*Browsers: The very first thing to note is that you should only choose the DHTML version of the site in the red box at left, if you are using either Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 (or 5) or Netscape Navigator 4 (or 4.5).

To find out which browser version you have, open your browser and select "help" then "about". To update your browser, choose "software update" on the "help" menu in Netscape Navigator and "product updates" on the "help" menu in Internet Explorer, (while online of course).

DHTML is the acronym for Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language. It employs both CSS-P elements and Javascript to enable the animation of text and images in a browser window. Only version 4 browsers (and above) support CSS positioning (a specification defined by the World Wide Web Consortium). Accessing the DHTML version of the site with a version 3 browser will result in either a blank screen or a jumble of text.

If your browser is version 3 or below, select the quick loading version. In the mauve box at left, that's "Introduction (quick-loading English version)" or "Enkonduko (esperantlingva versio tuj shutota)" for Esperanto speakers.

The information in the four site versions is identical. The images and colour scheme are largely the same. The difference between the DHTML and the quick loading versions is in the layout and in the animation of certain text segments and images.

Users of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 and 5 will notice some additional animation in the Introduction (and Enkonduko) page which Netscape Navigator users unfortunately cannot see. This is because of the different ways in which Internet Explorer and Navigator interpret CSS code. This divergence will have only a negligible effect on your enjoyment of the site.

Computer Requirements: It is strongly recommended that you choose the quick loading version, unless you have both of the following: a 200 MHz processor and a 33kbps modem (or higher).

With a less powerful processor or slower modem, your browser will probably struggle to present the animation. At worst, vital text, menu items and images, especially those sliding in form "off-stage", will fail to appear. The "page-turning" system in the biographies will work either frustratinlgy slowly or not at all.

Optimal viewing is gained with a 266 MHz Pentium II (or 300 MHz Celeron) and a 56k modem.

Information Sources: In short: Tazio Carlevaro, with help from William Auld and Ulrich Lins.

The bulk of the information is drawn from chapter 6 of Esperanto en Perspektivo, London - Rotterdam 1974, specifically pages 144 to 186: "Originala Beletro 1919 - 1945" and "Originala Beletro 1945 - 1972". In some cases, sections of Carlevaro's text have been incorporated unchanged. In other cases passages have been abridged and/or adapted to text from other sources (see below).

For Kalman Kalocsay in particular, additional information was drawn from William Auld's Enkonduko en la Originalan Literaturon de Esperanto, Saarbrücken 1979. For Yevgeny Mikhalsky, additional information was drawn form Ulrich Lins' La Danghera Lingvo, Gerlingen 1988. Other valuable sources are the notes on authors found towards the back of various published poetry or prose collections. One of the more useful is in Marjorie Boulton's Faktoj kaj Fantazioj, Rotterdam 1984.

Navigation: If you have not already discovered the key to navigating the DHTML site, let me guide you:

On the biography page of any of the 6 authors, run your mouse over the Literatura Galerio logo in the top left hand corner. The image changes to read "more authors". Click on the changed image. 9 individual squares appear, replacing the current author's portrait. 6 of the squares are small versions of the authors' portraits. Click on any one to go to the biography of that author. The 3 remaining squares may be less obvious in their intent at first glance. However, if you move your mouse over these images you will see in turn: "Home" "Quick Loading Version" and "Esperanto Version". Click on these to go to the options indicated. If you decide to remain with the current author and wish to see his or her portrait again, click on the square immediately below which says "Click here to return to current author".

If you entered via Netscape Netcenter, you may have noticed that the "home" page you return to from any one of the authors' biographies, is different to the home page you first saw. Don't be perturbed. There are in fact 2 different index pages. Suffice it to say that the creation of a 2nd one was necessitated by the way the editing options are set up in Netcenter, which hosts the one of the site. (The other host is Geocities.)

Expansion of the site?: I'll forego making any grandiose claims for the future of the site. The potential is evident. However the realisation depends on the type and extent of reaction and more importantly on the type and extent of collaboration. Some may see it is as a suitable kernel of an on-line encyclopedia of Literature in Esperanto. Others may not. Nor can I set a timetable for the completion of the current comparatively modest project. As the opportunity arises I will create the 3 missing options for each of the current authors - Critique, Excerpts and Bibliography. Following that I may be able to add authors. The templates for additional pages are already created. It is the information itself - the research, gleaning, editing, compiling and translating which will be the time-consuming factor. Any help or contributions will be gratefully accepted and will of course, speed the process. If the number of authors increases significantly, we may be able to categorise the authors according to type, time period and region. For example, Kalocsay might be found by navigating firstly to "Poetry" then to the "Inter-war years 1918-1939" and then to "Eastern Europe".

I await your reaction. Offers of collaboration would be particularly welcome.

Contact the Webmaster: you can send comments, suggestions and/or contributions to aneilson@zipworld.com.au