Experimental wreading* group (2009 - present, on and off) exploring textual approaches to sociality, and social approaches to textuality (_zoink_). _Recent events_: Spring 2023, together with [Ruth van Mourik](https://ruthvanmourik.com/), facilitated by [Senka Milutinovic](http://www.senkamilutinovic.com/) at [WdKA Research Station](https://www.wdka.nl/stations/research-station). # ▒­ _M𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚍𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚒𝚎𝚜_ ▒ 1. **Skimming, or _skinning_**: a reading method whereby the reader(s) scan(s) the text/situation to get (a) general interpretation(s) of its possible content(s). Useful when pressed for time and disregarding of detail. 2. **Scanning, or _scamming_**: used to locate specific information sought after. It involves quickly skimming but _looking for specific details_. The _scamming_ part comes in etymologically: scamming, from _scamp_: a roaming (highway) robber; a fugitive nomad, a vagabond, a swindler astray. 3. **Diagonal reading, or _square dancing_**: Literally reading the text diagonally, somewhat clumsily, from the top/bottom left/right corner to the bottom/top right/left corner, to get a broad understanding of the content. Resembles both skinning and scamming, but is more danceable. 4. **Hyperactive reading**: Engaging with a text very actively by making notes, highlighting important points, asking questions, talking about it, creating more text. Active reading is useful when you need to retain information and understand the text in greater depth. Resembles _fractal reading_, see below. 5. **Historiographical reading**: Not to directly seek knowledge transference from others, but to think about how they thought. This method involves analyzing texts and considering the historical context in which they were written. It involves trying to crawl into the author's perspectives, biases, and motives and evaluating how they influenced the production of a text. 6. **Etymological reading**: This method involves analyzing the etymorigins and meanings of letters/words/phrases used in a text. It involves collective intentionality to a high degree, trying to really imagine how language/text has evolved over time and how meanings have changed. Can also be mixed up with _hyperactive_ and _fractal readings_. 7. **Critical reading**: This method is vengeful. It involves analyzing a text and _evaluating_, harshly judging its content, its arguments, its assumptions. It involves interrogating the text, assessing its validity and accuracy, and sometimes considering drastically alternative viewpoints. Can be somewhat ‘confusedly binary,’ even in its attempts to escape things like binaries. A strategy can be: “read this as if you hate it.” 8. **Close reading**: Similar to _critical reading_ but in this case one reads with a high degree of charity. Paying attention to language, tone and cadence, imagery and literary devices, intentions and successes, etc. A strategy can be: “read this as if it was the only text in the world.” 9. **Chugging**: Reading as fast as you can. It involves techniques such as skimming, scanning, and chunking, but is even faster. 10. **Meditative reading**: Immersing oneself in a text, allowing the mind to wander. Speeds vary, there's no orientation or purpose. 11. **Intensive reading**: This method involves reading a text closely and carefully to fully understand its meaning, nuances, and implications. It involves analyzing the text in detail and may require multiple readings to gain a deep understanding. 12. **Acoustematic reading**: This method involves listening to the sounds of the words of a text, really trying not to listen to their meanings. And/or: looking at their designs, as text, purely as markings. Acousmatic reading is based on an idea stemming from musique concrète's lord: Pierre Schaeffer, referring to acoustematic sound: a sound heard without its originating cause being _seen_ (see also [[Musique Croquette]]). So termed, supposedly after the practice of Pythagoras, where he gave lectures to his a students (akousmatikoi: ἀκουσματικοί) behind a screen, so they couldn't see him but only hear him. 13. **Segmenting the reading**: Breaking a text down into parts and analyzing its structure. It involves attention to the panoramic organization of a text, and less to its details. 14. **Comparative-collaborative reading**: Looking at various texts at the same time, with (or without) several people, in order to combine methods or look for commonalities, differences. 15. **Self-reflective reading**: Reflecting on one's own (symbolic) perspective as one reads a text. It involves _critical_ and _close readings_ of oneself, as one reads, considering how one's inclinations influence one's understanding of the text. 16. **Situational reading**: Understanding the situation (a) reader(s) is/are in when reading a text. 17. **Visceral reading**: Between _critical, close_ and _acoustematic_ reading. 18. **Fractal reading**: Getting carried away by all the possible directions and temptations of a text. [ * ] See also: [[Wreading and riting]].