Part 3 of a series on Bronson Alcott: his rise, fall and redemption, based on reflections from John Matteson's biography Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father If you want to refresh your memory on previous posts in this series, here are the links: Read Part One here Read Part Two here …
Finding his mission: Bronson Alcott, part 2 (reflections on Eden’s Outcasts)
How did a remote and poor farm boy evolve into a visionary educator? This is one of the great questions regarding Bronson Alcott for which I wanted answers. John Matteson in Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father provides some interesting insight. In the beginning In the first chapter Matteson traces …
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Amy’s Art
I have the pleasure today of presenting a guest post by artist Amy Hintze. I happened to find two watercolor paintings of a scene out of the lives of the Alcott family on Google and was led to her website. Amy is a painter for Music and the Spoken Word, a weekly broadcast with the …
Happy Birthday Bronson and Louisa!
From Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father , pages 48-49 by John Matteson On N0vember 29, 1832, a half hour past midnight, Abba gave birth fo a second daughter, whom Bronson described as "a very fine healthful child . . . a very find, bat, little creature . . . …
This question needs your input . . .
I got a fantastic question from Jillian, a good friend of this blog regarding Bronson and Louisa. I'd love your input: If Bronson Alcott was a follower of Transcendentalism (self-reliance), why does he scold Louisa May for filling her journal with thoughts of self? I have my theory but I'd like to hear yours …
The rise, fall and redemption of Bronson Alcott, part 1 (reflections on Eden’s Outcasts)
Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father by John Matteson has to be one of the most elegant and thoughtful books I have ever read. Matteson is the first Alcott biographer who truly seems to understand the spiritual life and that insight produces a deeper and different view of Bronson Alcott. …
Abba Alcott’s contribution – behind every great woman stands a mother
You know how they say that behind every great man is a great woman? How about behind every great woman? In studying the life of Abba Alcott through the reading of Marmee, the Mother of Little Womenby Sandford Meddick Salyer, there indeed was a great woman behind Louisa May Alcott. She was a mother whose …
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“Love your duty”
Continuing on with Marmee, the Mother of Little Women*by Sandford Meddick Salyer: Louisa bound to duty I think everyone can agree that Louisa May Alcott was a duty-bound woman. Duty motivated and justified her need to write for money (molding her into the professional that she was known and respected for). Duty bound her to …
Continuing with Marmee, the Mother of Little Women: tantalizing look into Lizzie Alcott
Quite a while ago I promised to write more on Marmee, the Mother of Little Womenby Sandford Meddick Salyer and as usual, I got sidetracked (have to stop going to the library! :-)). As I mentioned before in my first post, this book was a very pleasurable read chock full of information. Salyer did his …
I “met” Louisa May Alcott . . .
. . . 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 …
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 