Programming and Poetry: ‘Moonbit’

Upon completing my first computer science course at Dartmouth College, I found myself infatuated with the intricacies of code. For this reason, I gravitated toward a flyer posted in Thayer School of Engineering informing me of a reading for a new book, Moonbit, written by two of our very own Dartmouth professors.

Moonbit, a book by James E. Dobson and Rena J. Mosteirin, “is a hybrid work comprised of experimental poetry and a critical theory of the poetics and politics of computer code,” according to the description. Upon first reading this description, I was utterly confused. In fact, reading the description for a second, third, fourth, and even fifth time did not produce any clearer image. However, after finishing the book, I believe I can finally offer a description that will do the book justice: Moonbit is an exploration into the poetic style of code that can beautify even the most confusing and gibberish-appearing code.

Before I take a more granular view of the book, I would like to give a brief general review. Moonbit is not just a well-researched but also a well-written interpretation of computer programming. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in computer programming, poetry, or the fusion of two seemingly unrelated subjects. The book is exemplary in its ability to derive interesting and creative artistic expression from a seemingly meaningless text. Having said that, I consequently believe that you cannot simply read this book once and be done with it. With complex arguments combined with experimental poetry, the book deserves second and third readings.

The subject of the book is the source code found in the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. There may be readers, such as myself, who see the words “coding” and “programming” and think “I took a computer science course; I should be able to at least comprehend what’s going on!” I am here to tell you that interpreting the source code enclosed within the book is a far greater challenge than reading the Java, Python, C, etc. that you usually code in. The Apollo 11 spacecraft launched in 1969, before many–if not all–of the common languages today were invented. The code shown in the book is either the language “Basic” (not to be confused with BASIC) or “Interpretive,” which were then translated into wiring diagrams by digitals computers. These low-level languages had many strict guidelines that made much of the code extremely convoluted to those who are not fluent in the language.

Luckily, Dobson and Mosteirin do not focus on the executable function of the AGC code. Instead, they express that software can be seen as a text that can be analyzed and creatively manipulated. This claim will be the authors’ justification for the exploration into the AGC code that follows in the latter sections of the book. Dobson and Mosteirin claim that computer code specifically should be able to be recognized as a cultural work. This opinion can be met with significant opposition, but the authors do not simply rely on their own justifications as persuasion. Instead, Dobson and Mosteirin’s effectively intertwine arguments from numerous other authors to support argument that allows them to persuade even the most adamant of skeptics. They introduce the approach of analyzing code from multiple perspectives, known as Critical Code Studies, to interpret code. Multiple proponents of the Critical Code Studies approach are then introduced and discussed in order to further demonstrate the ability to view code as more than just a means of communication with a computer.

The book also includes and refutes common counterarguments. For instance, the authors cite an argument that code is different from language because of its executable form. Interestingly, the authors respond to this argument by taking a brief step deeper into coding by addressing compilers. Later in the book, the authors take a line-by-line look into some of the dynamics of Basic and the Interpretive language that make up the AGC code. The authors explain the terminology and function of each word in the code so that it can be understood by those who are new to programming and exciting to those who are comfortable with other languages. Throughout the book, the authors continue to emphasize the ability to view computer code as a cultural text. Despite the rigid regulations of coding languages, different methods of organization and problem solving allow programmers to creatively express themselves.

The experimental poem section of the book is both the most random and yet the most entertaining section of the book. The authors initially print all of the text found in certain sections of the AGC source code to exemplify the apparent disorder of the code. A small portion of words and specific parts of words are highlighted seemingly without order. Surprisingly, the authors later reveal the product of erasing the other (non-highlighted) words to form a series of poems that are fun to read even for those who are not poetry enthusiasts. The poems clearly show that code can possess an artistic and creative form beyond the literal use of execution of functionality.

The final parts of the book tie the argument back to the specifics of the AGC source code. While it is a little frustrating that the authors do not divulge into these specifics earlier, the entire book only spans 150 pages, so there is little space to introduce these findings earlier. To the authors’ credit, they do provide clear evidence of cultural influences on the specific designs of the code. For readers who also code, these examples may cause you to sit back and ponder times when you have seen instances of your life and culture manifesting itself in your code.

Moonbit is a fun and engaging adventure examining code from a new and interesting perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone as I believe it will provide them with a glimpse into the strong driver of our rapidly advancing technological world that is computer code. It intertwines the STEM and humanities in the opposite of what is usually seen. Instead of STEM supplementing the humanities to provide increased functionality, it allows the humanities to extend the meaning of a STEM-field. Coders and poets alike can enjoy the creative interpretations, the convincing arguments and–of course–the cool picture of the moon on the front and back cover.