Since January I’ve been sitting at my desk and devoting hours to transcription and data entry. Eventually the data will pile up nicely and provide statistics. Then I’ll gather the statistics like wildflowers and put them into a graph like a bouquet.

Because the task is detailed and long, I listen to audiobooks on Libby. My favourite books are biographies. I agree with Rumaan Alam who commented on the Slate Working podcast, “I find them a very satisfying form when done well. (…) Biography can be stodgy in the wrong hands, but with a good writer, it’s not unlike eavesdropping - what could be more fun?”

I have enjoyed Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and am 13 hours into Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow. I had no idea that there were oil refineries for crude oil before there was was a use for gasoline.