First Pages Arrive

The first pages (sometimes called page proofs)for our book showed up mysteriously on our doorstep Tuesday afternoon. FedEx didn't bother to ring the bell. The layout is beautiful and the typestyle, Dauphin, is one both of us have used frequently on other projects. It is amazing to see our work looking more and more like a real book.

We went to work immediately on the index and finished the preface and chapter one before bedtime. This afternoon we got almost through chapter 4. Isabel reads, calls out words to index, and highlights them on the manuscript. I write the word and the page number on an index card. By the end of a chapter we have covered a card table with cards. Then we gather them up in alphabetical order and throw them in a cigar box. We start the process all over again with each chapter. At the end of 16 chapters we will have to have a bigger table to alphabetize the whole thing. The work is tedious and we get a little slaphappy from time to time, but it keeps us out of trouble. We have to finish indexing and final proofreading by September 30.