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.
Guest post by Gabrielle Donnelly Gabrielle Donnelly, photo by Jeannine Atkins If Little Women is the great American nineteenth-century novel for girls, then Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is unquestionably its oh-so-proper English counterpart. But the March sisters couldn't be more different from Austen's Bennet sisters if they tried; and Gabrielle Donnelly, author of the …
Publicist Dustin Fitzharris provided this interview providing in depth information about the upcoming Little Women musical. Answers are provided from the collective: Dan Redfeld (composer), Christina Harding (co-writer/lyricist) and John Gabriel Koladziej (co-writer/lyricist) What is the inspiration behind this Little Women musical, and why now? How did the creators come up with the theme and how …
Note: This is a long post of over 3000 words. It’s also a core topic of Little Women’s relevancy for teenagers especially when it comes to conformity versus non-conformity, and peer pressure. It’s well worth the read for those of us who wish to pass down Little Women to our daughters and sons, nieces and …
The last lecture of the day was given by Anne Boyd Rioux on her new book, Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters. First encounter with Little Women Anne did not read Little Women as a child; it had not given to her by her mother or grandmother. …
Look at what I got at The Barrows in Concord! New meaning This is the first time that I've acquired first editions of Louisa May Alcott's books. Knowing she was alive when these books were published adds another layer of meaning to the reading. I feel myself transported back to 1886, catching up on the …
Continue reading "Jo’s Boys – reading the first edition knowing Louisa was alive"
The final chapter of Little Men, “Thanksgiving,” states the true nature of Plumfield in plain language. But the book, more a series of short stories under a common theme rather than a novel, already lays out the vision through the stories. Still, it is quite satisfying to hear Jo lay out her vision of a …
Continue reading "Wrapping up Little Men: Jo creates her own utopia"
Day Two of the Summer Conversational Series featured a fine array of speakers. Kristi Lynn Martin and Duty's Faithful Child Starting off the morning was Kristi Lynn Martin, a doctoral candidate at Boston University. Martin’s many years of experience as a tour guide at Concord’s finest historical homes (The Old Manse, “Bush” (aka the Emerson …
Monday’s session of the Summer Conversational Series at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House was lively, funny and thought-provoking. A fellowship of sisters (and some brothers) gathered to enjoy talks from Gabrielle Donnelly, Kathleen Harsy and Kyoko Amano. Gabrielle Donnelly on Louisa’s health Donnelly, the author of the popular The Little Women Letters, presented “Louisa May …
Louisa May Alcott often drew from the deep well of memories to craft her stories. Little Men is full of such detail and it’s fun to pick out these autobiographical elements. Highlighting her father For example, Louisa gives us a revealing portrait of her father’s unique ideas about disciplining children in Chapter Four, “Stepping-Stones,” where the …
As mentioned in a previous post about the art of domesticity, I have been reading Little Men, or Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys. The audio book version from Librivox.org has actually been my companion while doing yard work and gardening these past few Saturdays. Keeps my mind off of my aching joints and bones! …
Continue reading "Little Men: The Good Man (chapter 3, “Sunday”)"
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 