Thurs. May 25, 2023: Using the Census for Research

image courtesy of  Clker-Free-Vector-Images via pixabay.com

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Partly Sunny and cold

The latest on the garden is up over on Gratitude and Growth.

Today’s serial episode is Legerdemain:

Episode 88:  Jed Smythe’s Apartment

Who’s so tidy? The victim or his kidnapper?

Legerdemain Serial Link

Legerdemain Website

Yesterday felt like a somewhat fractured day. I did more research on the Playland Painters. I think I’ve located the boxes of information I need in the Archives; now, I have to plan a trip down there. I polished, uploaded, and scheduled next week’s episodes of Legerdemain. I submitted comments about the hazards of the machine gun range the military wants to build on Cape Cod – destroying 170 acres of forest, along with creating hazards in the aquifer. I may not live there anymore, but I don’t want to see it destroyed. Enough is being destroyed to appease tourists.

I did a library run. More books than I expected showed up. I’m looking forward to getting some pleasure reading in this coming weekend.

Did the social media rounds for Angel Hunt and for Process Muse.

Wrote the episode log lines for Legerdemain, did the episode graphics, converted to Insta format, and also did the TikTok videos. Might as well do all of that at once. Today, I will upload/schedule what I can for the promos.

Did only one client project, and another came in, so I have two for this afternoon. I’m fine, deadline-wise. I hope something comes in for tomorrow, and then I can take Monday off without fretting.

I meant to look at the 1930 census for “just a minute”. Three hours later, I’d gone through the 1930 census for my hometown, page by page. I have a lead or two that might be a couple of my Playland Painters. There’s also no reason to think they all lived in Rye, but I figured I’d start there, and work my way out. There’s no way to search by term within the census (at least not in the version I could get into without paying for), so I went through it, page by page, focusing on the “occupation” line, and working from there. I took a lot of notes, including notes about anyone who worked at the park, because maybe I can trace back from that.

I also took notes on interesting people and patterns, such as the theatrical manager and his theatrical secretary wife who lived in the building where I grew up! There was also St. Benedict’s Home for Colored Children – how did I grow up in the town and not know this? There were a lot of butlers, cooks, maids, gardeners, and servants listed, as working for “private family” without naming the family. I noticed that the butlers were usually English, German, Southern (Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri) or Japanese, while laborers and other servants were usually Italian, Irish, Nova Scotian, and there was a group from Iceland.

Moving on to the 1940 census, there were more listings for “artist”, both men and women. There was also an uptick in men listing their profession as “copywriter for advertising.” There were also women listing their profession as “novelist” or “fiction writer” or “writer” and I even recognized some of the names. That shouldn’t be surprising; my family moved there in 1966, which wasn’t that far removed from the 1940 census. And more people by then were involved in professional radio.

I found more amusement park workers, although not necessarily painters. There was also the dress model listed as a “lodger” with the “head of household” a woman with her own dressmaking business, and the other lodger a nurse. There’s a story there. There was also the Irish chef and the Polish gardener who listed their place of employment as “insane asylum.”

So many stories.

Some of this may add texture to whatever I write about the Playland Painters. Others may earn their owns stories.

I have more 1940 census sheets to go through today. Those sheets are not just from my hometown, but also surrounding towns. In the 1930 census, I have to go back and go through the other sheets for the other towns.

I also have to make sure that I don’t neglect other work because of this. But I’m tired and grumpy and discouraged, and the research makes me feel as though I’m DOING something.

My hometown library is encouraging me to come down and read what they have that isn’t available for lending, and also will help me coordinate with the historical society next door. They’ve even offered me a “study room.” So I might combine that with the trip to the Archives (which is in a different town).

Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about going back to visit, even with a purpose. I have a rather complicated relationship with my hometown. And yet, a lot of it is positive, so why not focus on those aspects? Most of what’s tied to negative memories no longer exists there.

I had a blasting headache by the time I was done. Read a little at night, caught up on the WGA strike. So, HBO merged with MAX to become HBO/MAX and now drops the HBO part, which is the recognizable part of the brand? And, on top of that, they stopped listing writers and directors in the credits, calling them “creators”? Then, they backpedaled, claiming it was a “technical glitch.”

Bullshit. It was a test balloon to see if they could get away with it, and then split hairs in the contract so they would have another excuse not to pay people hired as under the writer or director banner.

At least it lit a fire under the directors, and they are showing up on the picket line, even if DGA won’t let them carry DGA signs (which is bullshit, too, but probably part of their negotiation agreement).

Tina Turner died, which is sad. She was truly an extraordinary human being and talent.

The Florida Demon announced his candidacy for President – on Twitter – with technical difficulties. Serves him right. He’s a dangerous fascist, and must be stopped at all costs.

What’s on today’s agenda? Meditation. Drafting new episodes. Making the rounds to promote today’s episode of Legerdemain. Returning my residency contract for autumn. Two client projects. Hopefully, uploading/scheduling the next 8 episodes of Angel Hunt (which then means loglines and videos, but I’ll wait on the videos). Maybe finish painting the wind chimes, so they can go out, and we can set up the Enchanted Garden on the back balcony. It was in the 30’s overnight with frost warnings again, so we haven’t been able to do much.

Somewhere in there, I’m sure I’ll spend more time on the census.

Oh, yeah, and I’m out of frigging ink again!!!

Have a good one!

Wed. May 23, 2018: Juggling Deadlines Again

Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Waxing Moon
Jupiter Retrograde
Saturn Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde

It’s official. I still hate mowing. Yes, I like the new reel mower better than the other one. But it still has issues — it sticks, it doesn’t cut down certain types of grass. Really, I’m not asking for much. I’m asking that the damn wheels turn in the direction I push, and that the damn blade cuts GRASS. Which is, supposedly, what a lawn mower does. Why is that so difficult?

Big project for the client is stressful. It’ll get done, but the client doesn’t understand that it doesn’t happen by magically pushing a button on the computer.

Sent out a couple of LOIs. The media kit for the Coventina Circle series is done and up in that site’s Media Room. There’s a media kit for each book, and then there’s the media kit for the entire series, which will be updated with each release.

I’m behind on getting the judging sheets done, because of the mowing.

Working steadily on NOT BY THE BOOK, but struggling. The partial has to go out tomorrow, and I’m worried. The voice is strong, but I’m having the same struggle I’ve had in these past months trying to get it back on the roster — it’s not flowing.

Plus, both the serial and THE POWER OF WORDS are pulling at me, and I’m under the gun for MYTH & INTERPRETATION.

I want to get NOT BY THE BOOK out the door and then give myself breathing room, resting room for the long holiday weekend. I’m sure I will write, but I won’t pressure myself as to what.

I want to play with the ideas my actress friend and I discussed. I’ve come up with a couple of working titles. I’m still not sure if it will be one piece, or a pair of one acts hooked together on a common theme to make an evening.

But I need breathing room, thinking room, daydreaming room. I’m just so exhausted. Our country is being dismantled by grifters and criminals, and it’s difficult to create. But I must, or I truly will die.

I have to finish a couple of things for a client today. And then, I need to write and polish. It’s hard for me to write at the end of the day; my best working time is in the morning. But, when I’m under deadline pressure, I have to.

I’m so sick and tired of writers who say you don’t have to write every day. “Writing every day” doesn’t mean you never take a day off or a vacation. It means you choose when and how to take time off, and the rest of the time, you show up like a professional. Writing is a “real job.” Writers deserve to be paid well for what they do, and not derided because they love what they do. Professionals in all fields show up at the job and do the work. You have a major agent who can negotiate with a major publisher so you can take as long as you want to write something? Good for you. You make enough at the day job so you can only write if you “feel like it?” Good for you. You have a spouse or partner who takes care of the bills so you can write when the mood strikes? Good for you. But I — and most of my working peers — need to show up every day and do the work, whether we feel like it or not. It doesn’t make us love it any less. Getting paid doesn’t mean our work is “less than” someone who “writes for love.” We love it, too. We also value our work and demand a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

Earning a living at it means it’s our profession. So we act like professionals.

On a happier note, I re-read the first four of Kate Parker’s Victorian Bookshop mysteries. I really like that series. I want to read her two series, too.

Back to the page.