We began this project with a disagreement. Shannon wanted to focus on a poet, while Shelly wanted to work with a prose writer. The compromise of finding an author who excelled at both was proposed and we quickly set out to compile a list of possible research subjects. Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou were among the first to be suggested, but we ultimately decided that Ralph Waldo Emerson not only matched our own interests more closely, but also tied in well with the other subject matter explored in the hypertext course.
During the creation of this site, we have worked toward a simple connectivity between the various pages we produced because this allows for greater navigability for our visitors. Our site does not contain anything approaching the final word in Emersonian scholarship, therefore we also wanted it to be fairly easy for visitors to find their way to other Emerson sites which possess a greater degree of authority. Therefore, we avoided linking every Emerson site we discovered to our own. Not only can too many links become distracting for readers, but it is also doubtful that they all share equally a scholarly and authoritative perspective. We decided to employ just a few links which would best exemplify the philosphy which governs this site as a gateway to more complex Emerson scholarship.
The only page on which visitors will find a plethora of links to outside sources is on the "Emerson's Life" page. In conducting our research, we discovered that Emerson's involvement with a wealth of historically important places and organizations made him a fascinating figure--one which seemed almost alive as we visited these various sites. So on that page visitors will find links to the manse where Emerson lived as a child, the school he attended, the church where he preached, as well as other sites which truly serve to place Emerson in his historical context and make him seem more human to modern day readers.
We chose to include several images of Ralph Waldo Emerson along with related pictures that would make the site visually appealing, enhance the readers' understanding, and provide necessary breaks amongst text. Above all, we wanted this to be an inviting, attractive site which would introduce Emerson to scholars in an engaging manner without becoming overly-complex. We believe that the outside sites which we have linked to our own provide the more in-depth, scholarly approach to this author's work that we lack the time and authority to create at this point. Because we wanted to send our visitors in valid, rewarding directions upon leaving this site, we carefully screened the outside sites we linked to, ensuring that they are academically rigorous and not merely attempts to sell products.
This site is of a wholly non-linear nature. Any of the pages within our creation can be accessed by all of the others. The order in which they are read should in no way necessarily impede or enhance a reader's visit. If a reader wants to explore a little Emerson's poetry, they need only visit that particular page without feeling as though they are coming in on the middle of a narrative.
We believe it is important for our own edification, and for the continued evolution of this site, to receive feedback from our visitors. To that end, we have attached a guest book to our home page. Readers can make suggestions, criticize the content, or just say hello. They should also feel free to suggest further links they feel are of an equally scholarly nature with the ones we have provided. This project started out as a collaboration between two people, but for it to ultimately succeed, we are dependent upon the insights of others. In order for this site to exist at the height of hypertext connectivity, the input of others is essential. So stop by the guest book and drop us a line! We'd love to consider your suggestions!
Emerson's Life
Emerson's Poetry
Emerson's Prose