Project
Where do we begin?
1) Set the scope: where will we include in this Caribbean? Begin with English and French, extend to Spanish in phase 2? Caribbean from Cuba to the Guyanas with the islands in between
2) Find the material: look everywhere to identify as many primary source texts as possible
Search by date:
1800-1830 Talisha
1831-1860 Chelsea
1861-1900 Natalie
1901-1920 Resaen
1921-1940 Élise
1941-1950 Luam
1951-1960 Zervita
1961-1970 Claire-Ann
1971-1980 Mhea
1981-1990 Kyra
1991-2000 McKel
2001-2010 Zebbie
2011-2022 Lacil
Search by language:
*Anglophone
*Francophone
*Hispanophone
*Lusophone
Search by genre:
*Fiction (Novel/Novella)
*Fiction (Short Story Collection)
*Poetry Collection
*Drama
*Short Story
*Poem
*Essay
*Nonfiction Book
*Biography
*Autobiography/Memoir
3) The Analysis and Visualizations
*a. Texts
*b. Writers
*c. Readers
*d. Scenes
*e. Relations
*f. Occasions for Reading
4) Find links to original editions and cover art.
5) Find the reviews (formal and informal) of the original publications. Create a separate database.
What comes next?
Then we play. Once we have amassed the big, not-so-smart data for the project, we clean it up and look for patterns based on the project’s goals (which we will refine and revise as we go). Then we start making decisions about DH tools and methods. We may begin something that fails and must start over. That is okay. The goal is to apply the experimental, collaborative and persistent spirit to have the best critical engagement with the data that we can.
The gag is…
None of us has any idea what this project will or should look like when it’s done. That’s the best of DH.