Hacking Stone Moons: Or, a Re-viving a still born child A behind-the-scenes melodrama in three acts.
Proposal Type
Performance
Location
Algorithms & Imaginaries
Start Date
July 2026
End Date
July 2026
Abstract
ELO 2026 Performance proposal
Hacking Stone Moons: Or, a Re-viving a still born child A behind-the-scenes melodrama in three acts. We will bring you a feat so audacious, so deliriously intricate, it defies the very laws of preservation, coding, and creation. Program Notes From 2023- 2025, Claire Leyden, Jenn Nguyen, and Quinn Carrick resurrected Deena Larsen’s 1995-1999 Stone Moons saga, written to pour out the frustrations of an ongoing struggle that her friend was undergoing to get support for her pre-verbal autistic child. Since this was an organic work, deftly mirroring reality and fantasy, this classic hypertext’s nodes and links soon grew to overwhelm the computer capacity at the time. The work became hopelessly corrupted, and a memorial service was held at CyberMountain 1999. In 2023-24, Larsen was an Artist in Residence at Washington State University Vancouver, where Dene Grigar encouraged her to resurrect this massive work. The WSUV Electronic Literature Lab provided a 1997 computer that could still run the corrupted version of Stone Moons. Act 1. Archiving the still-born child
The Great Archivists stride into the ring, juggling fragments of a complex work—pages that whisper, scripts that shimmer, half‑forgotten pathways of meaning swirling like flickering fireflies overhead. Spreadsheets leap about as we painstaking transcribe from antique screens to their sleek new spaces. We tame the chaos, coaxing order from entropy as the crowd gasps in collective awe.
Act 2. Hacking tangled Twine paths Climbing about Deena’s impossibly tangled links, we twist and contort lines of Twine code, bending logic into impossible shapes. We summon variables from the void and weave multiple branching narratives that spiral acrobatically from a single origin anchor word. Watch in breathless anticipation as one wrong move and the whole story collapses. Act 3. Presenting a never-seen-before work
Now maps of Deena's story structures bloom across their new-found territory—wineglass maps that display her original intent with uncanny fidelity, then explode outward into realms imagined but uncharted. Forgotten symbols and navigation pathways glow with renewed purpose. The audience leans forward, breath held, as we redraw the world not as it was, but as it could have been.
Logistics--Due to the inherent dangers in live programming, this will be recorded for easy retrieval and premiered at the 2026 ELO conference as a never-seen-before thrill.
Hacking Stone Moons: Or, a Re-viving a still born child A behind-the-scenes melodrama in three acts.
Algorithms & Imaginaries
ELO 2026 Performance proposal
Hacking Stone Moons: Or, a Re-viving a still born child A behind-the-scenes melodrama in three acts. We will bring you a feat so audacious, so deliriously intricate, it defies the very laws of preservation, coding, and creation. Program Notes From 2023- 2025, Claire Leyden, Jenn Nguyen, and Quinn Carrick resurrected Deena Larsen’s 1995-1999 Stone Moons saga, written to pour out the frustrations of an ongoing struggle that her friend was undergoing to get support for her pre-verbal autistic child. Since this was an organic work, deftly mirroring reality and fantasy, this classic hypertext’s nodes and links soon grew to overwhelm the computer capacity at the time. The work became hopelessly corrupted, and a memorial service was held at CyberMountain 1999. In 2023-24, Larsen was an Artist in Residence at Washington State University Vancouver, where Dene Grigar encouraged her to resurrect this massive work. The WSUV Electronic Literature Lab provided a 1997 computer that could still run the corrupted version of Stone Moons. Act 1. Archiving the still-born child
The Great Archivists stride into the ring, juggling fragments of a complex work—pages that whisper, scripts that shimmer, half‑forgotten pathways of meaning swirling like flickering fireflies overhead. Spreadsheets leap about as we painstaking transcribe from antique screens to their sleek new spaces. We tame the chaos, coaxing order from entropy as the crowd gasps in collective awe.
Act 2. Hacking tangled Twine paths Climbing about Deena’s impossibly tangled links, we twist and contort lines of Twine code, bending logic into impossible shapes. We summon variables from the void and weave multiple branching narratives that spiral acrobatically from a single origin anchor word. Watch in breathless anticipation as one wrong move and the whole story collapses. Act 3. Presenting a never-seen-before work
Now maps of Deena's story structures bloom across their new-found territory—wineglass maps that display her original intent with uncanny fidelity, then explode outward into realms imagined but uncharted. Forgotten symbols and navigation pathways glow with renewed purpose. The audience leans forward, breath held, as we redraw the world not as it was, but as it could have been.
Logistics--Due to the inherent dangers in live programming, this will be recorded for easy retrieval and premiered at the 2026 ELO conference as a never-seen-before thrill.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/elo2026/algorithmsandimaginaries/schedule/18
Bio
Deena Larsen has been a hypertext addict since way before the internet and claims the first masters thesis of elit (Hypertexts and Hyperpossibilities, 1991 University of Colorado). She has trouble counting her over 50 works now on her website and has published in many journals, including the Iowa Review Web, Beehive, Poems that Go, Cauldron and Net. Much of her work is preserved in The NEXT Museum, Library, and Preservation Space. Her first work, Marble Springs (Eastgate 1993) explores the intertwined lives of women in a Colorado mountain town in the 1800s. Her second, Samplers (Eastgate 1996) is nine vicious tales that explore how structure embodies meaning (and has elaborate use of n-ary links). (One work, two works, three works, lots.).
Quinn Carrick is an aspiring game designer, writer, and digital artist with a passion for crafting immersive stories and experiences. Born and raised in Washington, Quinn is currently pursuing a B.S. in Digital Technology and Culture at Washington State University Vancouver, with a minor in Computer Science. With a deep appreciation for storytelling in all its forms—whether through game mechanics, animation, or interactive narratives—they aim to create games that leave a lasting impact on players, just as games once inspired them.
Quinn's creative journey is shaped by a blend of technical expertise and artistic vision, with experience in game development, animation, web design, and narrative storytelling. Their projects explore the intersection of art, technology, and interactivity, often drawing inspiration from games that seamlessly merge compelling narratives with engaging gameplay. Quinn is particularly interested in designing experiences that resonate emotionally, challenge perspectives, and immerse players in meaningful stories.
With an eye toward the gaming industry, Quinn is eager to collaborate with like-minded developers and creatives to push the boundaries of interactive storytelling. Whether through level design, character development, or world-building, they are committed to shaping experiences that inspire, connect, and entertain.
Claire Leyden is a recent graduate of Washington State University Vancouver with a Bachelors of Arts in Digital Technology and Culture. Evan is the type of person to pour everything into a project. With a focus on 2D animation and motion graphics, they love to bring things to life using their creative skills. Several of their projects have taken over 100 hours to complete to ensure every aspect of the final product is the best it can be. Animation is only one aspect of project development as Evan has learned many other mediums for improving the feel of their art. Music composition and sound design are integral to the experiences that they love to create and they have worked to sharpen their skills to create audio pieces as polished as their animated ones. When they can, they love running just as the sun comes up as it gives them a lot of their inspiration.
Jenn Duyen Nguyen is a Portland-based front-end web developer who has a passion for crafting engaging digital experiences. Beyond the bits and pixels, her work is driven by a vision – to connect, inspire, and create a story. Every project is her opportunity to make a positive impact, to spark change, and to leave an unforgettable mark on the virtual canvas. She currently offers services in UX/UI design and web development. She believes that we can weave the threads for our own world, and it should starts with equitable and equally accessible technologies, as well as a commitment to deliver solutions that put people at the center. Jenn is also a multimedia content creator who loves diving into her own thoughts and expressing them via storytelling. She enjoys exploring her inner world through the lens of the outer one.