Book Research with a Side of City Life
Hi there! I'm Mae. I write things. Some of you probably know me from A Small Press Life, which I started in December 2011. My favorite blogging subjects are old books, dead writers, classic movies, tea, and random musings about whatever catches my fancy. Two months ago, I started a colossal real-world project: researching and … Continue reading Writing a Life Not My Own
*Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all book reviews on Alternative Muses are for volumes I’ve read as part of my J biography research. I hesitated to use the word review, as this series heavily focuses on WHY I chose to read a book and what I got out of it research-wise. As a compromise, I’ll end each post … Continue reading [Book Review] A Brief History of Memphis
I finally finished cataloging the contents of J's main scrapbook (and my eyes are super relieved). I've already added the relevant items to her Master Timeline. This mini-project dates back to January and I'm glad that it's in the rear view mirror. It consumed a substantial amount of time. Moving forward, I can focus on … Continue reading Milestone! Milestone! Milestone!
I just found a wedding announcement for J + R. The information was printed in a newspaper hundreds of miles from her hometown of Memphis. It was tucked into an article about her new husband's theatrical pursuits in said other city. Here is a partial clipping.
I am an inveterate list maker down to my core. Of all the things that are "my" thing, it is one of the top things. This natural mindset has already come in handy during the early days of my book project. However, I'll need to harness it even more going forward. Writing the biography of … Continue reading A List of Lists
21 MARCH 1926: J spent at least part of 1926 starring in a touring production of Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly's The Student Prince. March 21 saw her opening the operetta in yet another city. It ran Sunday-Wednesday, with a matinee offered on the final day. Then it was on to the next town, hotel, … Continue reading J On This Day: 21 March 1926
*Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all book reviews on Alternative Muses are for volumes I’ve read as part of my J biography research. I hesitated to use the word review, as this series heavily focuses on WHY I chose to read a book and what I got out of it research-wise. As a compromise, I’ll end each post … Continue reading [Book Review] A Guide to Historic Downtown Memphis
You may have noticed the new Ko-fi button hanging out on the sidebar here or on A Small Press Life. First of all, let me assure you that it's truly a no-pressure thing. My content is free, always has been, always will be. I've been running ASPL for nearly ten years, to give some context. … Continue reading Why Ko-fi?
Researching J also means looking into the lives and careers of her producer-musician husband, R, and his first two wives (both singer-actresses). They're all links in the same chain, after all. Although I'm not to the point where supporting players in her life are the focus of my work, when that time comes I don't … Continue reading [Research Notes] Setting Up Google Alerts
This is another image of J from my archives. I don't know what production this photo is from, but I hope to figure it out in time. I'm not sure about the circumstances of this performance, but my instincts tell me that this was likely from a local Memphis amateur production in the years leading … Continue reading J Having a Ball
