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.
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. …
Continue reading "Looking for correspondents for Louisa May Alcott is My Passion"
Louisa May Alcott had numerous friends and admirers. Being writers themselves (or children of famous writers such as Julian Hawthorne, see previous post), these friends and admirers provide us with what I think are the most colorful biographical sketches of Louisa. No scholar can truly capture what a contemporary (especially a friend) can reveal through …
Louisa May Alcott had remarked in her journal that memories of her November 29th birthday were not always happy ones. The gift of self-denial There’s the famous story of birthday number 3, celebrated at her father’s Temple School where, in the end, she had to deny herself her own birthday treat and give it to …
Continue reading "Happy birthday! Bronson Alcott at 216, Louisa at 183"
Back in October I took a trip to Fruitlands in Harvard, MA, only about 40 minutes from my home. That visit sparked a long period of binge reading on the subject which is why, in the dead of winter, I’m only getting around to writing about that visit now. A paradox Having immersed myself in …
Continue reading "A visit to Fruitlands where Louisa took up the family cross"
In his book, Alcott Memoirs, Dr. Frederick Llewellyn Hovey Willis spends much time describing the special relationship he shared with Bronson Alcott, and the profound effect Bronson had on Dr. Willis’ life. As a teenage boy, Willis spent many hours in conversation with Bronson and recorded some of these in his journal. Thus we have …
Continue reading "From Alcott Memoirs: Bronson from the point of view of a grateful student"
Of all the memoirs written by people who knew the Alcotts well, none provided more detailed descriptions of family members than Frederick Llewellyn Hovey Willis' book, Alcott Memoirs. In a series of posts, I will share with you his impressions of each member of this illustrious family. Willis' daughter Edith who compiled the memoir described …
Continue reading "What was Louisa May Alcott really like? The memories of her “adopted” brother"
I recently picked up a lovely volume from the library entitled Louisa May Alcott An Intimate Anthology, put together the by New York Public Library using materials from their archives. What's inside The book contains stories and essays Louisa wrote about herself, excerpts from her journals, intimate poetry, short stories and recollections from friends. Resistance …
Continue reading "“A Memorable Evening at the Alcotts’ House” as recalled by Edward W. Emerson"
A trip to a warehouse bookstore in the middle of nowhere produced a great find! I had just about given up the hope of finding something interesting until this book caught my eye: Nonquitt A Summer Album, 1872-1985, edited by Anne M. Lyell. What is so significant about Nonquitt? This is where Louisa May Alcott …
Uncle Alec affected big changes in Rose’s life as chapters 7 and 8 of Eight Cousins demonstrate.Joy lackingEarly in the book, there were several reasons why Rose was a timid, teary child (the untimely death of her dear father, too many “cooks in the kitchen” with all her aunts, etc.). Much of the joy had been …
Friends and biographers of Anna Alcott Pratt are so busy singing her praises as a loving and selfless daughter, wife and mother that is was hard to find more substantive information. That is, until I came across Little Women Letters from the House of Alcott. Co-authors Jessie Bonstelle and Marian deForest offered journal entries from …
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 