Heart, Mouth

A montage of stories, poems and essays

Inside the Box of Words CD-ROM is a collection of writing called Heart, Mouth -- a montage of previously published essays, stories, radio scripts and poems -- a virtual book which each reader creates and edits as they browse, selecting a contents list and order to suit each time they enter.

The pieces in Heart, Mouth cover a wide range of topics and issues to do with representation, history, authority, power and bodies; with critical theory applied to concrete issues, from the 1987 Grim Reaper safe sex campaign to ‘reality tv’, to close readings of the work of local writers and artists.

As a virtual book within an interactive CD-ROM, the medium is particularly apt for a writer who has never kept within the boundaries of any particular form, or within the constraints of linear narrative, or stayed comfortably within any single discipline. With the myriad possibilities for cross-links and cross-referencing, the connections between the different works and styles and approaches are given full play.

There are also click-to-play audio versions of some pieces, and individual articles can be printed out for off-screen reading or for use as class handouts.


Heart, Mouth represents a new development in the publishing of short forms of writing.

By using CD-ROM technology in this way, even small publishers are able to keep essays, stories and poems --the most difficult forms to publish successfully in Australia -- both accessible and affordable. The interactive format makes it possible for a single work to cater for both general and niche readers, allowing creators to present new material as well as to archive texts of more historical or academic value; to use sound and images generously; and to keep adding to and adapting the collection over time.

read some samples of Beth Spencer's writing at her website

*

Home | free sample-version of Box of Words with class materials | read an interview about this project |

| Body & Box of Words info & feedback from teachers | reviews |

| Beth Spencer's homepage | to order | contact us | thanks | site map |