Research a holic

[Jeffrey Marks]

Well, now that Boucher book is turned in, I'm back to square one on trying to find a new subject for a biography. It's been something of a back and forth process to find someone with enough available personal data to write an entire book, a willing estate, and a person who hasn't been written about in the past.

In the course of looking though, I feel my addiction coming back. I love research! I love being able to get lost in the many details of times gone by and the myriad resources (articles, books and such) done about my favorite authors. I've polished off two books about our genre, and I'm buying a few more to tide me over until summer.

While I'm reading, I'm trying to find a suitable subject. Of course while immersed in my research, I'm much more likely to be able to discuss the details of Wilkie Collins' life than I am able to remember that I need lightbulbs from the grocery store. For some reason, my brain has the ability to absorb any number of useless details and forget the fact most needed to function during the day. I'm not sure why that's so, but it does make for multiple trips to the store at times.

I just received a bibliography of secondary sources on the genre, a 1000 page book that will be my light reading for spring!

[LC Fraser]

Good luck finding that perfect author, Jeff. How about Marion Zimmerman Bradley? Not mystery but I know her executrix.