Tag Archives: Biography

Shopping for the Bookworm: Austen House Books Edition

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Yes, that is correct. I am featuring my own business. It occurred to me that I haven’t done one of these (Shopping for the Bookworm) posts in…well, a long time. I’ve decided to resurrect the series by starting with my own little online bookstore.

We have a small-ish (500+ books, some of which we have yet to list), but diverse and interesting catalog. Shipping is available US-wide. Local delivery in Columbus is also available.

BARBARIAN DAYS BY WILLIAM FINNEGAN. $8.00.
WHOREDOM IN KIMMAGE: IRISH WOMEN COMING OF AGE BY ROSEMARY MAHONEY. $5.50
HAND-COVERED BOOK. $7.00.
THE SECRET KEEPER OF JAIPUR BY ALKA JOSHI. $7.50.
FURTHER TALES OF THE CITY BY ARMISTEAD MAUPIN. $5.50.
TIGERBELLE BY WYOMIA TYUS. $5.00.
THREE PICASSOS BEFORE BREAKFAST BY ANNE-MARIE STEIN. $22.00.
THE ESSENTIAL MAN RAY BY INGRID SCHAFFNER. $6.00.
Voices in the Mirror: An Autobiography by Gordon Parks. $7.50.
My Life, My Body by Marge Piercy. $5.50.
Shining Eyes, Cruel Fortune by Irma B. Jaffe. $7.50.
The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave. $4.50.
At Freddie’s by Penelope Fitzgerald. $6.50.

As ever, thanks for indulging me!

ISSUE SIXTEEN [R]evolving Research: Achievement Unlocked

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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

  • VICTORY: Finally finishing the scrapbook project, obviously.
  • HAPPY DISCOVERY: I came across a marriage announcement (of sorts) for J and her husband R. Baby steps.
  • FRUSTRATION: I’m being spread very thin these days. Not enough time. The usual, right?
  • CURRENTLY READING: Lots of century-old newspaper clippings.
  • HOURS SPENT ON RESEARCH: Approximately 12, across two weeks.

Until next time!

BUY ME A COFFEE

ISSUE FOURTEEN [R]evolving Research: Creating a Timeline

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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

  • VICTORY: Sticking with this project (and looking forward to working on it) even when I am super busy with life. Knowing that I hold a huge responsibility in my hands is very grounding.
  • HAPPY DISCOVERY: Every new entry on J’s Master Timeline gets me a teensy bit closer to seeing her life in a more cohesive way.
  • FRUSTRATION: Just the usual: not enough time or energy to do all of the things at once.
  • CURRENTLY READING: The contents of J’s main scrapbook.
  • HOURS SPENT ON RESEARCH: Haha, I’ve truly no idea.

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!

ISSUE TWELVE [R]evolving Research: Newspaper Clippings and Eye Strain

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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

  • VICTORY: Making it to page 8 of the scrapbook in about an hour. It’s not that impressive (the early pages aren’t very dense), but it’s a nice start.
  • HAPPY DISCOVERY: I’ve been able to add a few songs and engagements to J’s timeline.
  • FRUSTRATION: Being unable to work at this full-time.
  • CURRENTLY READING: I’m tying up loose ends with a couple of previously-mentioned books.
  • HOURS SPENT ON RESEARCH: 11

Until next time!