Recently on my main site, A Small Press Life, my blogger friend Ruth (of Silver Screenings) asked a few excellent questions regarding my feelings about J. The helpful exchange got me thinking about the relationship between biographers and their subjects, especially when those subjects are long-dead. (For context, I was born four years after J’s death.)
I immediately knew that these questions would be worth revisiting periodically. What better place to do that than here? After all, this blog is dedicated to the very process of researching and writing the biography of an obscure performer. This new series, Three Questions, won’t be scheduled in stone. I’ll check in with it as necessary.
Here we go!
- Have I experienced any significant change of feelings towards J? At this time, I’d say that I am still neutral about J. Although I have made tremendous progress in my research, what I know about her big-picture-wise could fit in a thimble. My information is mostly facts: dates, engagements, family tree, etc.
- Have I discovered anything I don’t like about her? No, but I think that I’m prepared for that inevitability. We’ll see.
- Do I admire her more than I did at the beginning of the project? Her personality is slowly emerging from the haze of time. She had pep and a fun sense of humor, both traits that I appreciate in any human being.
Until next time!
Alternative Muses 