The Virtual Muser Is this world any different, or have we walked through the looking glass and cannot find our way back?"

Genre by Frank Episale A cursory exploration of, and introduction to, the concept of "genre", its evolving meaning in the marketplace and its relationship to identity politics and the nature of language. An Introduction to Genre Theory by Daniel Chandler A number of perennial doubts plague genre theory. Are genres really 'out there' in the world, or are they merely the constructions of analysts? Is there a finite taxonomy of genres or are they in principle infinite? Are genres timeless Platonic essences or ephemeral, time-bound entities? Are genres culture-bound or transcultural?... Should genre analysis be descriptive or proscriptive? (Stam 2000, 14) Generic Conventions and Genre Evolution by Stephen Rowley How useful is Altman's discussion of the intra- and inter-generic processes of genre? How, for example, does the merging of various generic conventions in films such as Total Recall or Robocop alter the western "formula"? Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit - Conventions and Genre by Kerry Braye Literature is a body of written (or oral) works, such as novels, poems and so on, that use words to stimulate the imagination and confront the reader with a unique vision of life. It is a creative, universal form of expression that addresses the emotional, spiritual, and/or intellectual concerns of humanity. The novel, for example, makes the reader see connections among various phenomenons and look at something in a way never thought about before. On the other hand, the novel may take the reader into the mind of the writer and make him/her feel they actually know the author. The characters, events, and ideas in the novel become part of their experience. The following will discuss these contrasting views of literature, paying particular attention to 'genre' theory and 'author expressivity', of which examples will be drawn from Jeanette Winterson's first novel, 'Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit'. It should be noted that reference is made to the main character in this essay as "Jess" (as in the film version) although the same character is referred to as "Jeanette" in the novel.

The Problem of Meaning in Literature by John Lye "Meaning" is a difficult issue, and what I have to say here only scratches the surface of a complex and contested area. How do we know what a work of literature is 'supposed'; to mean, or what its 'real' meaning is? There are several ways to approach this: - that meaning is what is intended by the author ; - that meaning is created by and contained in the text itself ; - that meaning is created by the reader. Cyberspace, Cosmology, and the Meaning of Life by Albert Borgmann When on the Tuesdays before Thanksgiving only about half of my students in the large introductory ethics class show up, I reward the faithful with the promise to reveal the meaning of life. The announcement is always met with a ripple of laughter-a mixture of incredulity, curiosity, and good humor. The meaning of life, I say, cannot be borrowed, bought, or manufactured. It has to be discovered. And how do you discover it? Why, you use the meaning-of-life-locator. And what is that? Words and Meaning in Cyberspace by Giveme1234 We may scratch designs on the caves of Lascaux, or post our ideas on the Motley Fool stock boards---either way we humans have a need to express ourselves. We seek to be connected. Unfortunately, our messages some times misfire and leave us more disconnected than when we started. In cyberspace, communication is especially difficult as so many clues once relied on no longer exist. The visual clues of physical presence are missing, so too the auditory clues picked up in conversation. Faced with blank computer screens and a motley arrangement of ciphers we call a keyboard, we're an impoverished lot, with only words to express ourselves.