Finding Abraham Hyman, Sr.: The Silence of the Ledger
Originally published as a two-part series, “The Will of Thomas Hyman,” in July 2015 on the blog In Black and White:…
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The Architecture of a Life: Mapping Personae Through Historical Layers
Move beyond names and dates. This four-layer framework uses primary sources to ground character interiority in the historical record. Discover how participating in the 10-Month “Ink Masters” Program alerted me to my novel’s Kryptonite, and learn the specific research techniques you can use to bridge the gap between archival data and human experience.
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The Hyphen and the Entity: Bridging a Century in Park Street Cemetery
A gravestone records a name, two dates, and a hyphen—but that hyphen comprises a whole lifetime. Separated by a century, two women encounter the same watchful presence in the northeast corner of Florence’s Park Street Cemetery. One story began in 1890; the other in 1990. Both are about to converge.
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The Researcher’s Playbook for Personae Profiles
Learn how to bridge the gap between cold archival data and the living breath of a character. By applying psychological frameworks to fragments found in court records and legal bonds, we can reverse-engineer distinctive personalities and transform 19th-century skeletons into three-dimensional historical personae.
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The Cantor’s Soup: A Lesson in Perspective
Discover how the “clues” in a personal narrative—from cherry trees to coal bins—are verified through the archival lens. By layering Census Records, City Directories, and Sanborn Maps, we transform a mother’s Depression-era memories into a documented historical reality.
