For a couple of years now I have been sifting through microfilm day by day. It take me about two hours to go through two months. I am currently in the year of 1950 and have delved into the digital archive of 1986 to 2009. I am working fast to gather all that I can before the final presentation of the audio stories and illustrations. I hate the thought of missing out on an historical story. But it is inevitable. For instance just last night I found a story in the 1990s that discussed an article in 1918 that I had missed through my readings ages ago. It was about 200 female West Boylston mill workers who became extremely aggressive toward the police and innocent bystanders during a strike. They sought decent working conditions.
One article reads: "The women employed the same weapons as this morning, throwing ammonia, rotten eggs, mustard, ginger, red pepper etc. at the police especially. An innocent bystander, Ned Alvord, was attacked a choked by a woman who was only persuaded to loosen her grip on his throat by a club in the hands of an officer."- July 17, 1918. Rather meaty stuff to miss out on, don't you think?
In all of this time much consideration and thought has gone into how I select stories of importance. Some are mundane while others horrific and many more are hilarious mishaps. This selection process feels instinctual-- I recognize a story I want to use right when I read it. And this makes me wonder about my role in this work. I am in a limbo stage as neither(or both)artist and/or historian. In a way I relate to the idea of the trickster as one who stirs things up--as I think most artists are. Although our approach is (or can be) genuine we disturb the norm and what is considered truth. I have always related to the idea of the artist being a jester of some sort and now reading the hardly new Trickster Makes this World by Lewis Hyde (1998) allows my thoughts to linger in that idea.
I am choosing historical stories that are not (yet) remembered in our books of history of our founders and developers. They are like artifacts I am bringing to the surface. I enjoy this subtle disruption in certainty.
Has anyone noticed that this town is full of tricksters? Easthampton seems to thrive on it.
