Emily Brooks, assistant professor of digital culture and design in the Department of English, shares her interests in multimodal composition, the digitization of books, and non-standard book objects.
To Emily Brooks, “book” has a wide definition. It’s not limited to the traditional bound paper item we all keep on our shelves.
Brooks’ teaching focuses on “critical making,” which includes traditional print books, but also interactive fiction. Her students have created photo-poetry books; 3D-printed books; and choose-your-own-adventure narratives using Twine, an open-source tool for telling non-linear stories. As a “makeademic,” Brooks also makes and creates digitizations of non-standard book objects, such as touch-and-feel books, movable books, and treasure bindings (books that include precious gemstones or ivory carvings).
Her scholarly interests, Brooks said in a recent interview, are rooted in the early days of her undergraduate experience. Having started college as a pre-med student, Brooks then considered photography and graphic design before settling on English as her major discipline. Discovering that English has a home outside of traditional media was a key moment in the commencement of her academic journey.
“My first English course as an undergraduate was a very non-traditional approach to studying English; it involved combining comics and science studies with Romantic poetry and printmaking… it really got me started with combining creative and making projects within more traditional literary studies.”
Brooks’ creative making involves books’ content and makeup, but also how a story’s topic affects its interpretation – a concept she applies in the classroom as well. Brooks is interested in giving students a new appreciation for the things that they may take for granted when evaluating creative works.
“The creative work itself can transform the creator as well as the viewer,” Brooks said. “Teaching through the creative process gives students a much more nuanced and richer understanding of the things that they’re viewing.”
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Learn more about Emily Brooks through her website.
Learn about about Emily Brooks through her CCU profile.