Working title: Bringing the Author to Life in the Digital Age

Excuse the choppiness: this outline is a draft of how I want my chapter to develop, point by point.

Intro: literary theories of Roland Barthes who "killed the author"--meaning that all that is important is the text and no supplemental information about the author or from the author is necessary. Through developing technology and social media, this is not the case any more. Authors are using digital means to connect with their readers. The author/reader relationship is completely changing in the digital age.

Toni Morrison began reaching out to her readers through technology in the mid 1990s--mostly through television (the Oprah show). Her book Song of Solomon was one of the book selections for Oprah's Book Club. She made appearances on the show and led discussions to help readers find the deeper themes and meanings in the book.

Use research, like what she said on her tv appearances, quotes from interviews that analyzed aspects of Song of Solomon--material that helps the reader analyze the novel and apply for themselves, which is what Morrison wants.
Also use blogs, forums, and twitter posts to show reader responses to Morrison's public involvement with her readers.

In part Morrison's writings and interviews are to accomplish what her female black predecessors like Zora Neale Hurston could not do: be completely free to publish and say what she wants. But what Morrison started to do is what hundreds of authors are doing now in the digital age through modern technology and social media.

Use my research (seen on my Diigo bookmarks) of blogs about modern author/reader relationships, and presentations about authors connecting to readers even before publishing.

There are pros and cons, but ultimately in this digital age, it's new and exciting how no longer is the author dead to the reader: they can become an integral part in the readers love and understanding of the literature.