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.
Author: susanwbailey
My name is Susan Bailey and I find the life of Louisa May Alcott endlessly fascinating. I come from New England (specifically Massachusetts) and my family has been here in one form or another since the 1630ā²s. I live fairly close to Concord, MA where Orchard House, the homestead of the Alcotts, is located, and visit often. Every few years or so I go on a reading ābingeā about Louisa and this time around was so good, I just had to start a blog about my passion. The binge, by the way, still goes on!
Iāve been happily married for over 30 years and my husband is a deacon in the Melkite Church (Eastern Catholic ā I am Roman Catholic). We are proud parents of a grown son and daughter.
Iāve worked happily for the last 17 years at Rutledge Properties in Wellesley, MA, supporting the agents in the office.
And in my āother life,ā Iāve performed, written and recorded music exploring my Catholic faith. I have a website (www.susanbailey.net) where you can hear samples and find out more about this. I sing at various masses at my home parish of St. Luke the Evangelist in Westboro, MA.
Other interests include history (especially photographic), nature (especially bird watching), and I have the same āinordinate love of catsā that Louisa had. :-)
Guest post by Lorraine Tosiello In March 1871, Louisa May Alcott, her sister May, and Mayās friend Alice Bartlett spent two weeks in the hill towns south of Rome. Based in Albano Laziale, the women had access to the nearby lakes of Albano and Nemi, picturesque villages such as Frascati and Grottaferrata, gardens to walk …
Guest post by Lorraine Tosiello In March 1871, toward the end of their Grand Tour in Europe, Louisa May Alcott, her sister May, and Mayās friend Alice Bartlett were ready to quit Rome. Alcott had suffered from neuralgia during a rainy winter and had seen the Eternal City through blue glasses. Her dislike of nobility, …
Ever since the publication of Little Women in 1868, readers have been enchanted with Theodore "Laurie" Lawrence and were bitterly disappointed when Jo March rejected his marriage proposal. The dark, handsome, and lively young man loved pulling pranks, often engaged in fiery discussions with Jo, and was there for her in every significant moment of …
You may have noticed that I have not been as active on this blog as I used to be. The combination of writing my book on Elizabeth and health issues has made it challenging to keep up. I would like this blog to have fresh posts more frequently. Therefore, I am reaching out to you. …
Here are two articles I wrote that were published in "Discover Concord" magazine. My apologies for not posting the article from 2022 in a more timely fashion. I have beenĀ utterly immersed in my biography of Elizabeth Alcott (two chapters to go before I finish the first draft!) and therefore, have been neglecting this blog. …
After capturing Louisa May Alcottās legacy in a haunting portrait, Canadian artist Malcolm Hollyman has generously donated his work to Louisa May Alcottās Orchard House. Working off of a familiar daguerreotype of the Little Women author, Mr. Hollyman sought to portray Louisaās complex life beyond that of a best-selling childrenās author. āI wanted to paint …
I am indebted to my good friend Virginia Martin for alerting me to the latest issue of "Piecework" and the wonderful article by Lisa-Anne Bauch about Louisa May Alcott's needlework and its connection to one of her later juvenile novels, Jack and Jill. Bauch summarizes the plot and weaves Louisa's use of needlework to flesh …
In anticipation of theĀ Concord Players' performance of "Little Women: The Broadway Music" in April and May,Ā screenings of all the major Little Women films will be taking place at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, at the School of Philosophy during the month of February: Visit the Concord Players website (scroll down) and Louisa May …
'Tis the season! Time to dust off and pull out your favorite Louisa May Alcott Christmas stories. Over the years I have posted on these stories and will be sharing those posts with you during this wonderful season. The best place to start is to point you to an article I wrote for Discover Concord …
I am thrilled to be able to give, in person, a PowerPoint presentation on the life of Louisa May Alcott at the Leominster, MA Public Library on 30 West Street next Sunday, November 20th, from 2pm to 3:30. Come on down if you're in the area. A Q and A will follow - bring your …