Maps and Mirrors

I keep thinking that the essay as a genre is more like a mirror that is inserted into this map of invention studies (certainly a flawed metaphor, but work with me here). So my question is, what is the relationship between maps and mirrors?

–Map as mirror of real world? This link might be interesting.

—Mirror, mirror. . .

—Lacan’s mirror stage. Bah. Of course.

—This sounds familiar to me. . .

—Poetics of the Literary Self-Portrait might be useful to me soon.

There’s something here. What is it, what is it, what is it???