Innovative Narrative Design: A Chance Encounter by Amanda Starling Gould

MASS TRANSPORT CROWD

GIRL WHITE NOISE

PLATFORM NOISY

BOY

LOOK

OTHERS FINE! LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK

CONVERSATION HE INDIVIDUALLY

INDIVIDUALLY BEHIND INDIVIDUALLY TRAIN CONVERSATION PHONE

BOYECHOEDTRAIN UNKNOWN

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER STATION

BOY SANS LA FOULE

WHITE NOISE CROWD SIMULTANEOUSLY

ECHO NOISY UNKNOWN

GIRL

LOOK

OTHERS SHE

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER AMANDA STARLING GOULD

2010

CHARTED

Interrogativ

A Chance Encounter à la Mode

CLIPPED

CRYPTO CODE

Line-Less Mind Map

DIGITAL(S)

Flow  Chart 巧遇，故事的開端

Mer

Backwards

TAGGED retrograde A Poem of (Five) Senses tExt mEssAgEs RAINBOW HAIKUS DERORRIM Seed Merged Choose Your Own Ending Book Blurb Text Messages With Marginalia Interrogative Backwards Derorrim Mandarin Retrograde Details Six 6-Word Narratives Notation Transmission Scientifically Speaking Essay Format A Poem of (Five) Senses Rainbow Haikus Parts of Speech Dada Scramble Poem Fortune Cookie A Chance Encounter à la Mode List of Instructions, James Bond Style Crypto Code Elementary Lesson{Interrupted Line-Less Mind Map Venn Diagram Tagged Gantt Chart Une Rencontre Par Hasard

With Marg

FLIPPE QUOTED

Ven

EQUATIONS Charted Flow → Chart Equations Quoted Flipped & Clipped Language, Photographed Digitals

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ENDING

ative DADA SCRAMBLE POEM

MergedESSAY FORMATGantt Chart tHE sEED

PARTS of SPEECH

Six 6-Word Narratives scientifically speaking

FORTUNE COOKIE

noissimsnarT noitatoN

Seed Merged Choose Your Own Ending Book Blurb Text Messages With Marginalia Interrogative Backwards Derorrim Retrograde Details Six 6-Word Narratives Notation Transmission Scientifically Speaking Essay Format A Poem of (Five) Senses Rainbow Haikus Parts of Speech Dada Scramble Poem Fortune Cookie List of Instructions, James Bond Style A Chance Encounter à la Mode List of Instructions, James Bond Style Crypto Code Elementary Lesson{Interrupted Line-Less Mind Map Venn Diagram Tagged Language, Photographed Gantt Chart Une Rencontre Par Hasard

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Marginalia

Elementary Lesson{Interrupted

PEDdetails Venn Diagram

ING

Book Blurb 巧遇，故事的開端

Charted Flow → Chart Equations Quoted Flipped & Clipped Language, Photographed Digitals

Une Rencontre Par Hasard

THE SEED

RETROGRADE RECITATION

Listen to this. These two charming cuter-than-cute twenty- somethings came to the café this afternoon and sat at one of my favorite tables. They looked like they had known each other for years. The cute boy carried her books and even brushed a leaf from her café chair before she moved to sit. They were chatting all the while about the weather. The cutest thing, though, was that they both had these big grins fixed on their faces. Then, this cuter-than-cute couple actually ordered the same thing. Matching drinks; how cute is that! But, and this is the best part of the story, when I came back to their table with their drinks, I overheard them saying how funny it was that they had just met. They had just met! I couldn’t believe it. Apparently, they were in the train station, both waiting to head north, and something kept them both behind on the platform. They both missed the train and they were then left there, alone together, in the station. They were the only two there. When was the last time you were alone in the station with anyone? That place is always filled with people. They thought it was fate. Two young romantics! I smiled at them and brought them an extra café cookie. I just love chance encounters!

DETAILS

A slender girl with striking eyes slightly stumbles, distractedly chatting into her mobile phone, as she descends the sturdy station stairs. The buzzing, busy platform empties as the crowd impatiently pushes into the impatiently-waiting train. Her mobile monopolizes her attention and she remains behind, missing her train, in order to finish her conversation. A tall brown-haired boy with day-old chin scruff stands, phone in hand, at the far end of the station platform. Animatedly gesturing with his free hand and oblivious to the world outside his own, he too misses his train as he stays behind to finish his conversation. He yells FINE as she yells FINE and they both—simultaneously yet individually—abruptly snap shut their phone conversations. They look at each other and notice they stand alone together on the platform. Realizing the vast impossibility of this shared, echoed moment, they each—simultaneously yet individually—send a big, impossibly-charming smile to the other.

BOOK BLURB

In this 99 word microfiction piece, carefully devised by amanda starling gould, the reader finds the two main characters individually involved in a similar telephone drama. In a Barthesian death-of-the-author move, gould purposefully omits a specific narrative resolution. The story is final, but is incomplete. Is it a romance, a tragedy, a comedy, a farce? Readers will enjoy participating in this unresolved (undissolved) literary experience.

<So, is it over?>

TEXT MESSAGES

<Dude, what was that about?>

<wtf?> <Did you hang up on me?!>

<no way. he really said that?> <thanx. :)

c u soon>

WITH MARGINALIA The platform empties and only two remain.

The reader does not know who she is talking to.

Both hold mobile phones and speak to un-

known others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays

Translation: ‘without the crowd’

Do they miss the same train?

behind to finish his conversation away from

The reader does not know who he is talking to.

the white noise of the mass transport crowd.

The crowd at this time of afternoon is unusually thick.

She yells, He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They

look at each other. After having individutheir

ally echoed simultaneously into respective ^

phones, they look at each other and smile.

The author does not tell the reader what happens next…

INTERROGATIVE

Were you in the B Street Station this afternoon? Did you see that girl on her phone? Did you see that boy on his phone? Do you think they were talking to each other? Did you see that mass of people waiting for the train? Can you believe how late it was, the train? Have you ever waited so long for that train? Did you, like me, think it would never arrive? Weren’t you relieved when you finally saw its lights heading toward the platform? Did you see the crowd rush the doors as soon as they opened? Don’t you hate it when passengers try to get onto the train before allowing those leaving the train to get off? You’d think they’d know better, wouldn’t you? There should be an established train etiquette, shouldn’t there? Don’t you agree that we should all follow basic courtesy guidelines when riding the train? But, we know that will never happen, don’t we? Did you notice that that girl and that boy did not get onto the train? Why do you think they just stood there? Hadn’t they been waiting just as long as the rest of us? Didn’t we all wait an unreasonably long time for that train to finally arrive? Would you ever wait that long and then not get on the train? What do you think they were thinking? Did you think about that?

BACKWARDS

Smiling, they look at each other. Simultaneously, but individually, they both yell Fine! into their mobile phones. Surrounded by the loud white-black noise of the train station, he misses his train. Surrounded by la foule, she misses her train. The platform fills with the next wave of the mass transport crowd.

DERORRIM

Elims (a erahs) dna rehto hcae ta kool yeht, senohp evitcepser (rieht) otni ylsuoenatlumis deohce yllaudividni gnivah retfa. Rehto hcae ta kool yeht. Ylsuoenatlumis, Enif! Slley eH, slley ehS. Dworc tropsnart ssam eht fo (esion kcalb, duol) esion etihw eht morf yawa noitasrevnoc sih hsinif ot, rehto enil-enohp nwonknu sih htiw gniniamer, dniheb syats eh sa niart sih sessim yob eht. Elouf al snas noitasrevnoc reh hsinif ot, rehto enil-enohp nwonknu reh htiw gniniamer, dniheb syats ehs sa niart reh sessim lrig eht. Srehto nwonknu ot kaeps dna senohp elibom dloh htob. Niamer owt ylno dna seitpme mroftalp eht.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ENDING...In which direction with the story turn? and then...

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ENDING...In which direction with the story turn?

and then...

They wait and remain alone on the platform. The boy walks to her. The girl [(a.1) walks to him? or (a.2) stands still?] They shake hands and share words. They leave the station [(a.3) together? or (a.4) separately?]

The boy walks to her. They shake hands, smile, and share words. She passes him a small piece of paper on which she has written her phone number. He says to her “Great, I’ll call you at this time tomorrow.”

ally standing on opposite platforms. Still able to see and hear each other, but separated by a gulf of tracks between them. The story ends when the narrator’s grand and booming voice recites: “For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”

g. Shakespeare Slant: Instead of sharing a platform, the two lovers were actu-

He nods at her. Then, as he begins to move in her direction, her boyfriend descends the stairs, moving in her direction, and she begins to tell him about the phone conversation she has just had with her mother.

to approach.

d. They look at each other. They nod to each other…but neither has the courage

the entrance at a table bathed in umbrella shade. Upon seeing the waitress, they both echo the same order: “I’ll have a single espresso with 2 sugars and no cream and a tall glass of water with 2 lemons and no ice, please.”

c. They leave the station together and walk to a nearby outdoor café. They sit near

b. The director yells, “CUT!”

SIX 6-WORD NARRATIVES

They shared a moment, then life. He saw her, missed his train. She saw him, missed her train.

I found her on the platform. He found me on the platform.

Love at first sight, then coffee.

NOTATION TRANSMISSION ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM.

On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking. Noisy station. Train comes, train goes. Two remain: boy and girl. Girl yells, Fine! into phone. Boy yells, Fine! into phone. Girl and boy notice each other. 2:10 PM. End Transmission. ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM. On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking. Noisy station. Train comes, train goes. Two remain: boy and girl. Girl yells, Fine! into phone. Boy yells, Fine! into phone. Girl and boy notice each other. 2:10 PM. End Transmission. ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM. On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking. Noisy station. Train comes, train goes. Two remain: boy and girl. Girl yells, Fine! into phone. Boy yells, Fine! into phone. Girl and boy notice each other. 2:10 PM. End Transmission. ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM. On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking. Noisy station. Train comes, train goes. Two remain: boy and girl. Girl yells, Fine! into phone. Boy yells, Fine! into phone. Girl and boy notice each other. 2:10 PM. End Transmission. ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM. On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking. Noisy station. Train comes, train goes. Two remain: boy and girl. Girl yells, Fine! into phone. Boy yells, Fine! into phone. Girl and boy notice each other. 2:10 PM. End Transmission. ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM. On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking. Noisy station. Train comes, train goes. Two remain: boy and girl. Girl yells, Fine! into phone. Boy yells, Fine! into phone. Girl and boy notice each other. 2:10 PM. End Transmission. ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM. On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking. Noisy station. Train comes, train goes. Two remain: boy and girl. Girl yells, Fine! into phone. Boy yells, Fine! into phone. Girl and boy notice each other. 2:10 PM. End Transmission. ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM. On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking. Noisy station. Train comes, train goes. Two remain: boy and girl. Girl yells, Fine! into phone. Boy yells, Fine! into phone. Girl and boy notice each other. 2:10 PM. End Transmission. ¶ Start Transmission: Today. Tuesday. 2:00 PM. On platform, large crowd. Girl with phone, talking. Boy with phone, talking.

SCIENTIFICALLY SPEAKING...

â&#x20AC;Śtheoretically speaking, when the elemental variables of one plus one (girl plus boy) are combined with a chemical catalyst (an echoed moment), the reaction should yield one of three possible outcomes: A. one plus one equals two. As in mathematical law, the two elements retain their fundamental properties and the sum product is two: related in the formula 1+1=2 (friendship) B. one plus one equals one. As is evidenced when two drips of water yield a single drop of H2O, here one-plus-one equals a new singular concept (love) C. one plus one equals zero. This is evidenced when the experimental catalyst is insufficient to evoke a response and thus fails to compel the two elemental variables to form any sort of viable bond. (a dud)

Previous studies have shown that similar subjects (any boy and any girl) respond similarly (producing outcome either A, B, or C) to similar stimuli under similar conditions. Based on the aforementioned theoretical assumptions, the established available empirical data, and our previous controlled experimental results, we put forth the following hypothesis: A chance encounter can inspire mathematical recreation. Subsequent tests will attempt to provide further explanation.

ESSAY FORMAT

The platform empties and only two remain.1 Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule.2 The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd.3 She yells, He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile.⁴

17 1 The platform here referenced is an unnamed platform in an unnamed town. Scholars have often speculated on the exact station the author had in mind when writing this piece. Please see http://trainspeculation.com for several plausible hypotheses.

2 Using foreign terms for emphasis is a practice commonly seen as pretentious if overdone. Here the author wanted to indirectly allude to her inspiration, Raymond Queneau’s Exercices de Style.⁵ 3 White noise can be downloaded or streamed here: http://simplynoise.com. ⁴ It is most certain that not only did they ‘echo’ each other figuratively, but also that their voices echoed throughout the station. Most underground stations, when empty, produce a slight echo effect.

⁵ The author chose exactly 99 words for her story to mirror the number of story versions Raymond Queneau completed in his seminal work.

QUOTED.1,2,3,4

The platform emptied itself.5 The platform emptied…6 Only Two Remained.7 She was on the phone. She was always on the phone. Her range of professional acquaintances was impressive.8 She was on the phone, chewing gum, on what was obviously a personal call.9 Willard was on the phone. She was on the phone so please get the hell out of the way.10 He too was on the phone.11 He too was on the phone, his face registering irritation and surprise.12 “She missed her train.”13 And the time passed; she missed her train; waited on for another.14 He missed his train.15 Through some oversight he missed his train.16 …he missed his train.17 He heard her yell out…18 He smiled grimly when he heard her yell.19 …and she heard him yell right along with her.20 They looked at each other, and nodded.21 They looked at each other harder and hurried faster…22 …their eyes glistened as they looked at each other.23 They looked at each other and their hearts were full of thought.24 Then they shared a smile.25 Then they shared a smile bright enough to light up the night.26 The platform emptied, filled, emptied again.27

NOTES: 1Chamber’s Journal of Popular Literature, Science, & Arts, page 51, William Chambers, 1894 2Lost Illusions, page 633, Honoré de Balzac, Herbert James Hunt, 1971 3The Conduct of War: A Short Treatise, page 183, Colmar Goltz (Freiherr von der), 1899 4A Chance Encounter, title, Emily Hendrickson, 1998 5The Damnation of Theron Ware: or, Illumination, page 457, Harold Frederic, 1900 6I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, page 228, Maya Angelou, 1997 7Only Two Remained, title, Henry Tabakin, 1973 8Nielsen’s Wedding. A Tale of Two Anchorpersons, James Brady. New York Magazine, 1976. 9Technology and the Dream: Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, page 95, Clarence G. Williams, 2003 10The Ring of Brightest Angels Around Heaven, page 42, Rick Moody, 2002 11A City of Strangers, page 67, Robert Barnard, 1990 12Blaize of Glory, page 77, Louise Crawford, 2001 13Night and Day, page 427, Virginia Woolf, 2007 14The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Volume 1; Volumes 1915-1919, page 90, Virginia Woolf, 1979 15Mark Twain’s Autobiography, Volume 1, page 330, Mark Twain, Albert Bigelow Paine, 200 16Awards…First Division, National Railroad Adjustment Board, Volume 159, United States. National Railroad Adjustment Board 17Einstein: His Life and Universe, page 62, Walter Isaacson, 2007 18The Woman Who Escaped From Shame, page 144, Toby Olson, 1986 19The Maze, page 121, Catherine Coulter, 1998 20Gloria, page 217, Keith Maillard, 1999 21Barnaby Rudge, page 189, George Cattermole, Hablot Knight Browne, 1842 22The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty, page 321, Eudora Welty, 1980 23Recollections of the Table-talk of Samuel Rogers: To Which is Added Porsoniana, page 81 Alexander Dyce, William Maltby, 1856 24Les Miserables, page 69, Victor Hugo, 1884 25If You Could See Me Now, page 149, Cecelia Ahern, 2007 26Camp Rock The Junior Novel, page 139, Lucy Ruggles, 2008 27A Fairly Honourable Defeat, page 301, Iris Murdoch, 2001

UNE RENCONTRE PAR HASARD

Nous sommes à la gare du métro. Nous voyons le quai. Le quai du midi est complet. Nous voyons l’approche du train. La foule impatiente monte dans le train. Le train disparaît dedans le tunnel. Nous voyons une fille et un mec. Ils n’ont pas monté le train. Nous voyons les deux. Chacun, la fille et le mec, bavarde sur un téléphone portable. Nous entendons un « Fine ! ». La voix de la fille et la voix du mec résonnent le mot (simultanément, individuellement). Les deux, la fille et le mec, en entendant l’écho, ils se regardent mutuellement. Ils sourient. Nous voyons le double-sourire. Nous sommes à la gare du métro.

巧遇，故事的開端

空蕩的月台，陌生的男子，陌生的女子，各自拿著手機，進行著兩通不愉快的對話。他們因此錯過了列車，卻在此時遇見了彼此。 “算了！” “算了！” 兩聲大吼後，男子、女子同時掛上手機，結束與電話那頭的爭執。 “算了！” 宣告各自的關係已結束，卻也成為彼此的交集。他們相視而笑。這一刻起，男子、女子(他們)不再陌生... 余睿庭

The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, 22 simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultane-

The platform empties

only two remain

unknown other stays behind

white noise (loud, black noise)

Fine!

simultaneously

They look at each other They look at each other

and (share a) smile.

e girl ation inish yells r) reh hold h her hind, black aving . The misses ans la h his Fine!, spechold h her hind, black aving . The misses ans la h his Fine!, ective mobile nown ining of the ually tform train . The ation tane-

MERGED

HeShe is finishing a (mobile phone) conversation. HeShe skips the train to do so. HeShe sees himher (alone) across the station spanse HeShe walks toward hisher platform partner HeShe takes the offered outstretched hand to shake HeShe begins a conversation HeShe suggests coffee HeShe leave together smiling. They leave together smiling. HeShe is finishing a (mobile phone) conversation. HeShe skips the train to do so. HeShe sees himher (alone) across the station spanse HeShe walks toward hisher platform partner HeShe takes the offered outstretched hand to shake HeShe begins a conversation HeShe suggests coffee HeShe leave together smiling. They leave together smiling.

He hears her, sees her When standing by her side, he smells her floral perfume He hears her, sees her, smells her He wants to touch her, taste her, know her

A POEM OF (FIVE) SENSES

He hears her, sees her When standing by her side, he smells her floral perfume He hears her, sees her, smells her He wants to touch her, taste her, know her

RAINBOW HAIKUS

Black noise consumes us The purple train eludes us We wait for our ride Her eyes beat vivid Deep Blue and gray and green strokes Train pollution fades She echoes my words Her yellow hair attracts me Her pink shapes draw me

An indigo smile, She reddens at my approach Hi, my name is Matt.

FORTUNE COOKIE

You will find your heart at the end of the line. You will watch a door close just before seeing one open. A shared word will show you the way. Today promises unexpected surprise.

fortune shines

Look for hidden echoes.

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER Ă&#x20AC; LA MODE PREP TIME: 5 minutes TOTAL TIME: Unknown

INGREDIENTS: 1 Boy, any size and any shape

1 Crowd, large

1 Girl, any size and any shape

Platform, pre-cleaned

2 Mobile Phones, can be of different brands

Ice Cream, any flavor

1 Train Station, particularly noisy

Narrative Toppings, as desired

DIRECTIONS: Mix one boy and one girl and one large crowd into train station. Separate boy and girl but mix crowd liberally throughout. Shake and stir and disrupt noisily. Pour out onto clean platform. Once the mixture has been sifted onto the platform, place the crowd into a separate, portable container. Bring the girl and the boy back together and allow them to rise. Finish with ice cream and desired narrative toppings.

YIELDS: 1 story

LIST OF INSTRUCTIONS, JAMES BOND STYLE

1. Casually put promptly walk into the first train station you see after reading this note and wait for the next train to arrive. 2. Take your phone from your left pants pocket when it chimes and answer it directly after the second ring. 3. Speak into the phone for exactly 120 seconds. 4. Yell the code word â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fineâ&#x20AC;? into your phone and immediately end the call.

5. The messenger will then approach you with further instructions.

CRYPTO CODE

OCZ KGVOAJMH ZHKODZN VIY JIGT ORJ MZHVDI. WJOC CJGY HJWDGZ KCJIZN VIY NKZVF OJ PIFIJRI JOCZMN. OCZ BDMG HDNNZN CZM OMVDI VN NCZ NOVTN WZCDIY, MZHVDIDIB RDOC CZM PIFIJRI KCJIZGDIZ JOCZM, OJ ADIDNC CZM XJIQZMNVODJI NVIN GV AJPGZ. OCZ WJT HDNNZN CDN OMVDI VN CZ NOVTN WZCDIY, MZHVDIDIB RDOC CDN PIFIJRI KCJIZ-GDIZ JOCZM, OJ ADIDNC CDN XJIQZMNVODJI VRVT AMJH OCZ RCDOZ IJDNZ (GJPY, WGVXF IJDNZ) JA OCZ HVNN OMVINKJMO XMJRY. NCZ TZGGN, CZ TZGGN ADIZ!, NDHPGOVIZJPNGT. OCZT GJJF VO ZVXC JOCZM. VAOZM CVQDIB DIYDQDYPVGGT ZXCJZY NDHPGOVIZJPNGT DIOJ (OCZDM) MZNKZXODQZ KCJIZN, OCZT GJJF VO ZVXC JOCZM VIY (NCVMZ V) NHDGZ.

ELEMENTARY LESSON Interrupted

Class, please give me your full attention and follow along as I read aloud from page 46…

“A Chance Encounter”

slender girl with striking eyes slightly trips, distractedly chatting into her mobile, as she descends the sturdy station stairs. The buzzing, busy platform empties Mr. Ray, can I go to the bathroom? as the crowd impatiently pushes [Can he see me signaling no?] into the impatiently waiting train.

Her mobile monopolizes her

What’s a mobile? Please save your questions for the end.

complete attention and she remains Who is she taking to? Who is she? behind, missing her train, in order Yeah, what is her name? to finish her conversation. [Can they see me signaling no?] A tall brown-haired boy with dayold chin scruff stands, cellular Who in is he talking to? Who is he? Is he talking to the girl?

hand, at the far end of the station’s Class, save questions for the end. platform. What’s his name? Where are they going? Why are they in the train station? Class, I’m nearly finished, let’s get through this paragraph. Please stop Interrupting. Animatedly gesturing with his Animatedly, free is that like Anime? Are they cartoons? hand and oblivious to the world out[Is he serious?] side his cellular, he too misses his train as he stays behind to finish his conversation. What’s simo-tay-knee-us? Mr. Ray, this is hard. He yells FINE as she yells FINE Can we read another story? and they both—simultaneously yet The teacher always uses that green book. individually—abruptly snap shut Yeah, we always read from that green book. their phone conversation. … This one is too hard. [Don’t tell me…the teacher’s notes …Read from Green Book…shit] Ok, sure guys. Let’s read from the green book next. This one is thick and boring, isn’t it? Let’s see what 31 is on page 46 of this book.

Class, please give me your full attention and follow along as I read aloud from page 46 OF THE GREEN BOOK…

PARTS OF SPEECH

ARTICLES: the, a NOUNS: platform, phones, others, girl, train, other, conversation, boy, noise,

crowd, smile

PRONOUNS: her, she, his, he, they, their VERBS: empties, hold, speak, misses, stays, remaining, to finish, yells, look, share,

having echoed PREPOSITIONS: of, with, into, at, to, as CONJUNCTIONS: and INTERJECTIONS: FINE! ADJECTIVES: two, unknown, phone-line, white, loud, black, mass, respective, each, transport, mobile, both ADVERBS: behind, simultaneously, after, individually, only, away from FOREIGN PHRASES: sans la foule

Black finish loud phoneline conversation his remaining

hold her.

DADA SCRAMBLE POEM

Both, The Fine! away unknown girl s a n s phones misses individually la unknown speak other two behind. Having noise, crowd. Simultaneously smile into echoed platform, remain yells transport. H e r

noise empties unknown

Each She she respective. Finish. Train, from phone-line, simultaneously each foule. They, The mobile, (share a)â&#x20AC;Ś 33 Phones yell her look with r e m a i n i n g as he. The his train at (their) other. A f t e r stays and they look to his with says, and He as other boy the and of to at to mass.

umbrellas phones

bags books noise

children

boy

LINE-LESS MIND MAP girl

crowd

platform station attendant

train station train fare

passengers

conductor

seats

timetable journey destination

home

tracks

VENN DIAGRAM

station girl

mobile FINE! curious glance

boy

smile

EQUATIONS

F+M = ? ( +  ) + (+  ) + ( + +  ) =  ?

<html> <head> <title>A Chance Encounter</title> <meta name=“Tagged” content=“This is the tagged iteration of the Innovative Narrative Design story”/> <meta name=“Author” content=“Amanda Starling Gould”/> <meta name=“Keywords” content=“story design, narrative aesthetics, exercises in style, fiction, artist books”/>  </head> <body> <div class=“header”> <h1 align=“left”>TAGGED</h1> <hr height=14 font=Sanvito Pro color=black/> </div> <div class=“story text”>

The platform empties and only two remain.  Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation </em>sans la foule</em> <!--the phrase ‘sans la foule’ is a pretty little

French phrase that translates roughly into the not-so-pretty phrase ‘without the crowd’-->. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with

his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells, He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile.  </div>  </body> </html>

KEY marriage 1.00 dating 1.21 friendship 0.53 strangers 0.09

CHARTED

Top 5 Most-Used Metro Systems 1. Japan Tokyo Subway 3.174 billion 2. Russia Moscow Metro 2.392 billion 3. South Korea Seoul Subway 2.047 billion 4. New York City Subway 1.624 billion 5. Mexico Mexico City Metro 1.467 billion 2009

February 2010 Google search statistics show that the term “marriage” is queried much more often than is the term “strangers.” The odds are then perhaps greater that our train pair will be lovers and not simply strangers. According to transportation ridership statistics, the subway system in Tokyo, Japan handles more passenger traffic, with more than 3 million passenger rides per year, than any other subway system in the world. The odds are, then, that our lovers met in Tokyo.

According to recent ridership statistics, 59.2% of mass transport passengers are traveling home. The odds are, then, that our lovers were each headed home. Considering the average subway system single fare cost chart, the odds are that our home-bound lovers each paid about $2.00. If they were in fact in Tokyo, our lovers would have each paid the Tokyo equivalent of $1.68.

GANTT CHART

Action

Boy enters station Girl enters station Crowd waits Train Arrives Crowd alights Boy yells Girl yells Shared glance

00:00:00

00:00:55

00:01:55

00:03:00

00:03:50

00:05:00

___ ___ ______________________________________  ___ ____________________________ ___ ___ ______

A Chance Encounter (start) He and She share an echoed Fine!

Does He walk to Her?

S YE

FLOW ď CHART

Does She walk to Him? NO

YES

Does he know her?

YES

NO Do they start a conversation?

A chance (un)encounter. They leave the station without sharing words.

Does she know him?

YES YE S

NO A chance (un)encounter. They leave the station without sharing words.

Do they leave the station together?

YES

A chance encounter! He and She change their train-riding plans and leave the station together.

A casual chance encounter.

CLIPPED SEEKING: Girl seeks guy with car.

SEEKING: Train conductor seeks woman with flowers.

SEEKING: Guy seeks girl with striking eyes.

FLIPPED & OBJECT(ified)

FLIP BOOK

The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as LANGUAGE, she stays behind,PHOTOGRAPHED remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, 44 simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultane-

e girlThe platform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl ationmisses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation inishsans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish yellshis conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells r) re-Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) reh holdspective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold h hermobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her hind,unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, blackremaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black avingnoise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having . Theindividually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The missesplatform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses ans laher train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la h hisfoule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his Fine!,conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, spec-simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respecholdtive phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform empties and only two remain. Both hold h hermobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her hind,unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, blackremaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black avingnoise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having . Theindividually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The missesplatform empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses ans laher train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la h hisfoule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his Fine!,conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, 45 ectivesimultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually echoed simultaneously into (their) respective empties and only two remain. Both hold mobile mobilephones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platformASL: A CHANCE ENCOUNTER nownphones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train as she stays behind, remaining with her unknown iningphone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The boy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining of thewith his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the uallymass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultaneously. They look at each other. After having individually tformechoed simultaneously into (their) respective phones, they look at each other and (share a) smile. The platform trainempties and only two remain. Both hold mobile phones and speak to unknown others. The girl misses her train . Theas she stays behind, remaining with her unknown phone-line other, to finish her conversation sans la foule. The ationboy misses his train as he stays behind, remaining with his unknown phone-line other, to finish his conversation tane-away from the white noise (loud, black noise) of the mass transport crowd. She yells He yells Fine!, simultane-

DIGITAL(S)

a chance encounter ]expanded[ (an exercise in style) enter 46

HYPERTEXT FICTION

T WITTER T WEETS http://twitter.com/TweetEncounter

WIKI STORY amandastarlingexercisesinstyle.pbworks.com

HESHE 47

FLASH ANIMATION

PROJECT STATEMENT

This book project was conducted to explore how narrative is affected, influenced, and understood differently as it is written, designed, and translated into and onto different media. The goal of this project was to recreate and re-present one story in multiple ways using visual, graphic, electronic, static, artistic, digital, photographic, transliterate, and technological presentation and storytelling tools. Background: Raymond Queneau’s book, Exercises in Style, tells the same story 99 different ways. Written in 1947, Queneau’s book uses different characters, different perspectives and different voices to re-present one original narrative. My goal was to expand the multi-vocal narrative concept by writing, designing, and producing multimedia re-presentations of a single story to recapture the modern equivalent of Queneau’s experimental work.

All stories and story iterations here are my own, save for the Mandarin version, 巧遇，故事的開端, on page 21. As part of my project, I wanted to see how others would re-vision and refashion the seed and so I solicited collaborators to reproduce their own versions of my original story. 余睿庭’s story is an example of that collaborative production. Future editions of this book will contain a collaborators section compiling all collected stories.

In addition to these printed story versions, I have created many electronic and digital spaces upon which I projected my story. The snapshots on pages 46 & 47 picture a selection of the non-print story iterations. DESIGN NOTES Though the stories are here roughly arranged to move from the Seed—from which all other stories stemmed—toward increasing levels of abstract narration, this organization decision was arbitrary and does not prescribe a desired reading path. The nonsequential, floating Table of Contents reflects this and provokes a dynamic reading experience by inviting a participatory, user-centered navigation. No page numbers are given because the stories can be read in any order. Though the stories interweave and inter-reference each other, it does not matter where or how the reader enters or leaves the book’s pages. The multimedia scope of the overall book project encourages a nonlinear reading as the reader can jump from the book to the web and from the web to the miniature flip book. The story is also re-presented here in many different languages—English, French, Braille, American Sign Language, and Mandarin—to further demonstrate the many ways a reader can read a story. The book is truly transliterary. The primary type families used were Minion Pro for the text, and Sanvito Pro for the headings and pagination. I chose Century Schoolbook as an appropriate type for the Elementary Lesson and the headline-shouting cover type is News Gothic. The cover is a montage of the story’s words. The title page is written in both English and in Braille. STORY NOTES Crypto Code: To create this version, I used letter replacement code 21 from the code generator application found at http://cryptoclub.math.uic.edu/shiftcipher/ shiftcipher.php. Code 21 was chosen because 1947, as the publication date of Que-

neau’s Exercices de Style, when added together (1+9+4+7), equals 21. Une Rencontre Par Hasard: This French version is my own. Like all other versions, it is not a direct translation of the seed but is a story all its own. 巧遇，故事的開端: As stated above, this is the only included story that is not uniquely my own. Story by 余睿庭.

Language, Photographed: Each hand is a letter of the American Sign Language. Together they spell the title, “A Chance Encounter.” Photos from: JupiterImages Flow Chart: Created using open-source software from Flowchart.com. Quoted: This story is, essentially, a collaged bricolage of intertextuality. The entire story was ‘borrowed’ from previous texts. Each sentence here is a citation from a previously-published book. The bold text is the text I used as search criteria. Where there are quotation marks, this indicates the borrowed sentence was a quote in the orignal source text. Where there are ellipses, this indicates the borrowed text was a fragment of a larger sentence. Where there are periods, there were periods in the source text. The citations for each borrowed phrase appear on the facing page.

Flipped: This is a miniature flip book that I created because I wanted to represent the story as an Object. Digitals: These are four of my digital versions: A Chance Encounter, ]Expanded[ is a hypertext fiction that is navigated by clicking through electronic hyperlinks; with TweetEncounter I tweeted the story in 140-character blasts on Twitter; A Chance Encounter Wiki is an informational wiki narration that adds encyclopedic data to the story; HeShe is the digital poetry version of my story created using Flash animation tools.

A Chance Encounter Conceived, Written, and Designed by Amanda Starling Gould 2010 51

asg

MASS TRANSPORT CROWD

GIRL WHITE NOISE

PLATFORM NOISY

BOY

LOOK

OTHERS FINE! LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK

CONVERSATION INDIVIDUALLY

INDIVIDUALLY BEHIND INDIVIDUALLY TRAIN CONVERSATION PHONE

BOYECHOEDTRAIN UNKNOWN

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER STATION

BOY SANS LA FOULE

WHITE NOISE CROWD SIMULTANEOUSLY

ECHO NOISY UNKNOWN

GIRL

LOOK

OTHERS SHE