. . . through the acting skills of Jan Turnquist, performer extraordinaire and director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House. From Jan's website she writes, "Due to a 'minor carriage accident,' 20th century audiences have the opportunity to 'meet' Louisa May Alcott through the living history portrayal of Jan Turnquist." She swept into the room …
Book recommendation: Louisa May Alcott and Little Women by Gloria Delamar
The last time I went to Concord I feasted at the Concord Free Public Library and took out 4 books that are usually hard to come by. One of them was Jeannine Atkins' Becoming Little Women: Louisa May at Fruitlands and another was Louisa May Alcott and Little Women by Gloria Delamar. I had originally …
Continue reading "Book recommendation: Louisa May Alcott and Little Women by Gloria Delamar"
Talking with Jeannine Atkins, author of “Becoming Little Women”
As promised, here is the follow-up interview with Jeannine Atkins, the author of Becoming Little Women. Susan, Thank you so much for the opportunity to reflect back on writing Becoming Little Women and the fascinating people who inspired my novel! And, always, for spreading your passion for Louisa May Alcott. Someone who is certainly worthy …
Continue reading "Talking with Jeannine Atkins, author of “Becoming Little Women”"
Book Review: “Becoming Little Women”
An experiment in a utopian community that only lasted seven months should have easily been forgotten in history, even if it included historically important people. Yet the fascination with Fruitlands continues as evidenced by Richard Francis' book, Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia which came out this year. There is no doubt …
A clear introduction to Transcendentalism . . .
. . . and in only about 500 words! This is from the Spiritual Travels blog: The Hippies of Nineteenth-Century America Posted on August 19, 2011 by lori Spending time with Bronson Alcott yesterday made me realize that before moving forward we need to get a bit clearer on what that ten-dollar word “Transcendentalism” means. Spoiler alert: abstract …
Continue reading "A clear introduction to Transcendentalism . . ."
Coming to Concord this summer? Here’s some recommendations
I just created a page with personal recommendations of places to visit and things to do while visiting Concord, Massachusetts. The one thing I could not recommend is hotels because I live too close to Concord to have stayed overnight. Here's some recommendations for those of you who want to indulge in living history (to …
Continue reading "Coming to Concord this summer? Here’s some recommendations"
The core of Louisa May Alcott’s feminism explains her timelessness
After writing yesterday's post on Polly's modern sensibilities, I thought about what Louisa May Alcott's core belief was which motivated her feminism, and why she was so effective in imparting it. Autonomy My conclusion? Louisa's feminism was based on autonomy - the right of every woman to be autonomous, the freedom for each woman to …
Continue reading "The core of Louisa May Alcott’s feminism explains her timelessness"
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 …
Take a tour of the final resting place of the Alcotts
There's a terrific article on the Concord Patch written by a licensed Concord tour guide, Harry Beyer. He takes you on a tour of the Alcott family plot at Sleepy Hollow cemetery. Here's a teaser from the article: Louisa May was an active abolitionist, helping to shelter runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. She was also an early …
Continue reading "Take a tour of the final resting place of the Alcotts"
The essence of Fruitlands: a return to the Garden of Eden
Note: the following post is based upon the introduction to Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and Their Search for Utopia by Richard Francis, pages 2-11). Anything that has been italicized is my own conclusion, not Francis'. I will be including thoughts that I have as it relates to my understanding of Christianity and how it relates …
Continue reading "The essence of Fruitlands: a return to the Garden of Eden"
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 