What the Library and Personal Sections of erasmatazz.com Contain

Updated

The Library and Personal sections serve different purposes on Chris Crawford's site: the Library collects his writing on interactive storytelling and related topics, while the Personal section holds his personal essays and updates. Both are reachable from the site's top navigation, alongside Home, Site Map, and Contact Form. The site describes itself as "Interactive Storytelling Tools for Writers" and notes it has operated since 1996.

Library: Interactive Storytelling and Related Writing

The Library is the section most relevant to writers looking for Crawford's work on interactive storytelling. Its listed material includes an essay titled "Plan B for interactive storytelling," and the site's recent-additions list points to related pieces such as "Why interactive storytelling is so difficult" and "Signals, Songs, Language, and Stories."

The Library is not limited to storytelling craft. Recent entries cover language and culture (semantic spread, the weakening of expletives), reviews (the TV series "Dark," Stephen Wolfram's The Second Law), and essays on broader subjects. Treat it as an archive of Crawford's published writing rather than a structured course or tool download page.

Personal: Essays, Updates, and Site News

The Personal section presents Crawford's own essays and notes. The homepage frames this content as "Chris Crawford's Random Ruminations on Irrelevant Topics" and lists recent additions with dates, including:

  • September 16: "Could AI systems trigger an economic disaster?"
  • September 1: a critique of "originalist" constitutional interpretation
  • August 17: "What is my purpose in life?"
  • August 5: "Why all advanced civilizations must inevitably destroy themselves"
  • June 20: "Brilliant writings of Alvaro Gonzalez"

The same list mixes site and personal news, such as a request for an astronomy observation spot on Sterling Creek Road, meteor videos from the 1999 Leonids, and notes on local sandstone. The homepage also carries a short status note explaining a long absence due to spring chores, fire-season preparation, and a solar power setup.

Choosing Between the Two

If you want… Go to… What you'll find
Crawford's writing on interactive storytelling Library Essays such as "Plan B for interactive storytelling" and "Why interactive storytelling is so difficult"
Crawford's personal essays and current updates Personal Dated ruminations on society, language, science, and personal news
A full overview of the site Site Map Navigation across all sections
To try his interactive story Home A note that Le Morte D'Arthur is playable but unfinished

Practical Notes

  • The homepage states that Le Morte D'Arthur is "now available to play" and is "not finished — it never will be finished." The page does not give a direct download or play link in the excerpt, so use the site navigation or Site Map to locate it.
  • The site is text-heavy and organized by dated entries rather than by topic menus. If you are researching a specific theme, the Site Map is the faster route than scrolling the homepage list.
  • The site's own description of itself as running "on a server using vacuum tubes" is a joke, not a technical claim.

For writers, the Library is the starting point; the Personal section is where Crawford's wider thinking and site news appear.