The Sea path

Marginalia & Meaning

Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams' S. (2013) is an exemplary work of marginalia-driven storytelling, where meaning emerges from the interplay between a primary text and the annotations left behind by multiple readers. This chapter examines how fragmented commentary reshapes a narrative and how such configurations create a layered, non-linear reading experience. It also considers how marginalia functions as a performative act, mirroring theatre’s live interpretation.

DEEPER DOWN.

The Sea / 
The Mother

Collage & Curation

A poetry collection questioning our place in life. Questioning who we've become when so much is behind us, and so much is still ahead.

Float

Footnotes & References

  • Core Theoretical Foundations:

    1. Gérard Genette – Paratexts: Thresholds of Interpretation (1997) – How marginalia and surrounding texts shape meaning.

    2. Roland Barthes – The Death of the Author (1967) – Meaning as determined by the reader rather than the creator.

    3. Lisa Samuels & Jerome McGann – Deformance and Interpretation (1999) – How reconfiguring a text leads to new interpretations.
    4.  

  • Critical Debates and Counterarguments:

    1. W.J.T. Mitchell – Picture Theory (1994) – Explores how visual elements can overshadow textual meaning.

    2. Umberto Eco – Lector in Fabula (1979) – Suggests that too much interpretative freedom can create unstable meaning.

    3. Nicholas Royle – The Uncanny (2003) – How marginalia can disrupt rather than enhance comprehension.
    4.  

  • Empirical Studies & Case Studies:

    1. House of Leaves (2000) – Uses marginalia and footnotes to construct multiple layers of meaning.

    2. Infinite Jest (1996) – Extensive footnotes that alter the reader’s understanding of the primary narrative.

    3. The Raw Shark Texts (2007) – A novel that integrates fragmented, non-linear textual structures.
    4.