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Author Michael Newman: Atari Age
Live on Zoom. Please register to receive the Zoom link.
Otis Library will host a virtual talk with Professor Michael Z. Newman, author of Atari Age: The Emergence of Video Games in America. What were video games when they were new? Were they more like pinball or television or computers? Would they foster family fun and togetherness or offer kids an escape from domestic life into virtual worlds? In this talk, Professor Newman will tell the story of early games -- from the novelty ball-and-paddle amusement Pong to massive hits like Space Invaders and Pac-Man -- and show how they changed the way Americans think about technology and play.
Michael Z. Newman is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He grew up in Toronto and has degrees from McGill University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He teaches and writes about media and popular culture.
This program is co-sponsored by Otis Library, Waterford Public Library, and New London Public Library.