SPOKENWEBLOG

SPOKENWEBLOG (SWB) is a curated online space for the publication of articles in a variety of forms and formats that document and contribute to the research, development and creation activities of the SpokenWeb research network.

Introduction

Contributions may be submitted by SpokenWeb affiliated students, postdoctoral fellows, network members, and occasionally by scholars outside the network, at the invitation of SpokenWeb, or in affiliation with a special project. SWB is an online space that showcases work representing a wide range of critical approaches and activities arising at the intersections of such fields as literary studies, sound studies, media history, performance studies, library and archives, and the digital humanities. SWB encourages innovative work that engages with questions of sound and culture in the broadest sense, from a wide range of critical, creative and practical perspectives. Proposals and articles can be submitted to spokenweblog@gmail.com.

Genres and Criteria for Publication

SWB aims to provide a space for innovation and experimentation in digital publication about sound and literature. SWB launched in June 2020 with a set series of post formats or genres, and will introduce new genres and series, over time.

Currently, the primary post genres and series featured are as follows:

  • Student RA Critical Accounts, Narratives and Reflections

    These posts represent opportunities for SpokenWeb student RAs and PDFs to contribute accounts, narratives, and reflections upon SpokenWeb-related activities they have engaged in or experienced through their affiliated roles in the network. These articles may be reflections on their own specific research practices, discoveries and experiments in methodology, as well as accounts of practices, events, workshops, or other activities they have experienced that are relevant to SpokenWeb interests. These articles will typically range from 250 – 3000 words in length and may include images, sound and video. These articles will be vetted, first, by the RA’s supervisor, and then by the editors of SWB.

    Examples

    Concordia – Manifesto Blog
    May 19, 2020, Ali Barillaro

    DEEP CURATION: A NEW, DIALOGIC POETRY READING
    February 28, 2019, Klara du Plessis

  • Posters, Papers and Full-Length Essays

    These posts present critical and scholarly work that the author has decided not to submit for publication in a refereed scholarly journal, or that is specifically designed to reach a wider public, and that makes an interesting and original enough contribution to scholarship in areas pertaining to SpokenWeb research to be published online to a scholarly and wider audience. These may be original essays developed specifically for SWB, or may be derived and adapted from posters, conference papers, or research essays previously presented at conferences or submitted to classes. Posters may entail posting a digital image or PDF of the original poster to SWB, or the development of a unique web presentation of the poster material. Articles will normally vary in length from between 1000 and 6000 words, and will often include AV content in addition to text. Before deciding to publish a work in this category, students should consult with a supervisor to ensure that the piece selected might not be placed in a refereed venue. Student submissions will first be prepared in collaboration with and vetted by student RA supervisors, and then will require final approval by SWB editors. Non-student submissions will be vetted by SWB editors.

  • Research Profiles, Interviews and Forums

    These posts highlight dialogical exchange between two or more individuals, at least one of whom will normally be a SpokenWeb-affiliated student or faculty researcher. This category of post is designed to allow SpokenWebers to engage in dialogue with scholars and artists outside the network, but may also consist of dialogues between SpokenWeb members. Originating in the “Listening, Sound, Agency” Research Forum series, contributions in this category are designed to provide fun and accessible ways of engaging with an expert’s research interests by providing them with an opportunity to discuss their current preoccupations and interests, and to apply their theoretical or analytical methodologies to unlikely objects and scenarios. Posts in this category will often take advantage of multimedia presentation and may combine text, video discussion and sounds. They will generally range between 750 – 3000 words (plus any length of AV material). In some instances they may be comprised mainly of audio or video. This category lends itself well to thematic clusters and proposals for a series of a certain number of profiles will be considered.The list of generic categories provided above represents what is expected to appear in the first phase of the SWB (May 2019 – May 2021). We expect new generic categories to emerge and to be identified as regular forms of contribution as this project develops. The SWB site is designed to sort posts by category. Decisions to identify a new post form category for this searching function will be made by the SWB editors.

SWB Series

In addition to these categories of format, the SWB has developed thematic series for which contributors may produce and submit articles. Current SWB Series are as follows:

The Tape Box series features stories surrounding the physical materials we work with, and later listen to, including how they came to be made, and how they found their way to us. These articles may describe the implications of a media format or of media migration, tell stories about how recordings have been made, stored, circulated, and rediscovered, and discuss the aesthetic and social dimensions of the media artifacts we work with as audiotextual scholars.

SpokenWeb Retro series features articles that look back at SpokenWeb publications, recordings, images, and events from 2007-2018. The early stuff.

Oral Literary History series features articles surrounding research and practice in oral literary history, including reflections on by interviewers and interviewees, discussions about method, and stories about SpokenWeb activities in this area.

DH, Design and Tech series features articles that describe the processes and experiments informing our engagement with digital tools and media, including systems design, computational analysis of audio, and interface design. This series also includes the Q&A series featuring audio signal analyst and computer scientist Brian McFee (Co-Applicant, NYU).

Symposia features emerged from profiles done leading up to the 2021 Symposium and continues as a series designed to highlight the individuals involved in our annual symposia in the form of in-depth interviews.

SWB Editorial Structure

The SWB is conceived as a nimble publication outfit that will allow SW to publish interesting and dynamic content on a regular basis without significant editorial investment or overhead. To this end, the SWB editorial board consists of an Editor in Chief (PI, Jason Camlot), a Managing Editor (Dr. Katherine McLeod), and an RA editorial assistant. Student work that is submitted for posting on the SWB is expected to have been developed and edited with the RA’s supervisor prior to submission.

Editorial Board
  • Jason Camlot | Editor in Chief
  • Katherine McLeod | Managing Editor
  • Frances Grace Fyfe | Editor
Previous Editors
  • Emma Telaro
  • Alexandra Sweny
SWB Citation Style and Deposit in Spectrum

Contributions to SWB that cite sources will use MLA parenthetical citation style with bibliography.

Please submit proposals or full articles to spokenweblog@gmail.com.