Preface to a Produced Space
(Continued)

While I try to encourage the reader to follow any of the threads through the hypertext (or weave her own way by means of the non-iconic links), I also provide two (somewhat) extra-textual methods by which readers may explore the hypertext.

The first of these is a meta-commentary on the methods at work in the hypertext. The meta-commentary is mostly linear, with a few well-marked links to other parts of the work. As such, it is clearly demarcated from the rest of the text by its coloring; while the main body of the hypertext has dark blue backgrounds, the meta-commentary has yellow backgrounds (like this page). The meta-commentary is accessible from the end of this preface, from the map, and from the works cited page. There will not be any links to it from the main body of hypertext.

The second meta-commentary is the site map. As will become evident, the decision about the map was a hard one. While it adds to the project, it also solidifies the project in a way that I'm not entirely happy with. Does the map close off possibilities of meaning as it solidifies the virtual space of the project? To indicate its liminality, I've surrounded it with a red background. The map indicates several threads by which the site may be navigated. It also can serve as a table of contents for readers so enraptured by my prose that they need to make sure they see every screen.