This morning I wondered how many weeks I have been slaving on the index. Four? five?
Six would be the number of weeks it took me to do the Powell index last year, where I gave identifications and birth and death dates for now-obscure mid-19th century folks.
I checked. Only since June 12. Oh. Well, back to indexing, Index in Word on the right of the screen, pdf of the proofs on the left, keyboard on the marble slab, mouse underneath on a slide out piece of plywood, arms pretzeling to hit the find button and hit the number and comma keys. There is nothing in the world I had rather be doing today than working on the index for MELVILLE BIOGRAPHY: AN INSIDE NARRATIVE.
In 2005 when I received a pdf as I was about to start indexing I said to myself, might as well see if it is searchable.
Oh oh oh, it worked for Gansevoort, will it work for Glendinning? Oh, it is fully searchable. Out with 3x5 cards and yellow and red markers. God's great gift to indexers has arrived.
The press was skeptical. That's not how we make an index! Well, it is now, it is now. But it still ain't easy.
Six would be the number of weeks it took me to do the Powell index last year, where I gave identifications and birth and death dates for now-obscure mid-19th century folks.
I checked. Only since June 12. Oh. Well, back to indexing, Index in Word on the right of the screen, pdf of the proofs on the left, keyboard on the marble slab, mouse underneath on a slide out piece of plywood, arms pretzeling to hit the find button and hit the number and comma keys. There is nothing in the world I had rather be doing today than working on the index for MELVILLE BIOGRAPHY: AN INSIDE NARRATIVE.
In 2005 when I received a pdf as I was about to start indexing I said to myself, might as well see if it is searchable.
Oh oh oh, it worked for Gansevoort, will it work for Glendinning? Oh, it is fully searchable. Out with 3x5 cards and yellow and red markers. God's great gift to indexers has arrived.
The press was skeptical. That's not how we make an index! Well, it is now, it is now. But it still ain't easy.
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