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
I love vintage ads. They're hard to ignore, especially when combing through online newspaper archives. Staying focused is key, but reading shoe ads from 1919 remains ever-tempting. Don't get me started on period movie advertisements. Sigh. I recently found these gems during a long research session. They are from the years 1916 to 1920. Enjoy!
Biography research is often serious and intense work. Sometimes it is nice to let loose, as I did here using my favorite photo of J as a starting point.
“For she had a great variety of selves to call upon, far more than we have been able to find room for, since a biography is considered complete if it merely accounts for six or seven selves, whereas a person may have many thousand…and these selves of which we are built up, one on top … Continue reading Virginia Woolf on A Great Variety of Selves
Here is a blurb from a newspaper review of The Student Prince. The date was 11-17-25. The place: Pennsylvania. "J, as Kathie, was a winsom (sic) miss with her charming manner and her fine soprano voice. Concert stars have often failed to measure up to the standard that she set last night." Without any extant … Continue reading A Winsome Miss
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. Yay!
Why does having a project-specific business card design add gravitas to my research? I've no idea, but it does. Never mind that I have accumulated a year's worth of weighty, highly detailed information about J. Somehow, having a stack of 3.5" x 2" printed paper at my disposal makes everything feel real-real. I suppose this … Continue reading Business Cards
We moved house last week. I have a beautiful, spacious new writing studio. I'm still unpacking books, hanging art, and putting everything in its place. I'll share after pics as soon as I can. Before
This eloquently expressed idea is always in the back of my mind as I sift through the ashes of J's career. Her contributions to the cultural fabric of her era deserve to be resurrected, reexamined, and reevaluated. May she be one of many women whose lives are thrust into the light of visible history.
I've already spent almost eleven (!) months researching J's personal and professional background. For someone mostly forgotten to time and changing tastes, there sure is a startling amount of information to be found on this remarkable woman...if you know where to look. In fact, it would be all-to-easy to suffocate under my growing pile of … Continue reading An Avalanche of Resources
Alternative Muses 