Philosophy References

• Variations on the Right to remain Silent | Anne Carson
• The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction | Ursula Le Guin
• The femenization of video games by princess

Variations on the right to remain Silent

In Anne Carson's essay she speaks about the physical and metaphysical silence in ancient text and the various translations and methods when trying to understand these languages through time. The reason I found this essay intriguing in relation to my project, and personally interesting as well, has to do with the way that Carson treats the text she translates. Her thoughtfulness in considering what the original writer intended the piece to feel like, not just what it means. Although I imagine many translators have to consider this, I feel like Carsons writing has always made it easier to relate to these stories. I'd like to treat the language I use in this project with the same amount of consideration and creativity.

The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction

Ursula Le Guin is well known for her work in science fiction, as a woman in a male dominated genre. While I have never read her books, this essay is easily one of the most influencial piece's I've ever read. She talks about the evolution of mankind and the anthropological theory of the carrier bag. Which is that humans first creation was not a weapon, but a bag - or something to hold. She ties this into not just how this changes the narrative of human evolution from one of violence but one of empathy and love. The same holds true in how we pass on stories and oral history. How stories are things that carry, and those things are heroes and heroines.

The Femenization of Video Games

In the form of a twine type text manifesto, the message of this piece is something that I feel is really important to the kind of work I want to be doing as a designer. It really just talks about the inclusion of love and fun in games, without the pressure of trying to appease traditional or outdated standards in game creation. I enjoy working on project like this card game, because I feel it's the type of thing I can do without feeling like I need outside validation. I also agree with the message about the purpose of games, or that there doesn't necessarily need to be a purpose. Games can be meaningless fun, but that being said, I believe that any time spent enjoying something is not meaningless. In that sense we should forget about formalities and just play.