Colleen
asked
P.J. Fitzsimmons:
How much research do you do to keep these books in their historical period? I really enjoy that Anty is definitely a 1920's British person and I even have to look up some of the references as I am an American and not familiar with some sayings. After reading the first 3 books, I am looking forward to the 4th and hope for many more.
P.J. Fitzsimmons
I really appreciate this question, because a few reviews have (very gently) pointed out cases where I got it wrong — butlers do not wear spats, particularly indoors, and Anty Boisjoly would almost certainly have referred to his favourite tipple as a whisky-and-soda, not a whisky-soda — and I was hoping for a way to acknowledge my mistakes.
I try to verify every detail that could possibly be inappropriate for the time — ideally using sources from the era — but more usefully the research itself tends to lead down fascinating rabbit holes that suggest other details that feed back into the story. The research, in a manner of speaking, does itself.
This morning I was trying to verify a line about pawnbrokers — something about pawning an abstract concept, like liberty or love or how puppies make you feel when they cock their heads, if memory serves. This lead, eventually, to Hansard (a positively limitless goldmine of anecdote and argot) from March 4, 1927, and discussion of a private member's bill with respect to the regulation of moneylenders, which included this delightful excerpt:
‘The hon. Member for Bedford (Mr. Wells), with tears in his voice, spoke about suicides and the despair of the victims of moneylenders… How about those who commit suicide through drink and gambling and through excessive dancing to jazz music! I believe the Charleston has been known to kill people.’
I doubt very much I’ll directly use the fact that Commander Hon. Joseph Kenworthy (member for Kingston upon Hull Central, March 29, 1919 — October 27, 1931) contended, in parliament, that dancing the Charleston can be fatal, but isn’t it just a satisfying thing to know? More intriguing still, it’s apparently true — some forty people were killed in Boston in 1925 while doing the Charleston when the dance floor collapsed.
I’m always trying to improve my research skills, but I’m also working on organically contextualising some of the more obscure references. I like them (and Anty Boisjoly adores them) but I need to get better at remembering that not everyone has read the same volume of Hansard that I just did.
Again, thank you very much for the opportunity to discuss this.
I try to verify every detail that could possibly be inappropriate for the time — ideally using sources from the era — but more usefully the research itself tends to lead down fascinating rabbit holes that suggest other details that feed back into the story. The research, in a manner of speaking, does itself.
This morning I was trying to verify a line about pawnbrokers — something about pawning an abstract concept, like liberty or love or how puppies make you feel when they cock their heads, if memory serves. This lead, eventually, to Hansard (a positively limitless goldmine of anecdote and argot) from March 4, 1927, and discussion of a private member's bill with respect to the regulation of moneylenders, which included this delightful excerpt:
‘The hon. Member for Bedford (Mr. Wells), with tears in his voice, spoke about suicides and the despair of the victims of moneylenders… How about those who commit suicide through drink and gambling and through excessive dancing to jazz music! I believe the Charleston has been known to kill people.’
I doubt very much I’ll directly use the fact that Commander Hon. Joseph Kenworthy (member for Kingston upon Hull Central, March 29, 1919 — October 27, 1931) contended, in parliament, that dancing the Charleston can be fatal, but isn’t it just a satisfying thing to know? More intriguing still, it’s apparently true — some forty people were killed in Boston in 1925 while doing the Charleston when the dance floor collapsed.
I’m always trying to improve my research skills, but I’m also working on organically contextualising some of the more obscure references. I like them (and Anty Boisjoly adores them) but I need to get better at remembering that not everyone has read the same volume of Hansard that I just did.
Again, thank you very much for the opportunity to discuss this.
More Answered Questions
Gypsi
asked
P.J. Fitzsimmons:
I'm on the second book, and really enjoying it, but I noticed that you misspelled Allan Quatermain's name. Has anyone else pointed that out? (Hundred's I'd guess, but I'm a huge Quatermain fan, even have a cat named after him, so I was quick to notice.) Again, though, I'm loving this series and so glad there are eight books to read!
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