Rereading Code: Representation, Verification, and a Case of Epistemic (Ir)responsibility

In 2001 James Aucoin published an article that contributed sig­nificantly to the scholarship of ethics and epistemology of literary journal­ism studies. Drawing on the work of Lorraine Code, Aucoin combined a “responsibilist” approach to epistemology with narrative theory to establish standards for judging literary journalism’s truth claims. This paper offers a re-reading of Code’s seminal text, Epistemic Responsibility, arguing that Code’s approach in fact upholds verifiability as a key criterion for epistemic responsibility in works of both fiction and nonfiction. Such a reading pro­duces significantly different results when analyzing literary journalism’s truth claims. It is the aim of this paper to follow through the implications of rereading Epistemic Responsibility as advocating the discipline of verifica­tion. John D’Agata’s and Jim Fingal’s The Lifespan of a Fact is used as a case study to play out some of these implications in the second half of this paper. This playful case of epistemic irresponsibility highlights some of the key is­sues around truth claims in literary journalism. It is argued that such cases have an important role in keeping the issue of “knowing well” central to the epistemic community, thereby contributing to the flourishing discussion around the responsible representation of reality

Reading Differently: Exploring "The Power of the Real" in Literary Journalism

This paper contends that previous research on the experience of reading literary journalism has predominantly been focused on the experience of the ideal, implied and/or interpellated reader. Scholarly discussions about the qualitative differences between reading fiction and non-fiction are usually theoretical or based on close readings where the analyses are projected on to a generalised readership. However, recent developments in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive narratology are opening avenues for qualitative and quantitative research into the experience of reading literary journalism. This article takes some tentative steps towards exploring the nature of "experientiality" for readers by asking questions of emerging research in order to further articulate the "power" of narrative non-fiction

Identity and User Preference in the Presentation and Content of Digital Archives: A Study of the Plumas County Museum’s Haun Collection

This thesis explores user preference in the presentation and content of online archives in small, local institutions. To obtain data for this study, a collection from the Plumas County Museum in northern California was digitized, and three versions were presented on a custom-built test website: 1) a straightforward reproduction of documents in the collection; 2) a pairing of reproductions and typed transcripts; and 3) a selective, interpretive reproduction with supporting secondary material. Users with a variety of research backgrounds viewed the website and provided feedback through an anonymous, online survey. Google Analytics was also used to measure site traffic. During the five-week testing period, 25 complete surveys, five partial surveys, and traffic information from 183 unique users were gathered. Survey findings indicate that 46 percent of users found version 3—the highly processed, highly contextualized presentation—most useful. When controlling for research experience, scholarly and professional users preferred the straightforward reproduction (version 1), while students and teachers preferred an enhanced presentation (versions 2 and 3). Avocational researchers did not show a clear preference. Site traffic showed a heavy concentration of users (68%) from California, as well as users from 15 other states. These findings suggest that while local archives may be most relevant within their geographical range, digitization of collections can extend an archives’ usership more broadl

Jericho Road: A Musical Event

This recorded creative work is comprised of an original score and lyrics written in response to Jason Robert Brown’s musical ‘The Last Five Years’ (LFY). The composition is the vehicle for the story of a Christian marriage breakdown in a contemporary context, an issue which currently has a generated dearth of critical dialogue or artistic content in Adventist contexts. Like LFY, this musical experiments with chronology and closure as ideological tools

Knowing Well in the Classroom: Epistemic Challenges and Competencies

The purpose of this investigation is to build on Faull’s research by unpacking three of these areas: an in-depth knowledge of subject matter; currency of knowledge; and the willingness to be a learner. The term “epistemic responsibility”—specifically, the imperative on a teacher to “know well”—will be explored within this framework

The Role of Imagination in Literary Journalism

Despite a range of scholars, media ethicists, and practitioners claiming its centrality to journalistic practice, the role of the imagination in literary journalism is somewhat ambiguous and, consequently, often misunderstood. This is arguably due to the ambivalent relationship scholars and philosophers have historically had with this powerful mental faculty and the close connection between the imagination, invention, and the writing of fiction. As this essay argues, however, invention and imagination are not synonymous; indeed, according to epistemologist Lorraine Code, reason and imagination work together to produce narrative forms that are essential for the characterization of human action. This inquiry begins with a brief historical survey of the historical developments that inform a contemporary understanding of the role of the imagination and continues by offering an initial investigation into a range of ways such an understanding can impact literary journalistic practice. Some of the areas discussed include: time, immersion, emplotment, and the relationship between knowledge and understanding. The study also suggests that the imagination has an ethical role to play in the construction of literary journalism, arguing that imaginative projection should not be thought of as a fanciful invention, but rather as an epistemological and moral exercise that recognizes the potential radical difference of experience between practitioner and subject. Thus, the exploration finds that the imagination is indeed a key component of literary journalistic practice and further proposes that practitioners and theorists alike can benefit from a deeper understanding of its role in the representation of reality

Inertia to Action: From Narrative Empathy to Political Agency in Young Adult Fiction

‘Now tell me...’ Tobias says through a bursting breath, ‘what do you think learning strategy has to do with...bravery?’ The question reminds me that he is my instructor, and I am supposed to learn something from this. A cloud passes over the moon, and the light shifts across my hands. ‘It...it prepares you to act,’ I say finally. ‘You learn strategy so you can use it.’ (Roth 2011, pp. 143–4) In this passage from Veronica Roth’s young adult (YA) novel Divergent (2011), protagonist Tris Prior is encouraged to make a connection between knowledge and action. More specifically, her instructor Tobias prompts Tris to articulate that strategy is necessary preparation for action. Implicit in this meta-teaching moment is an invitation for readers to embark with Tris on a journey that is exhilarating, but also instructive. Here Roth cues a generic feature of YA dystopian fiction: its function as a roadmap to agency. YA series such as Divergent (Roth 2011; 2012; 2013), The Hunger Games (Collins 2010a; 2010b; 2013), and The Maze Runner (Dashner 2010; 2011; 2013) all feature protagonists who move from inertia to action to engage with powerful enemies in a struggle for freedom and liberty. Given the genre’s overtly political concerns, this paper aims to consider what, if any, real-world empowerment might occur for readers who respond empathically to YA dystopian fiction. It explores how these texts might act as roadmaps to political agency and social activism, and asks whether—by mobilising readers’ affective responses—YA fiction might in fact immobilise young adults. In short, this paper examines whether there is there any evidence to suggest YA dystopian texts have the potential to empower a new generation of young adults to move from political inertia to action

Inertia to Action: From Narrative Empathy to Political Agency in Young Adult Fiction

Dystopic and post-apocalyptic fiction creates a false society in which youth have actual physical power to act, create and control their own destinies. While YA fiction is often lauded for modeling agency through its protagonists, here it is argued that dystopic scenarios provide a false sense of empowerment. This allows a teen protagonist not only a chance for—often violent—action, but also the chance to prove him or herself against adult authority and corruption. In YA novels such as The Hunger Games, The Maze Runners and Divergent, adult power must be destroyed and current social norms disrupted to provide a legitimate place for teen power. This paper explores the notion that dystopic YA fiction provides empowerment for its teenager readers and examines if, in fact, that fictional power creates any lasting change in the inertia of current young adulthood

Survey and evaluation of techniques to augment convective heat transfer

This report presents a survey and evaluation of the numerous techniques which have been shown to augment convective heat transfer. These techniques are: surface promoters, including roughness and treatment; displaced promoters, such as flow disturbers located away from the heattransfer surface; vortex flows, including twisted-tape swirl generators; vibration of the heated surface or the fluid near the surface; electrostatic fields; and various types of fluid additives. Natural and forced convection situations for nonboiling, boiling, and condensation heat transfer are included. The conditions under which heat transfer is improved are summarized, and the efficiency of each technique is presented in terms of a performance criterion where possible.Sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research D.S.R

Introduction

This article explores the interplay between journalism and experience in narrative and literary forms of journalism