Different

The texts "Paragraphs on Conceptual Art" by Sol Lewitt, "Paragraphs on Conceptual Writing" by Kenneth Goldsmith, "Paragraphs on Lyric Poetry" by Toby Altman are incredibly similar; however, they vary immensely as well. Changing just a few words can create a drastically new meaning within the text, as each text covers an entirely different subject. It is also important to discuss the dates in which each of these texts were written, ranging from fifty years ago (1967) to just a few years ago (2013). Thus, perhaps the topic of "conceptual writing" pertained more to people half a century ago than it does now. Similarly, "lyric poetry" is a subject that may resonate more with current generations than the topics that Sol Lewitt and Kenneth Goldsmith discuss in their pieces. But, as we discussed a few lectures ago, just a few years can feel like a vast amount of time for technological advancements. For this reason, maybe it would make sense for another author to recreate "Paragraphs on Conceptual Art" by Sol Lewitt, and replace "conceptual art" with "electronic literature" or "digital literature." This could represent the current generation in a more realistic way because electronic literature is something that affects us on an everyday basis and makes it possible for us to access information that was previously unattainable.