The article explores how the senses, especially sight and hearing, are accentuated in the poetry of Sigbjørn Obstfelder. His poems reflect the emerging media of his time, photography, telephone, phonograph, and film. The article points to how Obstfelder’s most famous poem «I see» has apparent similarities to photography – with its short, visual observations. The article examines how new media's ability to imitate reality did challenge artistic expressions in Obstfelder’s time, pushing them away from reflective representational practice, towards a more form-conscious, modernist one.

The article examines the significance of materials in Rolf Jacobsen’s debut collection Jord og jern (1933). The poetry collection shows an evident fascination for various materials, such as iron, steel, aluminum, glass, rubber, osv. These were materials that were more widely used during the period. The focus on such materials is part of the collection‘s general theme of modernity and shows that Jacobsen‘s experiences of the modern world were linked not only to ideas of efficiency and rationality, but also to modernity‘s own aesthetics: the peculiar beauty of the shiny flights and glass panes. In particular, the article analyzes the perception of these materials and reveals new aspects of Jacobsen‘s modernism. The article also points to thematic links to European modernism.

The article presents the author and businessman Rolf Stenersen and shows how his writing and engagement for art was shaped by experiences from modern business and stock speculation. Stenersen's desire to be at the forefront of the developments proved to be useful, both in stock speculation and in art investments. The article examines Stenersen's economic worldview and in particular analyzes Stenersen's short prose collection Godnatt da du (1931) in light of finance and stock speculation. The press condemned it as inappropriate at the time of publication, but turns out to have rare literary qualities in describing human dreams and fantasies in a new way.

In light of the 1960s media development in Norway, the article examines Paal Brekke's collection of poems Det skjeve smil i rosa (1965). Television and radio made news from distant countries suddenly present in people’s homes. Unsettling news from abroad was often experienced as both daunting and threatening. Brekke’s collection of poems depicts the unpleasantness of being confronted with suffering and poverty and how the media language threatens to invade everyday speech. The article shows that Brekke's poetic form was not only inspired by foreign poetry, but also by daily media experiences.

The article presents and discusses the context of Sverre Udnæs’ dramatic works. Udnæs was a prolific and innovative Norwegian playwright in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His experiences from the NRK Television Theater had a profound impact on his dramatic style. The article shows the influence from the tradition of absurd theater, and from the TV medium itself. The article looks in particular at the dramas released under the title Three TV-plays in 1976, namely Symptomer, Aske og Visittid.

The article discusses the changes in Marie Takvam’s poetry, emphasizing the importance of place, especially the experience of living in a suburban environment. Takvam’s poetry evolves from vitalist impulses towards a more critical modernist form in the 1960s. The article claims this shift can primarily be linked to the experience of place. The experience of an isolated existence in the suburban environment characterizes both theme and form in the later poems. However, Takvam not only describes her own experiences but gives voice to significant historical developments in post-war Norway.

The article discusses Kjartan Fløgstad's short prose collection Fangliner (1972) in light of media development in the 60s and 70s. Fangliner is shaped by narrative forms in pulp literature, film, and TV, in addition to the industrial environment in Western Norway. The texts show deep solidarity with the local industrial culture, while at the same time experimenting with magical realism. The short stories mirror the contemporary media developments in Norway in the 70s, with color television, suspense films, and popular magazine novels.

The article analyzes how Jan Kjærstad’s novel Homo Falsus (1984) uses computer technology as a central principle of composition. The article describes the developments in computer technology during the 1970s and 1980s and shows how computing metaphors and ways of thinking characterize Kjærstad’s novel. The novel can be said to be modernist by being a formal experiment, but at the same time moves away from modernism with its playfulness and immense complexity.