness expands into the digital realm. And, as we transform, so does our literature. I'm currently working on [[my first piece of digital literature]] with The Lifted Brow.

I’m developing an experimental form I call “nonsense theory”. It’s a self-reflexive, pseudo-academic form that parodies the metacognitive over-intellectualisation of human thought. Basically, a ‘caricature’ of academia. My first experimental piece, [["A Sentence is a Power Struggle" ,|https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dfLXkoivgwn2rwet5kpQ7wNy6P9kfjbR9GbFgKSAIZw/edit?usp=sharing]] was published in Voiceworks #115. My second piece, "Big Think", is shortlisted for [[The Lifted Brow & Non/FictionLab Experimental Non-Fiction Prize.|https://www.theliftedbrow.com/liftedbrow/2019/7/14/announcing-the-shortlist-for-the-2019-experimental-non-fiction-prize]] A couple of weeks ago, I pitched a piece about Englebert Humperdink's Quando Quando Quando to Voiceworks Online; and, in doing so, I began to explore the potential for [[experimental non-fiction to integrate with digital environments.]]

It's great to meet you, $name! I'm a 20 year old student at the University of Melbourne. I'm currently wrapping up my Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Philosophy and English & Theatre Studies). This year, I've been exploring [[experimental non-fiction]] and its ability to challenge the boundaries of the author/reader relationship.

It's a collaborative non-fiction project for The Lifted Brow’s upcoming "Digital Intimacies" issue. It's called "The Results Will Shock You", and it's a multi-form online/print piece/[[event|https://www.facebook.com/events/456786678508989/?active_tab=about]] about clickbait and consciousness. Our team consists of two writers, a coder, and an illustrator/animator. We're developing three AIs that mimic human sentiment analysis. Straddling the print-screen divide, we're launching the AI system at a physical event, giving it a permanent home online, and publishing the results in the Brow’s print edition. We're writing a dialogue that mimics online communication, putting a playful emphasis on the parameters of the printed form. This project has reawakened a [[passion for coding]] that's been lying dormant since my Tumblr days.

I'm currently: * The creative editor at [[CAMP magazine|http://www.facebook.com/magazineCAMP/]]: the University of Melbourne's autonomous queer publication. * An editor at [[Melbourne Arts Journal|https://unimelbartsjournal.com/]]: a student-run journal dedicated to publishing the work of undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Arts program at The University of Melbourne. * A creative subeditor at [[Farrago magazine|http://farragomagazine.com/]]: the general student publication at the University of Melbourne. I also direct [[Talkbox|https://www.facebook.com/pg/Talkbox-2209512589324446/events/]]: a recurring spoken word night at Classic Cinema for emerging and established writers. Last week, I took on on my fourth semester as a [[Peer Assissted Study Session (PASS) leader|https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/students/undergraduate/enrich-your-bachelor-of-arts/peer-assisted-study-sessions]], running bi-weekly tutorials in Short Fiction and Modern & Contemporary Literature. Through these sessions, I lead thorough writing workshops and a community of creative editors. I recently left my role as the Director of Communications at [[Oaktree|http://www.oaktree.org/]], where I led/recruited a ten-member communications team. I sent emails to lists of up to four hundred thousand supporters. This position involved leading regular one-on-one meetings, team meetings, workshops, and maintaining a culture of collaboration. I also created and implemented supporter journeys, comms strategies, and internal comms guidelines (eg. the queer sensitivity guideline). I'm also the founder and director of [[Fledgeling|https://www.fledgelingnest.com]] (and currently preparing for our [[online launch|https://www.facebook.com/events/359237348303936/]]). As an intern and proofreader at The Lifted Brow, I got some incredible insight into editing processes in large publications. These experiences have led me to develop my [[confidence and enthusiasm]] as a member of Melbourne's creative culture.

I get really excited when I talk about writing and editing. Here are some places I've talked about writing and editing: * The Wheeler Centre's "The Next Big Thing": [[Fight or Flight edition|http://www.wheelercentre.com/events/fight-or-flight-edition]] (where I spoke about cockroaches, anxiety, and pushing meaning through the mesh of signification). * [[SBS Sexuality|https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/sexuality/fast-lane/article/2018/02/07/fledgeling-artists-reclaim-space-difference]] (where I spoke about Fledgeling's first gallery opening). * RMIT University's [["The Politics of Gender, Sexuality, and Pedagogy in a ‘Post Truth’ World" conference|https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-politics-of-gender-sexuality-and-pedagogy-in-a-post-truth-world-tickets-39001549685#]] (where I coordinated and spoke on a panel about the cultural politics of queer art publications). * RRR Radio's [["Room With a View"|https://www.rrr.org.au/explore/programs/room-with-a-view/episodes/8592-room-with-a-view-5-august-2019]] (where I spoke about CAMP magazine and the power of queer publications). * SYN Radio's [["Get Cereal"|https://omny.fm/shows/get-cereal/supporting-the-art-of-minorities-we-meet-the-team]] (where I spoke about Fledgeling magazine and, again, the power of queer publications). As I upload my creativity to the digisphere, I think I'm going to have heaps [[more to talk about]].

*Audio narratives *Chatbots *Interactive adventures *Videos *Generative text *Full-colour images *Animated comics *Dialogues that are localised entirely in the track changes sections of Word documents *Websites *Auto-generated text *Animations *Code poems *Hypertext fiction *Twitter feeds *AIs Thank you for considering my application, $name! You can contact me on [[Twitter|https://twitter.com/zingothing]], or at carly.stone@gmail.com <3

I got kind of good at coding when I was customising [[my old Tumblr |https://carlys-old-tumblr.glitch.me]] to make my fanart look good on the screen. My dad and my brother are huge computer nerds, and they helped me access all the basics. This week, I've been powering through a fantastic list of digital lit resources (thanks Rory!). I'm learning heaps from the [[freecodecamp tutorial|http://learn.freecodecamp.org/]] and [[Benjamin Laird's Toolkits Live|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPhYtJG-ex8&feature=youtu.be]]. I've never really explored this open-source community that's dedicated to making knowledge available to everybody. This community is radically anti-gatekeeper: from tutorials to casual creators, almost everything is available to almost everyone. $name, I love creating things. I love creating things almost as much as [[love editing]] them.