Friday, February 15, 2008

On The Trail

Well I’ve been on the research trail today. It’s the first bright sunny day we’ve had in a while, and I went and spent it all in dark rooms with artificial lighting! I’m knee deep in research for the Ipswich Houses Project at the moment (which is coming along swimmingly) and with the help of the poet Thomas Shapcott himself, I have just unearthed a minefield of material.

I arrived at the Fryer Library at the University of QLD (after negotiating a course through a 2km stream of medical students in very bizarre theatre attire) to find a stack of archive boxes ready and waiting for me. I tell ya, librarians are the BEST! The first box I went through was filled with Thomas Shapcott’s beautiful poetry, original typed copies on old thin typing paper with lovely handwritten scribbles all over them, some very poignant poems, a selection of amusing personal correspondences, and some hilarious parodies hidden away in the back!
One box down, 56 to go…..geez!! Hopefully those helpful librarians will be able to track down the one other thing I’m looking for without me having to pore through ALL those boxes!!

2 comments:

Ursula Achten said...

oh yes! Lucky you!!The head and mind starts spinning tempted like this. To be able to transform history into artwork.So great!

Cusp said...

Sounds great. I love rummaging through old documents and record offices to. Funnily enough I also live near Ipswich
http://www.visit-ipswich.com/home)
and go to the Art Gallery(http://www.visualarts-ipswich.org.uk/)
but it's 'the other one' in U.K.

;-))


Have fun