The Table of Contents as an Art Form
Part II of "The Table as Container" Series
It’s easy to skip over the table of contents—but as someone who has obsessed over them during the past year, I think there is a case to be made for the table of contents as its own genre, its own art form when done right. Consider the case of Jane: A Murder, Maggie Nelson’s first book. It delves into the true story of Nelson’s aunt Jane, who got a ride home from the University of Michigan law school in 1969 with someone who then killed her. She was 23.
Maggie Nelson’s aunt Jane.
When she turned 23, Maggie Nelson decided to find out everything she could about Jane. That investigation, or perhaps obsession, became a book. It’s hard to describe Jane: A Murder, except to say that it is unique, haunting, and a multi-genre meditation on life and death, as well as truth and memory and womanhood. It is also a quick read.
You can get a taste of all of this from the table of contents.
The table of contents captures the essential mystery of the book—Maggie Nelson never met Jane, and no one knows for sure what happened to Jane or why she was murdered. It also hints at the innovative form of the book, which is a form of collage of memory, reportage, poetry, and snippets of other texts—Jane’s diary; newspaper accounts of the murder; interviews with people who knew Jane, including her boyfriend; and excerpts from a sensational book about the Michigan murders.
Maggie Nelson. Photo credit: Harry Dodge
My students loved this book, and fixated on particular lines. This murder case was made into a 48 Hours episode after the book was published, and I offer you the same advice I gave my students— read the book first, and then if you like, watch the episode.
The experience can make you think about the whole true-crime genre, and the real people behind America’s obsessions with serial killers, cold cases, and more. You can also watch a short piece about the case 48 Hours Extra on Jane's Murder —but again, I suggest reading the book first. Here is a little snippet of it, so you can see how Nelson makes the haunting story of Jane into art.
