University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2019 Hearing the Voices of the Deserters: Activist Critical Making in Electronic Literature Laura Okkema University of Central Florida Part of the Digital Humanities Commons, and the Game Design Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. STARS Citation Okkema, Laura, "Hearing the Voices of the Deserters: Activist Critical Making in Electronic Literature" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 6361. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/6361 HEARING THE VOICES OF THE DESERTERS: ACTIVIST CRITICAL MAKING IN ELECTRONIC LITERATURE by LAURA OKKEMA M.Sc. Michigan Technological University, 2014 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2019 Major Professor: Anastasia Salter © 2019 Laura Okkema ii ABSTRACT Critical making is an approach to scholarship which combines discursive methods with creative practices. The concept has recently gained traction in the digital humanities, where scholars are looking for ways of integrating making into their research in ways that are inclusive and empowering to marginalized populations. This dissertation explores how digital humanists can engage critical making as a form of activism in electronic literature, specifically in the interactive fiction platform Twine.