Huge milestone!
Today is a milestone! This is a bigger deal than my first wedding anniversary because book research is trickier than marriage. I’m using today to appreciate all I’ve accomplished instead of focusing on all there is left to do.
I achieved a major milestone a couple of days ago! What is it? Thanks for asking. I finished cataloging the contents of J’s main scrapbook. Hallelujah! I’ve already added the relevant information to her Master Timeline. This means that I can move on to the next phase of research. Not sure what that is going to be, just yet. There are many, many options.
RESEARCH NOTES: WEEKS 23-24
Until next time!
Hi there! It’s been a hot second since the previous entry in this series. My silence wasn’t from lack of research; far from it, actually. It’s because, six weeks later, I am still cataloging J’s main scrapbook. The reason it is taking so long? Early in the process, I also decided to start working on her main timeline. It simply makes sense to do one alongside the other. Current me is quite pleased with past me. Great choice, me. However, I didn’t want to bore you with the same spiel week in, week out for months. Thus, the lack of [R]evolving Research content as of late. Going forward, I will do posts when I have enough new content. Let’s see how that goes.
RESEARCH NOTES: WEEKS 16-21
You may have noticed that there’s a Ko-fi button hanging out on the sidebar. If you have questions: Here’s an article explaining what that is all about. It’s truly a no-pressure situation. I will not mention it going forward, except on posts about my biography research.
Until next time!
I wrote this on Alternative Muses but it applies here as well.
Please give it a read if you have a few minutes to spare. Thank you!
Sorry for posting this two days late. I had internet problems on Tuesday and was too busy to fit this bit of writing into Wednesday’s schedule. Let’s get started!
And I thought that endlessly staring at online copies of census records was hard.
It turns out that poring over century-old newspaper clippings (I’m talking physical copies) is even worse on the eyes. Who knew, haha? I finally forced myself to start cataloging the contents of J’s small but mighty scrapbook. It’s tedious only from the standpoint that it is going to take weeks (I’m on page 8) to finish. Other than the necessarily slow nature of the process, it is really damn exciting. I’ve already learned a great deal more about J and her early career in Memphis. This has also, of course, opened up many, many, and I do mean many, new avenues to explore. Dozens. All by page 8. Researching a biography is hard, y’all. That’s mostly a good thing, so I won’t complain.
RESEARCH NOTES: WEEK 14
Until next time!
Last week was extra busy because of Christmas. We didn’t go anywhere, of course, because of the pandemic. There was a lot of baking and some last-minute decorating, though. I still fit in a fair amount of reading amidst the chaos. I also learned a new fact about J, courtesy of a nearly 101-year-old source. Yay!
RESEARCH NOTES: WEEK 12
Ad from 17 July 1919.
Until next time!
Alternative Muses has been an occasional series on A Small Press Life for years. The name and the concept also fit my bio subject, J, so well that I decided to combine them into a new website. This comes with a couple of bonuses. 1) All things J will be found in one handy location 2) ASPL won’t be entirely overrun with the details of this huge project.
[R]evolving Research, however, will remain a Tuesday “tradition” here on ASPL. If that’s enough J for you, great! You’re all set. If you’d like more, then you can follow my research and biography writing adventures over on AM.
You can check it out here.
The first post is already up.
Thanks so much!
One of the first things I did at the start of my research was set up Google alerts for J and her husband R, on the off-chance that it would eventually pay off in some murky way. Since then I’ve received three relevant alerts and one false alarm. They’ve been great in helping me track professional engagements. When you are dealing with people constantly on the move, every filled-in date is helpful.
RESEARCH NOTES WEEK 9:
I’m reading an e-copy but here’s a nice edition available on Etsy:
HARD TIMES BY STUDS TERKEL. AVAILABLE AT WOODENVINE BOOKS ON ETSY. $6.95.
This week brought our first real snow of the season, more reading (lots of it), and a new tidbit about J’s husband that should open the floodgates to a considerable amount of fresh information. All in all, it’s been a relaxing and productive period.
RESEARCH NOTES WEEK 8:
Until next time!
Some weeks involve direct research about J or her family; other weeks are devoted to general history reading. I’m currently in a flurry of the latter activity. I learn a lot during these times, just not about J. It’s all necessary and enjoyable work. Time well spent.
After I’ve finished my current book (see below) the pendulum will likely swing back the other way. I love history, but I might just love J even more. That is saying something.
RESEARCH NOTES WEEK 7:
Until next time!
