Louisa May Alcott was never bashful about borrowing from previous stories to flesh out Little Women. Several short stories set the stage for the classic: “The Sisters’ Trial” (four sisters, Leonore, Agnes, Ella and Amy facing going out to work to deal with the family’s poverty), “A Modern Cinderella” (depicting Anna and John as Nan …
Tracing the steps of Little Women: Madeleine B. Stern’s brilliant analysis, part one
I have always maintained that Madeleine B. Stern’s Louisa May Alcott: A Biography is the standard bearer. Tracing the life of Louisa the writer, Stern gives penetrating insight not only into Louisa’s life, but her very essence as a writer. As a writer myself, I have found much wisdom in these pages and have marveled …
Unpublished Alcott Letters: New letter from Louisa to Little Women publisher Thomas Niles discovered
Here’s a good reason to join the Louisa May Alcott Society (and only for $10 per year). Newly discovered letter I recently received the quarterly newsletter to read an article by scholar Daniel Shealy (best known for his brilliant annotated edition of Little Women) reporting on the discovery of a new letter by Louisa May …
Elisabeth Alcott through the eyes of her father
By the time Elisabeth Sewall Alcott was born, Bronson had moved on from chronicling the daily activities of his daughters to exploring the soul. In Eden’s Outcasts, John Matteson writes that “Elizabeth was fairer than her elder sisters and … was the model of serenity that Bronson had vainly hoped Anna and Louisa would be. …
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Little Women in Dinan, France
This is a wonderful post on Daniel Shealy's book, Little Women Abroad, and especially singles out May Alcott's experience as an artist in Europe. The blogger provides a map of places to visit and many photos of the different sites Louisa and May visited.
New book: Little Women An Annotated Edition, edited by Daniel Shealy: it’s gorgeous!
I just received my copy of Little Women An Annotated Edition, edited by Daniel Shealy and I was stunned by the beauty of the book! Don't be fooled by the cover - it doesn't begin to tell the story. This is a gorgeous oversized edition (9.6 x 9.3 x 2 inches) with an elegant choice …
The million dollar question, and the priceless answer
Following up with my last post about the lecture I attended at New North Church featuring John Matteson, author of Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father, there is a question I have wanted to ask Matteson since I started reading his book almost two years ago. How is it that …
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An evening with John Matteson: Bronson Alcott as educator, the family’s relevance, and the author’s personal journey
Hingham, Massachusetts’ New North Church has been running a three-part series on “The Alcotts” featuring Eve LaPlante (Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother, My Heart is Boundless: Writings of Abigail May Alcott, Louisa’s Mother), John Matteson (Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father) and …
The solace I find in reading, writing and Louisa May Alcott
I rarely devote posts to personal musings but I just had to today. We just dropped off our twenty-seven year-old son at the bus station as he makes his way back to New York after a week at our home. He was granted an unexpected vacation from his job as a preschool teacher and was …
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Lizzie Alcott’s keyboard: seraphine or melodeon? What’s the difference? And which one is it?
I recently read an intriguing line in Eve LaPlante's book, Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother regarding the keyboard that Lizzie Alcott used to play. It reads: In 1847, "Abigail, who had acquired a keyboard instrument called a seraphine, gave the children regular music lessons, as her mother …
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 