Since I last wrote here, I’ve kept reading and writing — the same old stuff. What is different, though, is that I’m leaving for my research trip on Wednesday morning!
In order to visit special collections and libraries, I’m going to be taking the train in some dizzy circles around the same general area — to visit libraries in New Haven, Cambridge, Amherst, and New York, and to visit Wallace Stevens’ hometown, Hartford. I’m a little nervous about doing special collections research with original materials, but I’m excited as well; I can’t wait to see all the first editions and unpublished, handwritten pages that the libraries have kept. Of course, I’m invested in my research as it is, but seeing these things in person and taking what is essentially a research pilgrimage will make this project even more real to me — its enormity, as well as its importance — and will give me constant reminders of why I want to do this so much.
I’ll be gone for two weeks on this trip and will be back with an update after that. Wish me luck and free hotel coffee!