In the last three years, since the beginning of my PhD, I have been reading a lot of stuff about Digital Humanities, a lot of definitions, a lot of introductions (in more than one language), and I have been discussing several times with many people, but I am still not satisfied, I am not convinced that a useful and satisfactory guide that explains in full the connection and the relationship between computer science and humanities has been as yet produced. I am not, obviously, saying that I will be the one who will write such a thing, I am still trying to find my way into it, but I am willing to try an experiment and see what comes out of it. Continue reading Computer Science and the Humanities
Category: DH at large
After a more focused start on linguistic and text analysis, Digital Humanities is loose now, both geographically (and geo-politically) and theoretically
The dark side of the shadow of Digital Humanities
[While waiting to read the issue of difference discussing the “shadowy” digital humanities and their shadows, I recovered from my previous blog this posts discussing the MLA panel on the dark side of DH that inspired the journal issue.]
During the launching event of Art/Works: Platform for the creative arts and industries, here in Cork, at Triskel, there was a performance of the Conflicted Theatre Company dramatizing the life of an aspiring… artist? journalist? writer? not sure… the protagonist wasn’t sure either, and ended up working as some sort of answering/calling “machine” all his life, with bleak and depressing consequences, as you might expect. It was a moving look at the dark side of a “creative” career, precisely the kind of thing that the rest of the day (and the various events that happened during it) was aiming at avoiding. Continue reading The dark side of the shadow of Digital Humanities
What is Digital Humanities? An Italian perspective
[From my previous blog, but still worth reading, I believe]
There is been a lot of discussion around Digital Humanities lately, caused by (but also causing – or the other way around) what Ted Underwood called a PR crisis. This affected the current job market in humanities and literary studies, where “a lot of job postings are suddenly requesting interest or experience in DH”. Underwood has an interesting approach on this, saying that is perfectly legitimate for a literary scholar NOT to have a deep understanding of digital humanities and do his job perfectly well. Only these days there is a need to demonstrate some sort of awareness of what is happening in the DH field, even if you are not in fact doing it, Continue reading What is Digital Humanities? An Italian perspective
Man and Machine, or The algorithms of porosity
Yesterday I have been to my first DH Seminaire at EHESS, a series of meeting that started in 2011 aimed at discussing and mapping the emergence of Digital Humanities in America and in Europe while at the same time pushing towards a multilingual European network, with a number of initiatives, inspired by the Paris Manifesto (sorry, Manifeste, obviously, French style). The approach they adopted was wide and comprehensive, addressing different aspects and issues, as the definition they gave of the term DH shows. Continue reading Man and Machine, or The algorithms of porosity
Looking forward to quantum computing?
I recently read about the death of Emilio Del Giudice, one of the people that started and inspired New Humanities, a very exciting initiative taking place in one of the oldest cities in the world. Unfortunately I never met Del Giudice but I went to one of the New Humanities meeting which was very lively and interesting. I did not have time, energy, or ability, to establish a stronger connection with them. I am, however, definitely going to find the time to read Del Giudice book, and also to watch some of the videos and read the material in the website (sooner or later). And I encourage you to do the same (the site is bilingual, although the Italian version has obviously more material). To say the least, you will your brain will fill refreshed and you can start whatever you are doing with more (quantum?) energy. Continue reading Looking forward to quantum computing?