feminism AND transcendentalism? in my assigned reading?

Thoughts on Moods by Corinna Robinson - well worth the read!

Spring finally arrives in New England! A virtual kayak trip for city dwellers

Whenever I am outdoors, especially in the kayak, I feel like I am drinking, drinking, drinking. It’s a sweet elixir that fills my soul. I imagine Thoreau and Louisa felt this way; she wrote about in Moods. It was because of that passage that I christened my kayak the Sylvia Yule.

I took Sylvia out on her maiden spring voyage and wanted to share the trip with you.

Be as One

Many of you around the country endured a harsh winter (especially you in the Midwest). Endless snow. Frigid temperatures. Dreary dark and shortened days. Our winter here in New England was long and hard and spring has been slow to come.

But finally, Spring is here!

Some of you nature lovers are lucky enough to live in the suburbs or the countryside and can just step outside your door to drink in the warmth and greenery. You can open a window and hear a chorus of birds beginning at 4:30 am just when the darkness is starting to lift.

Some of you nature lovers however live in the city where it is harder to enjoy these things. I dedicate this kayak trip to you and hope you can soon get outside and enjoy the springtime weather.

My husband Rich and I kayaked on Lake Wildwood in Upton, MA:

1-lake2

Rich hoped he…

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On vacation with Louisa May Alcott: Last Day of the Summer Conversational Series – Being and Doing: Louisa explores herself and her beliefs through her writing (Part Two)

Cathlin Davis on Louisa’s philosophy of life Continuing with Day 4 of the series, Professor Cathlin Davis from California State University presented on “Practice Philosophy: ‘I want something to do.’” Through passages from Hospital Sketches, Work, Little Men and some of the rarer short stories (“May Flowers” from A Garland for Girls and “What Becomes …

A last journey on the Sylvia Yule before the winter comes

I had the very rare opportunity yesterday of actually having 2 hours of free time lining up with beautifully warm weather in the middle of October! I jumped on it. 🙂 I grabbed the Sylvia Yule and went down to the local boat launch to take a final kayak trip before the cold weather settles …

Tapping into my inner Thoreau; play-acting as Sylvia Yule

It's vacation time again with more opportunities to visit Concord. The more times I visit, the more I want to see. A trip down the Sudbury River to Great Meadows I enjoy kayaking very much and so took a trip down the Sudbury River, launching from the bridge off of Lowell Road, just off of …

Louisa May Alcott’s brand of feminism: final thoughts on “Moods,” thanks to Sarah Elbert

I finally finished reading Moods a few weeks ago but just couldn't comment on it. After reading both the 1864 and 1882 versions, I concluded that the book left me flat. The characters felt rather two-dimensional. Both versions ended differently and each ending seemed convoluted. It left me feeling the way I did after reading …

Moods: Sylvia’s Choice

I enjoy how Louisa describes Geoffrey Moor and Adam Warwick, the two love interests of heroine Sylvia Yule through comparing and contrasting how they respond to similar situations. Here's one scenario: Sylvia lost her mother at an early age and she has grieved throughout her young life over that loss. She first meets Adam Warwick …

The Conundrum that is “Moods”

I'm about a third of the way through both versions of Moods and have concluded that this book is a total mess! Now don't get me wrong, I am enjoying it, but considering the capital Louisa May Alcott had as a famous author, you have to wonder why she didn't just release the book the …

Louisa May Alcott’s spirituality, and her better self in Sylvia Yule

Finishing up chapter V in the 1864 version of  Moods ("The Golden Wedding"), I walked away with two thoughts, regarding Louisa's spirituality and her romanticized self in Sylvia Yule. Louisa May Alcott's Spirituality I want more than ever to write a longer treatise on the spirituality of Louisa May Alcott. Although she did not belong …

A brief lesson (for me) in editing

I admit it's a bit confusing reading both versions of Moods at the same time but it's sure been an eye-opener with regards to editing. As I sheepishly admitted in a reply to a comment from a recent post, I thought once a book was published that it was set in stone. Reading  Little Women …

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