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 1630′s. 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 ‘binge’ 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! I’ve been happily married for over 30 years and my husband is a deacon in the Melkite Church (Eastern Catholic – I am Roman Catholic). We are proud parents of a grown son and daughter. I’ve worked happily for the last 17 years at Rutledge Properties in Wellesley, MA, supporting the agents in the office. And in my ‘other life,’ I’ve 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 ‘inordinate love of cats’ that Louisa had. :-)

December 30, 2014December 29, 2014

Check out this new and modern take on Little Women – The March Family Letters on Pemberly Digital on YouTube

Little Women updated--again! On December 25 a new series debuted on the Pemberly Digital Channel on YouTube called The March Family Letters featuring short video letters by a modern version of the March Sisters. Like the Lifetime movie "The March Sisters At Christmas" (see previous post), this series takes Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy into the …

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December 23, 2014December 22, 2014

Merry Christmas from Louisa May Alcott is My Passion!

For your Christmas reading enjoyment, here is a link to all the posts I've done on Louisa's Christmas stories. And of course, you can always turn to Little Women - here is a wonderful (and free) dramatic reading to carry you away. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Are you passionate about Louisa May Alcott …

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December 10, 2014

Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House needs your help!

Just yesterday I received this letter from Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House regarding their annual appeal. I present this letter to you. Please consider giving what you can to help preserve Orchard House from damage this winter: Dear Friend: Perhaps you've heard our recent great news: The "Kickstarter" campaign to fund the first-ever documentary about …

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December 9, 2014December 9, 2014

Review and recipe: A Little Women Christmas by Heather Vogel Frederick and Bagram Ibatoulline

I love this review! I have this book, it's gorgeous and after reading this review, I hope you will run right out and get it for your favorite little daughter, niece or friend.

December 4, 2014December 1, 2014

Update on Wayside/Little Women artist depiction by Joyce Pyka

Joyce Pyka, the artist depicting The Wayside in the context of Little Women (see previous post), has posted an update for her painting -- check out the interesting new details she has added: Here is the painting with these sketches: Check out her website for all the details.

December 2, 2014December 2, 2014

See(k)ing Little Women

I hope to be receiving a copy of this book from the publisher in the next few weeks and I’m really looking forward to the read! In the meantime, here are some thoughts from the author, Beverly Clark.

Johns Hopkins University Press Blog

Guest post by Beverly Lyon Clark

When I detoured from another project to work on The Afterlife of “Little Women”, I didn’t realize how long it would take—or how much fun I’d have. (Thank you, Louisa May Alcott—and happy almost-birthday!)

It’s been a treasure hunt, first of all. Consider the lost 1919 film version of the novel. No, I didn’t find a copy in some musty vault. But the film had left a paper trail in scores of newspapers and magazines. Not to mention the lobby cards advertised on eBay and the photograph in the archives of the Academy of Motion Pictures. My favorite newspaper notice focused on the love triangle between Jo March, her neighbor Laurie, and Professor Bhaer—who comes upon Jo “in the arms of another” but “wasn’t a quitter,” thanks to his “collegiate experience” . . . Doesn’t exactly sound like Alcott’s novel. Whether or not…

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November 13, 2014November 13, 2014

An exciting first! The announcement of a novel about May Alcott by Jeannine Atkins

This is big news – the first of its kind – a novel about May Alcott! And from one of our readers, Jeannine Atkins, author of several books including her most recent, Views from a Window Seat and Becoming Little Women (see previous post). Congratulations, Jeannine, we can hardly wait!

Views from a Window Seat

I’m in full dream-come-true mode as I announce that LITTLE WOMAN IN BLUE: A NOVEL OF MAY ALCOTT will be published by She Writes Press in fall 2015.

My fascination with the youngest Alcott sister began when I was a girl playing Little Women with two friends and my older sister, who claimed the role of Jo March. I also wanted to get my hands ink-stained and eat apples in a garret, but I didn’t see what was so wrong with liking clothes or handsome boys, too. As years passed and I learned about point of view, I wondered how much the portrait of May changed to Amy in Little Women was developed from the lens of an older sister, who might have been jealous of an independent girl who didn’t feel as strong a need to please their parents.

The many writers of nineteenth century Concord gave me plenty…

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October 29, 2014October 29, 2014

Wayside, and Thoreau, as you’ve never seen them before; and some news

I came across two fascinating blog posts today that shed a new light on cherished Alcott/Concord lore. Thoreau and rocks First of all, the Thoreau Society is running an interview with author Robert M. Thorson where he reveals something entire new about Thoreau.. It was discovered during his research for his book, Walden’s Shore: Henry David …

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October 23, 2014

Louisa May Alcott Society call for papers for 2015 ALA conference in Boston

American Literature Association 26th Annual Conference Boston May 21-24, 2015 Louisa May Alcott Society (Contact Christine Doyle) contact email: doylec@ccsu.edu "Transatlantic Alcott" Louisa May Alcott's status as a quintessentially American writer notwithstanding, literature and life on the other side of "the pond" interested her immensely. Her favorite writers included Dickens, Bronte, Goethe, Schiller, de Stael; …

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October 17, 2014October 17, 2014

A Puritan Hero

Here’s one of those fascinating stories about Orchard House to be featured in the upcoming documentary by someone who should know (pssst! 5 days to go on the Kickstarter campaign – help Orchard House meet its goal: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/632439913/orchard-house
Amy’s book, Flight of the Sparrow is wonderful (see previous post); be sure and pick it up on Amazon.com.

Collisions

About a decade ago, I worked for a few years at the Orchard House Museum in Concord, Massachusetts. Best known as the home of Louisa May Alcott and the place where she wrote the classic novel, Little Women, the house has an impressive history of its own. When I was there the 300-year-old building, renovated by Bronson Alcott in the 1850’s, was in the midst of a massive preservation project, so I had the opportunity to see, up-close, some of the details of the colonial construction. Ever since, I’ve been fascinated not just by how historical houses are decorated, but how they’re constructed.

At that time, I was finishing work on my novel, Mr. Emerson’s Wife, about the Transcendental circle in19th century Concord. Little did I know that a few years later, I’d encounter the house again, as I researched a 17^th-century Concord lawyer for my new novel,

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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.

Find out more about the blog.

Contact Susan
Subscribe to the blog.

Listen to the Podcast
Watch on YouTube
(and subscribe to the channel)

For a comprehensive list of blog posts by name, download this document:
Complete list of posts on LMA blog
(note: this is updated periodically)

Recognized for Excellence in 2018
by The Internet Scout Report

Discover Concord

Visit https://discoverconcordma.com/ebooks-all to read issues.

Named the New Business of the Year (2020) by the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce

See Susan’s article, “Alcott as Their Muse: Little Women’s Legacy Honored by Contemporary Authors” on pages 52-53 in the Summer 2023 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Beyond Words: The Depth of Louisa May Alcott’s Legacy” on pages 20-21 in the Summer 2022 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, ” Experiencing The Wayside as Hillside, Home of the Alcotts” on pages 48-49 in the Fall 2021 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Alcott’s Hidden Critics: An International Sleuthing Project” (co-authored by Lorraine Tosiello) on pages 56-57 in the Spring 2021 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Bronson Alcott’s Search for Eden: Fruitlands” on pages 64-65 in the Winter 2020 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article on Thoreau on page 44 of Discover Concord magazine’s Summer 2020 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article on page 12 of Discover Concord magazine’s Winter 2019 edition (click here to read)

Mentioned in Vanity Fair

Little Women Audio Play

Reading Little Women blog

Louisa May Alcott: Illuminated by The Message: “Susan Bailey's new book is part of a series called Literary Portals to Prayer, which is meant to encourage a kind of literary lectio divina, a form of contemplative reading that is a pathway to prayer. An intriguing idea for a book, no? And there’s no better person to write it than Susan Bailey.” Lori Erickson, The Holy Rover on Patheos

“I never fully realized how much spiritual content is integrated into her body of work. Ms. Bailey extracts beautiful and uplifting passages and pairs them with Biblical ones that make similar points. It includes some of Alcott’s less well known works which makes me want to read those that I have missed.” Diane Brandi

Susan Bailey has compiled a remarkable edition of side by side texts, demonstrating a deep understanding of the life, world, and spirituality of Alcott. The matches [with the Bible} are spot on and insightful. Eileen Charbonneau. award-winning author

River of Grace: Susan Bailey’s powerful and beautifully-written book is much more than an insightful spiritual memoir. River of Grace is also a brilliant reflection on the connections between creativity and grace. A book one to cherish. Amy Belding Brown, author of Mr. Emerson’s Wife and Flight of the Sparrow

Susan Bailey is an accomplished researcher of all things pertaining to Louisa May Alcott. I found joy in the way that [she] shares about her favorite authoress. Miss Alcott's books wedged themselves into Susan's soul and allowed her to identify parallels and discover herself again. This is not a story of how to get over grief fast -- but how to deal with it and give your afflictions to the Almighty. Tarissa, In the Bookcase blog

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