Partial Inventory
I. NAMES
I’m never sure what to call myself. I’ve tried assistant, personal assistant, organizer. I’ve tried avoiding labels altogether and saying simply that I “work with” Madeline DeFrees, and I offer examples by way of definition: organizing her books and papers; housing her archive until I find a permanent home for it; pursuing the publishing projects we discussed when she asked me to take on this role six years ago. Madeline was nearing 90, but she still lived alone in the Craftsman bungalow she’d bought …