Name: Terra Gasque
Title: Transgressive Narratives: Renovating Digital Storytelling Language.
Date & Time: March 27th @ 3:30 - 5:30 PM (EST)
Location: Online Only
Teams Meeting Link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZjA0MTNhN2QtNDNmMC00Mjc1LWI0OTEtYTU3MzI1Mzg3ZDA0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22482198bb-ae7b-4b25-8b7a-6d7f32faa083%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2285721338-e79b-4ef1-ae38-8bb9a3e74d4c%22%7d

Committee Chairs:
Dr. Susanna Morris (Chair) - School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Heidi Biggs (Co-chair) -School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Georgia Institute of Technology

Committee Members:
Dr. Lisa Yaszek - School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Theresa Tanenbaum - Independent Scholar
Dr. Joshua Fisher - School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, Ball State University

Abstract:
Transgressive Narratives: Expanding Interactive Digital Narrative Design Language with Queer Twists and Active Disruption of Belief presents a framework for the expansion of critical analysis and design of interactive digital narratives through the union of Queer Theory’s recontextualization of failure and Science Fiction Studies’ framing of cognitive estrangement as a design method. The current language culture of Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN) research focuses on complete immersion of an interactor within an artifact such that moments of failure and ambiguity are minimalized or removed from an experience. To challenge this design prerogative, queer failure and cognitive estrangement provide a design strategy where interactors enter into a queered state of being which reconfigures their understanding of both the presented narrative worlds and questions frequently glossed over hegemonic and oppressive cultural structures. To formulate this framework, two new concepts were created through the investigation of various digital artifacts. The first concept, Queer Twist, expands IDN’s framing of narrative contextualization from its reliance on positional, revelatory understanding of narrative as defined by the individual’s cultural perspectives. The Queer Twist expands contextualization to provide space for outsider concepts whose logic and/or recontextualization processes might exist outside traditional cultural conventions and perspectives. The second concept, Active Disruption of Belief, expands IDN’s Active Creation of Belief cycle where interactors challenge, gain immersion within, and come to understand an artifact’s narrative. Active Disruption of Belief draws on cognitive estrangement to expand believability to include belief building via external artifact centered challenges which disrupt the interactor, priming them for further recontextualizations to their understandings. Combined together, these two terms seek not to destroy, but expand IDN’s current language culture beyond its focus on immersion and lack of meaningful engagement with ambiguity.