Louisa May Alcott is My Passion
Begun in 2010, this blog offers analysis and reflection by Susan Bailey on the life, works and legacy of Louisa May Alcott and her family. Susan is an active member and supporter of the Louisa May Alcott Society, the Fruitlands Museum and Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House.
From Pink Umbrella Books: Having read "The Courtship of Jo March" by Trix Wilkins (and loved it), I was especially interested in her essay, "Why Jo Says No (and Why We Care)," and she nailed it! From "Alcott's Imaginary Heroes: The Little Women Legacy."
From the LW 150 blog: This is the second of two takes on the chapter, “Experiments.” This is a truly unique insight!
By Mark Gallagher
Louisa May Alcott was deeply affected by the Fruitlands experiment. While she eventually wrote a satirical history of it, her first published commentary on her fatherās failed utopia appears in Chapter 11 of Little Women, āExperiments,ā where the March sisters indulge in the āall play, and no workā lifestyle that led to Fruitlandsā failure and the near ruin of Alcottās family.
The chapter begins on June 1st, the same day Fruitlands was founded in 1843. Meg is relieved of her governess duties for the summer, while Jo is reprieved by a vacationing Aunt March. Deciding that lounging is the preferred course of inaction, all four sisters abandon their domestic duties for a week of personal freedom. Mrs. March consents, āYou may try your experiment for a week, and see how you like it. I think by Saturday night you will find that all play, and noā¦
View original post 665 more words
From LW 150 blog: Not one, but TWO very different takes on this great chapter in Little Women. Here’s the first one.
We are experimenting again this week with two very different looks at the same amazing chapter, one of the richest, wisest, and funniest in the book. Enjoy!
Melissa McFarland Pennell
I did not read Little WomenĀ until I was an adult, but since that first encounter, Iāve enjoyed rereading the novel many times and often include it as a text in one of my courses. Perhaps that is why when asked which might be my favorite chapter, I picked āExperimentsā āa chapter about lessons learned and the value of trial and error.Ā It is also a chapter about work, presenting some forms of paid employment that women held in the nineteenth century, but also speaking to much of the invisible work that women did and continue to do. For me the key to the chapter is in Marmeeās commentary near its end that āWork . . . gives us aā¦
View original post 435 more words
From Pink Umbrella Books: This is the best giveaway ever! Enter to win an original painting simply for buying “Alcott’s Imaginary Heroes: The Little Women Legacy.”
To celebrate the launch of Alcottās Imaginary Heroes: The Little Women LegacyĀ fine artist, Shalece Fiack, has donated an original painting to be given away to one lucky Alcott fan.Ā To enter:
Giveaway ends October 8, 2018. Winner will be announced on our social media and will be notified via email. 10% of publisher proceeds go to Orchard House Museum to help preserve the Little Women legacy.
Sunday September 30, 2018 will live in my memory for a long time. This day we celebrated the 150th birthday of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.Ā The sparkling Autumn day was the backdrop for scores of Little Women fans -- young and old, men and women, and all the lovely activities making for quite …
From Pink Umbrella Books: Alcott’s Imaginary Heroes contributor Lauren Cutrone’s essay, “Little Women, Feminism and a New Definition of Beauty” points out yet another reason this book can speak to girls today. And it was written at her Louisa May Alcott desk!
In this blog post series, weāll feature contributing authors from our new anthology,Ā Alcottās Imaginary Heroes: The Little Women Legacy. Today weāll catch up with Lauren Cutrone, writer, publishing professional, and Jersey girl.
Lauren Cutrone reads Little Women in New Jersey.
What is your favorite scene from Little Women?
There is a very tiny, seemingly insignificant scene that always comes to me first. In Good Wives, there is a scene where Jo is stuck. Sheās in Concord but finds that itās no longer serving her. She wants to leave, but she has no idea where to go. This leads to Marmee helping Jo to make her way to New York City, but this scene of rare stillness for Jo always sticks out to me. This is such a pivotal moment where Jo decides who she is and who she wants to be. Whenever I feel āstuck,ā I rememberā¦
View original post 801 more words
from LW150 – The P.C. and the P.O
By Lorinda B. Cohoon
āThe P. C. and P. O.ā chapter recounts a deepening of the friendship between the March family and the Laurence family through Laurieās admission to the secret society of the Pickwick Club. Both Meg and Amy have reservations about admitting a boy to the clubāMr. Winkle reminds the club members that ā[t]his is a ladiesā club, and we wish to be private and properā (90). Despite these objections, Laurie is voted in as āSam Wellerā once Jo, as Mr. Snodgrass, draws attention to all the ways the members of the Pickwick Club have benefited from the Laurencesā wealth and position: āWe can do so little for him, and he does so much for us, I think the best we can do is to offer him a place here, and make him welcome, if he comesā (90). The martin house post office Laurie provides becomes the siteā¦
View original post 415 more words
From Pink Umbrella Books: contributor Marlowe Daly’s essay, “Literary Lessons” showed to me the heart of a teacher, one who loves both her students and her subject. And Little Women.
In this blog post series, weāll feature contributing authors from our new anthology,Ā Alcottās Imaginary Heroes: The Little Women Legacy. Today weāll catch up with Marlowe Daly, who teaches literature, writing, and humanities at Idahoās Lewis-Clark State College.
Marlowe Daly reads Little Women atĀ the Spalding site of Nez Perce National Park near her home in Idaho. Photo byĀ Anahi Galeano.
If the March sisters were employed where you work, what would their jobs be?Ā
Although Jo and Meg do some teaching, I canāt really picture either of them working at the college where I teach. Iām happy to say that my colleagues are deeply devoted to teaching and make great efforts to continually improve their pedagogy and practice. Meg and Jo, on the other hand, seem to lack a passion for teaching. Even later on, in Little Men and Joās Boys, Jo seems more interested in the duties thatā¦
View original post 736 more words
The newest addition to the Little Women movie library is a modern adaptation, bringing the classic story by Louisa May Alcott into the 21st century. Directed by Clare Niederpruem and starring Lea Thompson as Marmee and Sarah Davenport as Jo, āLittle Womenā is a mixed bag that ultimately hits its mark. There are many liberties …
From Pink Umbrella Books: KL Allendoerfer offers some fascinating insight; and as one introvert to another (and a Beth fan), her essay in Alcott’s Imaginary Heroes presented wonderful reasons to pay attention to the kitten-loving girl with the beat-up dolls.
In this blog post series, weāll feature contributing authors from our new anthology,Ā Alcottās Imaginary Heroes: The Little Women Legacy. Today weāll catch up with KL Allendoerfer, California-based writer, science educator, and musician.
Contributor KL Allendoerfer reads Little WomenĀ with āPie,ā the ubiquitous green droid in front of Silicon Valleyās Googleplex.
What is your favorite scene from Little Women?
It would be easy to say my favorite scene is the one I wrote about in my essay, in which Beth thanks Mr. Lawrence for the use of his piano and they become friends. I do love that scene, but there are so many others as well. I think the one that most got under my skin, and that I remembered many years later, was Joās disaster of a dinner party when Marmee decides to let the girls run things themselves. It shows Louisa has a wonderful sense ofā¦
View original post 750 more words
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 