note from the editors   

Welcome to the New River! After a period of dormancy, the New River has been re-designed and reborn, complete with exciting new works by leading digital authors.

David Herrstrom's The Nicodemus Glyph is a heady investigation of the ancient author and teacher, Nicodemus. Herrstrom has constructed the Glyph to taunt the reader's desire for more definite knowledge of Nicodemus, while simultaneously signaling that we can never fully know a historical person or circumstance.

Jason Nelson's work tests the boundary between "game-like" interfaces and serious poetry. Poetry Cube not only allows readers to reorganize Nelson's words, but it also allows them to enter their own poetry and, with the click of a button, shuffle the lines into an array of possibilities. Between Treacherous Objects takes a form reminiscent of a video game flight simulator. Using the mouse, readers fly through the space of images and poetry, choosing to stop where they desire.

Dan Waber's Writing Through Time examines and challenges the limitations and constructs of space and time as they traditionally apply to the written words. Words appear and disappear on the "page", creating a layered fabric of text and meaning that can be further manipulated by the reader.

If you're new to the world of digital writing, we hope that you will explore these pieces with an attitude of adventure. Digital writing is not intended to provide you with a traditional narrative or sense of closure. Rather, it is an interactive form in which you become a co-author as you choose the order in which you will view the text as well as decide when you will stop reading. This process also gives you a greater role in determining the meaning of the text. Digital writing is a way of exploring the evolutionary edges of language, words, and meaning, so bring your curiosity, and have fun!

Laura Dulaney and Bryon Sabol, Managing Editors