Assignment 1- Review of article from The Indexer

 

REVIEW ON THE ARTICLE ‘INDEXING: A WORK OF ART OR SICKNESS BEYOND CURE?’

by

Riya Datta

 

The article ‘Indexing: a work of art or sickness beyond cure?’ authored by John Sutherland was published in the journal ‘The Indexer: The International Journal of Indexing in the year 2006, in volume 25, issue 1.

The author mentions about a book ‘Indexers and indexes in fact and fiction’ by Hazel K Bell in 2001. In the book A. S. Byatt has concluded the foreword with the statement that ‘A good index is a work of art and science, order and chance, delight and usefulness’.

In this article the author mentions about the various novelists of indexers. In Bell’s book she mentions that Barbara Pym has an experience of over 25 years in publications of International African Institute and was in charge of compiling the indexes. Sutherland does not consider Philip Hensher as a professional indexer.

John Sutherland mentions that he is an indexer by profession and a parasite on life. He prefers to write or extract indexes from what other people have written. Wordsworth, the famous poet had said that indexes are emotion recollected in tranquility. But the author disagrees the fact saying that emotions should not be involved.

The article mentions that John Carrington has a fantasy of writing a book which would be a huge index, it was like an indexomania. In conclusion it is mentioned that he gets his work commissions through a magazine called ‘Indexes and Indexing’

References:

Bell, Hazel, K. (ed.) 2001 Indexers and indexes in fact and fiction. London: British Library. Indexers and indexes in fact and fiction Google Scholar

Hensher, Philip (2004) The fit. London: Fourth Estate (repr. Harper Collins, 2005). The fit Google Scholar

Lodge, David (1975) Changing places: a tale of two campuses. London: Secker and Warburg. Changing places: a tale of two campuses Google Scholar