The joy of titling
Ever since I first heard it used, I’ve loved the term “dark archive,” which means an archive that’s off-limits to the public. Like a lot of intriguing phrases I’ve come across, “dark archive” has a spot on my list of Titles I Intend to Use Someday if I Ever Write That Book of Poems.* I can imagine calling a poem or a poem sequence “Dark Archive”; I can also see it as the title of a creepy short story. (I blame the move to New England. Lately I’ve been wanting to write nothing but weird fiction.) A quick WorldCat search suggests that nobody else has used it yet; there’s no way to call dibs on a title, but I’d like to state for the record that I thought of it first. (Not that I’d stop any of you from using it.)
I’ve been keeping these lists of titles since my grad school days in Michigan. It probably springs from the same impulse that leads me to collect knitting stitch terminology and write down interesting misreadings. Is it weird to come up with titles long before there’s a story or a poem to go with them?
* Other potential titles: “Desire Lines” (taken by a bunch of writers already, alas); “Misery Poker“; “The Acme Home Planetarium Kit”; “The Wallet at Time’s Back“; “Sympathy Orchestra”; “A Note on the Type”; “Pete and Repeat”; “The Discovery of a World Unknown.”
You could always do what Elise Matthiessen (elisem.livejournal.com) does, and be known for making jewelry with titles. If you check her site and scroll down a little, you should see a current shinies post…
Dark Archive is a wonderful title. I hope you get a chance to use it.
No wonder you suggested meeting up in Providence — you’re in a Lovecraft kind of mood! (Sorry my trip is too short for that to happen)
Not to worry — I’m sure we’ll be at at least a few of the same conferences. And yes, this part of the country does bring Lovecraft to mind. Especially this time of year.
JD, I think I’d seen Elise Matthiesen’s work somewhere before (linked from Making Light, maybe), but I’d forgotten she names her jewelry. Very cool! Maybe when I take the book arts class I’m hoping to take sometime next year, I’ll have some handmade objects to go with the titles.