What research are you working on? 

I am writing a book about a series of trials involving Charlie Chaplin and a woman named Joan Barry, who was an aspiring actor/protegee of his. In 1944 he was accused of violating the federal Mann Act by transporting her across state lines for immoral purposes. He was acquitted of those charges in a federal criminal trial, but the next year he was found guilty in a civil trial in California of fathering her illegitimate child, even though blood tests showed conclusively he could not have been the father. He paid child support to Barry for twenty-one years for another man's daughter. The scandal of the Barry trials, as well as Chaplin's own leftist political leanings at a time when the country was engulfed in the Red Scare, contributed to the United States government blocking his return to this country (Chaplin was not a citizen) following a 1952 trip abroad. Chaplin did not return to America for another twenty years. My book  will be published in 2023 by the University of Michigan Press.

What resources are you using for your research?    

Before the pandemic, I spent a lot of time going through Chaplin clippings at the Library for the Performing Arts and non-fiction books from the main branch about old Hollywood and the relevant historical periods of my narrative. Now, at home, I've found Ancestry and newspapers.com invaluable in helping me to find the surviving children of many of the trial players—witnesses, lawyers, co-defendants, jurors—who have been kind and cooperative in helping me get a feel for who these people were. They've given me a lot of great old photos, too.

What tabs do you currently have open on your computer? 

Duolingo—on which I've been working for years to improve my French. I'm about at the level of an eight-year-old. Plus, I'm constantly checking my email to see if my many Freedom of Information Act requests pertaining to my book [FBI, Immigration, Federal courts] and archival requests [from closed collections around the country] have arrived.

Have you discovered a great online resource you've never used before?    

I used to swear by Proquest Historical Newspapers, which is still marvelous, but the newspapers.com database collects smaller, more obscure papers which are terrific for time-traveling detective work and have great small-town news like weddings and obituaries. Go immediately to the obituary of the person you want to know more about and scroll down to the list of survivors, then check them against ancestry. Within an hour, I am dashing off letters to them.

What's your working from home setup?    

Not the greatest. Laptop on dining room table, split screen to access downloaded research and dozens and dozens of MUJI pads [I love their size and line width]. I have at least one pad for notes about each major subject area or person in my book. They are numbered and indexed. Lots of pencils.

What research tools could you not live without?    

A kind archivist or librarian who knows his/her collection well and loves working with authors.

What's your favorite distraction or snack when working from home?

Gallons of fresh brewed Earl Grey iced tea with Meyer Lemon. 

Are you using NYPL Library collections to research from home? We’d love to hear about your work! Not familiar with our online collections? Whether you'd like a quick introduction to our newspapers, journals, or e-books, or if you need help with something more specific, our online consultations take advantage of screen-sharing technology so we can show you exactly how and where to find things and recommend titles relevant to your work.

Just let us know what you need help with and we'll be in touch to schedule a time.