@ -28,13 +28,16 @@ consumerism and low attention span is a rising issue especially amongst
young readers, this was an important task to tackle. The thought of Wink
emerged to find a more sustainable and creative way of reading for
elementary school children.</p>
<p><imgsrc="../irmak/improv.JPG"
<figure><imgsrc="../irmak/improv.JPG"
alt="A tag made by a participant in the public moment at XPUB studio. Trying to understand different approaches to certain emotions/states for a bee" />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">A tag made by a participant in the public moment at XPUB studio. Trying to understand different approaches to certain emotions/states for a bee</figcaption>
<imgsrc="../irmak/leeszaal knot poems.jpg"
alt="From the event at Leeszaal West, experimenting with knots and poetry. How can we see movement in text?" />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">From the event at Leeszaal West, experimenting with knots and poetry. How can we see movement in text?</figcaption>
<imgsrc="../irmak/knotpoems2.jpg"
alt="From the event at Leeszaal West. Some of the results of knotting text." />
</p>
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">From the event at Leeszaal West. Some of the results of knotting text.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Working as a children’s literature editor for years, I came to a
realisation that picture books were turning into another object that
kids read and consume on daily basis. At least this is what I observed
@ -45,11 +48,13 @@ for children as there is for adults; such as ebooks, audiobooks etc. But
moreover a “book” that can be redefined, reread or be interacted with.
So I revisited an old story I wrote, translated to English and named it,
“Bee Within”.</p>
<p><imgsrc="../irmak/printp3.jpg"
<figure><imgsrc="../irmak/printp3.jpg"
alt="Example page from the print version of the picture book." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Example page from the print version of the picture book.</figcaption>
<imgsrc="../irmak/printp4.jpg"
alt="Example page from the print version of the picture book." />
</p>
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Example page from the print version of the picture book.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bee Within, is a story about grief and it is based on my experiences
throughout the years. I erased it, rewrote it, edited it, destroyed it
multiple times over the past years, simultaneously with new experiences
@ -59,30 +64,39 @@ to the fear of forgetting which I now think is a great and sweet battle
between death and life. I think it is an important subject to touch
upon, especially for children dealing with trauma in many parts of the
world.</p>
<p><imgsrc="../irmak/printp1.jpg"
<figure><imgsrc="../irmak/printp1.jpg"
alt="Example page from the print version of the picture book." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Example page from the print version of the picture book.</figcaption>
<imgsrc="../irmak/printp2.jpg"
alt="Example page from the print version of the picture book." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Example page from the print version of the picture book.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p> Over the past two years, I've been experimenting with storytelling techniques,
interactivity options and workshops with children and adults, around
reading and doing various exercises on Bee Within. I improved the story
to be a more playful and interactive one which can be re-read, re-played
and eventually re-formed non digitally to be reachable for all children. It
serves as a beginning for a longer research.
</p>
<p>Over the past two years, experimenting with storytelling techniques,
interactivity options and workshops with children and adults, around
reading and doing various exercises on Bee Within, I improved the story
to be a more playful and interactive one which can be re-read, re-played
and eventually re-formed non digitally to be reachable for all children.
</p>
<p><imgsrc="../irmak/twine.png"
<figure>
<imgsrc="../irmak/twine.png"
alt="The twine map of text based story, reachable from Bee Within by clicking to hear more about Gray the tree." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">The twine map of text based story, reachable from Bee Within by clicking to hear more about Gray the tree.</figcaption>
<imgsrc="../irmak/clickgame.png"
alt="Click game story of the Queen Bee that is reachable within Maya's main storyline." />
</p>
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Click game story of the Queen Bee that is reachable within Maya's main storyline.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>
Here is some documentation from the beggining of this journey towards
Here is some more documentation from the beggining of this journey towards
making accesible interactive narratives…</p>
<p><imgsrc="../irmak/animationseq.png"
<figure>
<imgsrc="../irmak/animationseq.png"
alt="A small sequence of onclick animation for Bee Within." />
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">A small sequence of onclick animation for Bee Within.</figcaption>
<imgsrc="../irmak/fictionfriction.CR3"
alt="Fiction Friction cards from SI20, working on storytelling of collective traumas." />
</p>
<figcaptionaria-hidden="true">Fiction Friction cards from SI20, working on storytelling of collective traumas.</figcaption>
@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ this sense is a way of thinking that I adapted to in the past years, where you t
and imagine it vividly during the process and address meanings to it as you read or write along.
This way it’s easier to compartmentalize or attribute certain parts of a text to an imagined or real
physical item which makes the mind at ease with complex chains of thought.
Imagine you are reading a story… What if you think of the string itself as the journey and the
slip knot (which is a type of stopper knot) as a representation of an antagonist because of its specific use in hunting, would this change your approach to reading this story? I believe so…
@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ camelid string that would be knotted in a specific way to record, store and tran
ranging from accounting and census data to communicate complex mathematical and narrative
information (Medrano, Urton, 2018). Another example is the Yakima Time Ball, which was used
by North-American Yakama people to show life events and family aff airs.
This is why I humbly decided to document my research process with a Quipu of my own. I am
trying to symbolize the twists, decisions and practices throughout this year with knots of my
choosing. I was inspired by Nayeli Vega’s question, “What can a knot become and what can become
@ -96,6 +98,7 @@ This thesis expects participation from its reader. You have the option to have a
where you will be guided by strings to start reading from a certain section according to the type of
reader you are and read the loops one by one until the end, weaving through the text. To determine
the string or mode of reading, there are some simple questions to answer.
The three modes of reading are combine, slide, build . After you discover the starting point
with the yes or no map in the upcoming pages, you will continue the reading journey through the
strings of diff erent colors that will get you through the text. This way, the linear text will become
@ -114,14 +117,14 @@ Alongside the different strings to follow the text, there will be little drawing
For example if I couldn’t manage to do something I planned to do, this will be represented with a
broken knot. Bend knots which are used to connect two strings, will be representing the relation between theories and my ownexperiences/motivations. Hitches which are knots that are formed around a
solid object, such as a spar, post, or ring will be representing the evidence or data I have collected on the subject. We move on now with the working end and make some loops!
## HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR STRING
This map will reveal your mode of reading. The order of reading will be indicated with a loop sign
Please hold a string in your hand as you read the text and make knots or loops as you weave through the
reading as an exercise for concrete thinking. See you at the standing end!
and a number on top of the sign with a color. This is the numeric order you can follow to read the thesis.
## Working End
### Loop 1
### Why am I doing this?
My desire to write a children’s book about grief and memory ignited when I was studying in college
@ -621,26 +624,49 @@ as a prototype was a breakthrough. I feel like my interest and desire to discove
writing, reading and experiencing literature is ongoing and it was a beautiful journey so far. I am
looking forward to making more knots on this long and mysterious string at hand.
Bibliography:
Cope, B. and Kalantzis, M. (2009) ‘“multiliteracies”: New Literacies, new learning’, Pedagogies: An International
Journal, 4(3), pp. 164–195. doi:10.1080/15544800903076044.
Dettore, E. (2002) “Children’s emotional GrowthAdults’ role as emotional archaeologists,” Childhood education,
78(5), pp. 278–281. doi: 10.1080/00094056.2002.10522741.
Ingold, T. (2015) The life of lines. London, England: Routledge.
Lawrence, R. L. and Paige, D. S. (2016) “What our ancestors knew: Teaching and learning through storytelling: What
our ancestors knew: Teaching and learning through storytelling,” New directions for adult and continuing education,
2016(149), pp. 63–72. doi: 10.1002/ace.20177.
Papert, S. and Papert, S. A. (2020) Mindstorms (revised): Children, computers, and powerful ideas. London, England:
Basic Books.
Ryan, M.-L. (2009) “From narrative games to playable stories: Toward a poetics of interactive narrative,” StoryWorlds
A Journal of Narrative Studies, 1(1), pp. 43–59. doi: 10.1353/stw.0.0003.
Smeets, D. and Bus, A. (2013) “Picture Storybooks Go Digital: Pros and Cons,” in Quality Reading Instruction in the
Age of Common Core Standards. International Reading Association, pp. 176–189.
Strohecker, C. (ed.) (1978) Why knot? MIT.
The Effect of Multimodality in Increasing Motivation and Collaboration among 4th CSE EFL Students (no date).
Turkle, S. (ed.) (2014) Evocative objects: Things we think with. MIT Press.
Urton, M. M. &. (2018) The khipu code: the knotty mystery of the Inkas’ 3D records, aeon. Available at: https://
## Bibliography
Cope, B. and Kalantzis, M. (2009) ‘“multiliteracies”:
New Literacies, new learning’, Pedagogies: An International Journal,
4(3), pp.164–195. doi:10.1080/15544800903076044.
<br>
Dettore, E. (2002) “Children’s emotional GrowthAdults’ role as emotional archaeologists,”
Childhood education, 78(5), pp.278–281. doi:
10.1080/00094056.2002.10522741.
<br>
Ingold, T. (2015) The life of lines.London, England: Routledge.
<br>
Lawrence, R. L. and Paige, D. S. (2016) “What our ancestors knew: Teaching and learning through storytelling:
What our ancestors knew: Teaching and learning through storytelling,”
New directions for adult and continuing education, 2016(149), pp.63–72.
doi: 10.1002/ace.20177.
<br>
Papert, S. and Papert, S. A. (2020) Mindstorms
(revised): Children, computers, and powerful ideas. London, England:
Basic Books.
<br>
Ryan, M.-L. (2009) “From narrative games to playable
stories: Toward a poetics of interactive narrative,” StoryWorlds A
Journal of Narrative Studies, 1(1), pp.43–59. doi: 10.1353/stw.0.0003.
<br>
Smeets, D. and Bus, A. (2013) “Picture Storybooks Go Digital: Pros and
Cons,” in Quality Reading Instruction in the Age of Common Core
Standards. International Reading Association, pp.176–189.
<br>
Strohecker, C. (ed.) (1978) Why knot? MIT.
<br>
The Effect of Multimodality in Increasing Motivation and Collaboration among
4th CSE EFL Students (no date).
<br>
Turkle, S. (ed.) (2014) Evocative objects: Things we think with. MIT
Press.
<br>
Urton, M. M. &. (2018) The khipu code: the knotty mystery of
the Inkas’ 3D records, aeon. Available at: https://
