About
this site — webspace as hermitage
In search of a design metaphor too-beautiful-for-tears, we stumbled across the more humble structure of a hermitage. Each of its main portals (in the menu at the top of each of our webpages) corresponds to a physical space or function in the convents of Sor Juana's day. (We should add that this site is being built by your loyal servants working with the sorely limited participation of Paul Anderson, the novel's shadowy author.)
The purpose is to provide a forum for questions and discussion of the novel, and to promote awareness of the work and life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
The Hermitage, then, is a gender-inclusive, non-denominational nod in the direction of Sor Juana's convent, now a university bearing her name in the wondrously chaotic heart of Mexico City. In due course we will invite you to view some images of the place, affectionately known as "the Claustro." But if you're in a hurry, no need to wait.
The
Layout
A hermitage is not just a place of study or meditation but a world, a living space with various practical pre-occupations. In Sor Juana's day these spaces were arranged around a series of patios. Here is a description of the gran patio in the late 17th century, from Hunger's Brides.
Our virtual Hermitage is laid out as follows:
Portería - Porter's Gate
- an introduction to the website
Locutorio - Parlour
- a place where news gets exchanged and discussions take place
Galería - Gallery
- a collection of still images from the world of the novel
Teatro - Theatre
- a place for multimedia clips and video interviews
Coro - Choir
- a listening room for music, voice recordings and other audio files
Archivo - Archives
- a place for background information on the project, the novel's author, etc.
Biblioteca - Library
- excerpts from the novel, pointers to online resources, a partial list of books rifled through in the research for Hunger's Brides