Marie-Laure Ryan - Lecture Maastricht - May 27 2005 Marie-Laure Ryan (Geneva, 1946) is an independent scholar based in Colorado. She holds MAs in German and Linguistics ( University of Utah, 1972), a PhD in French (University of Utah, 1974) and a post-graduate in Computer Science (University of California). New Literary History classified her as a "critic without school". Her research and writing projects are indeed quite diverse. Her books and articles cover the areas of narrative theory, linguistics, cyberculture and electronic textuality. Unique opportunity? Marie-Laure Ryan is an internationally renowned scholar. Her lecture in Maastricht is a unique opportunity for students, scholars and experts, and everyone interested in the field of narrativity and digital textuality. The lecture (both the morning and the afternoon session) is free of fees. The morning session is accessible to a broad public, while the afternoon meeting will probably require a more specialised public. Programme 10u00 Welcome and Coffee 10u30 Keynote Lecture and Discussion How do the properties of the media influence the narrative itself and the narrative experience? Will new media create new narratives? 12u30 Lunch (sandwiches and coffee) 14u00 Symbol Rock Demonstration and Debate 16u00 Drinks Keynote Lecture In her lecture Marie-Laure Ryan will focuss on the question whether the narrative and the narrative experience are influenced by the properties of the media. In the article "Multivariant Narratives" (2004) she sketches the history of writing originating in the oral tradition. The advent of writing (manuscripts) and the printing press had major consequences for textuality and narrativity. The question today is whether there is "anything left for digital media to develop in the territory of the narrative". Ryan turns to the efficient use of space and time in contemporary computer games to open up new possibilities for digital texts. Digital texts "must reconquer the narrative temporality that fuels the reader´s desire". The lecture will take place in the building of the Project & Servicecenter C-md, Brusselsestraat 89, 6211 PD Maastricht on May 27. There are no attendance fees to be paid. Please register to take part in the lecture by sending an email to bgeerts@mediawatchvlaanderen.be. Please include your name, school or institution, and whether you are a student, teacher, scholar, ... Organisation The Marie-Laure Ryan lecture is an organisation of MediaWatch (http://mediawatchvlaanderen.be/) . Mediawatch is the Flemish branch of the Project & Servicecenter C-md (www.c-md.be), an international collaboration project situated in Maastricht. Mediawatch is closely related to Communication and MultimediaDesign a higher education programme offered by the Katholieke Hogeschool Limburg (Belgium).