On April 4-6, 2002, many of the leading writers, critics, publishers and readers working in the field of electronic literature gathered in Los Angeles for the first Electronic Literature Organization Symposium. Titled "State of the Arts," the symposium featured three nights and two days of readings, demonstrations, and concentrated discussions on the state of the arts of electronic literature. Major Sponsorship of the State of the Arts Symposium was provided by the Ford Foundation.

Keynote speakers for the event included novelist Robert Coover, critic Katherine Hayles, and author and publisher Jason Epstein. The event was a "Symposium" in the truest sense of the word: each panel featured experts engaging in a lively interchange of ideas. These moderated discussions allowed the panelists to share their insights and engage in dialogue about their specific topic.

RealAudio Archive
The conference proceedings were recorded and are being made available here in RealAudio format. The recordings have been optimized for a low-bandwith connection. You many listen to them over http streaming, or you may download the files directly to your computer and play them in their entirety. If you encounter difficulty streaming the files because of a slow connection, try downloading them to your desktop. Please note that it will be difficult to hear the questions during the Q/A sessions, as we did not have a floor mike patched into the audio system. Download the latest Real Player to listen to the keynotes and panel sessions.