She's filed under "A" for "Awesome"

[delphipsmith]

I just learned that E. L. Konigsburg died last Friday. She's the author of one of the books that got me started on my long and winding trek towards being an archivist: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, in which two children hiding out at the Metropolitan Museum sort out a donor's idiosyncratic filing system for her archives and thereby verify the creator of a mysterious statue. Made me fall in love with archives, primary source research, and the enchanting quirkiness of people's personal papers, an appreciation I have not lost to this day :) She also wrote what might have been my first introduction to witches*: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth** I highly recommend it.

So goodbye, E. L. You will be missed.

* though not magic -- I believe that honor goes to The Book of Three, age about, I dunno, seven?
** and I believe those two titles probably make her number one in average number of words per title.

Comments

[diabolica.livejournal.com]

Oh, how sad! The Mixed-Up Files was one of my favourite books as a child. Come to think of it, I'd like to get a copy for Sprout.

I can totally see how that book would lead one to become an archivist.

[delphipsmith]

Oh yes, do get it for her! Nothing is more fun than passing on a beloved book to a new generation :)