The Frances Kezia Parkins Digital Archive is the first edition of Kezia's manuscript diary. Thus, this edition has no aim to base the work on a historical investigation of the text and record the details of that investigation and how its findings influenced prior editorial decisions.
Due to the nature of the digital landscape, this edition is not a clear-text edition. Rather, this is a "first step" to establishing a critical edition of the manuscript diary. While the apparatus is divided into multiple sections—Authorial Biography, Sociohistorical Context, Handwriting Characteristics, and Editorial Choices—the finalized text contains various annotations and footnotes for the reader to engage with while navigating the work. In addition, specific annotations are supplemented with archival materials, including photographs, letters, etc., that were found with or alongside the manuscript diary.
Now, before I discuss why my textual recovery is essential, I want to offer my argument surrounding my approach to this project:
At the age of 17, Kezia "started another book of [her] life" (April 1911), writing roughly over a thousand entries within a period of four years. Due to her age, perspective on life, and the experiences that do and don't come with it, the "close" nature of the work should be reflected throughout the finalized text. Further, it is important to consider the ethical implications of recovering and transcribing this work for the public: This project engages with and showcases Kezia's intimate thoughts; thus, the authorial intention should be at the center of the critical edition regardless of textual errors. Regularization should be approached with caution to prevent any occurrences of substantial variants that may alter the meaning or interpretation of the text. All annotations and footnotes are meant to offer relevant context that allows the reader to understand the work's social, historical, and geographical landscape and how they may or may not have influenced Kezia when she wrote her diary entries.
WHY RECOVER KEZIA'S MANUSCRIPT DIARY?
Why is it important to recover Kezia's manuscript diary? Well, for one, this is a project with which I have a personal and emotional connection. Second, it is a reminder of the importance of preserving textual history—family histories—as so much textual loss occurs in today's climate due to technology and the shift between handwritten to digital correspondences. The ability to recover, engage with, and transcribe manuscripts of various kinds proffers deep connection and understanding of our ancestors. Textual recovery, and critical editing, grant us the opportunity to learn more about the author of a work. By uncovering and discovering variants in handwriting characteristics, language, and word choices, even down to textual variants in punctuation and spelling, offer more profound insight into the thoughts of our loved ones throughout the years and in the different stages of their lives—a manifestation of those we never had the chance to meet.
Now, I know I slightly discredited technology. While I think it's important we as a society continue to engage with physical textual materials and preserve them, the use of digital methods for textual protection and preservation is crucial. Further, if work is handled carefully and thoughtfully, its recovery can remain available for many future generations. Digital archives and textual editions deepen and revive literary work. In the digital age, the Internet enhances "radial reading" (Dowling), transporting readers to venues where they can engage between various mediums to expand characterization, hear the voice and cadence of an author, and get a deeper connection with the author and their work.
I hope that this digital edition allows you to experience "radial reading" and, as a result, get to know Kezia and her work!
A BIG THANKS
The digital edition is the achievement of Kezia Miller, an undergraduate at Southern University of Illinois Edwardsville. The website is the result of my final project assignment for her class ENG 496: Textual Editing and Scholarly Criticism. And while it is at its initial stages, I plans to continue building out the site, for reasons aforementioned.
First, I would like to thank Dr. DeSpain, Professor of English and Co-Director of SIUE’s IRIS Center. This project would not have been possible without your invaluable instruction and support. Second, I would like to give a big thanks to Meg Smith, Research Assistant Professor, IRIS Center for Digital Humanities and Social Science, for your help and willingness to provide me with the HTML/CSS for my modals. I’d also like to thank Dr. Alex Leith, SIUE Assistant Professor of Mass Communications, for his patience, guidance, and willingness to help me with Dreamweaver, GitHub, and all the other troublesome aspects of coding as I built this website. Last, I would like to give thanks and credit to Keith Cox and Stony Point Pictures and the Pacific County Historical Society & Museum for providing valuable visual artifacts.