This blog has led me places I never thought I would go! One of those places was Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, CT where I donned a hat I have not worn since a year after I graduated from college with a BS in Elementary Education: the hat of a teacher. A longtime reader of …
Meet and greet with author Eve LaPlante at Fruitlands
I had the pleasure of having my books signed by author Eve LaPlante at Fruitlands yesterday. The setting was lovely: typically cold for December with light snow falling. The spirit of Fruitlands Having just completed a series of books on Fruitlands (which I will be writing about soon), the spirit of the Fruitlanders was palpable …
Continue reading "Meet and greet with author Eve LaPlante at Fruitlands"
Book Review: Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother by Eve LaPlante
This is a book that is long overdue. Anyone who has read Little Women and felt the overarching presence of Marmee (and the lack of presence of Mr. March) has to know just how important Louisa's mother was to her. Marmee was based on a living, breathing woman who was far more complex (and interesting) …
Dual birthdays: Happy Birthday Louisa and Bronson! (Louisa is 180 today)
Obviously we can't celebrate with a typical gooey, sugary birthday cake ... perhaps Apple Slump will do? My gift to Louisa? Plenty of plumcakes to go around this time ... Bronson would probably prefer some apples ... You both look very well for your ages ... Thank you for living your lives so fully, sharing …
Continue reading "Dual birthdays: Happy Birthday Louisa and Bronson! (Louisa is 180 today)"
What was Louisa May Alcott really like? The memories of her “adopted” brother
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"
Concord in Autumn: walking the path Louisa walked
Concord, home to Louisa May Alcott. I have been a student of Louisa on and off, for most of my life. Back in August of 2010 I decided to commit myself to study and share my reflections with you. I have so enjoyed all the book discussions and your wonderful comments about our favorite author. …
Continue reading "Concord in Autumn: walking the path Louisa walked"
Work: Marriage revisited – could there have been another reason why Louisa never married?
For someone who abhorred the idea of marriage for herself, Louisa May Alcott again and again paints a multi-layered, satisfying and mature picture of the institution. Raising an interesting question I wrote about this before, describing the first year of marriage between Meg and John Brooke in Little Women. I see it now in Work: …
Talking about Louisa on the radio!
Last week I was invited to be interviewed by the Extreme Writers Now forum on Blogtalk radio. The interview took place on Sunday night and we had a free-for-all discussing Louisa's works and legacy. It was great fun and I was honored to be a part of it. You can listen to the interview here …
Questions, questions … (part one)
Before I begin, thank you for your part in the extraordinarily successful launch of my new blog, Be As One: A Single Flow … The stats were encouraging and that’s a massive understatement! Thank you. Involvement in my new blog dampened my passion for Louisa but only temporarily. It only takes reading a page or …
Learning from Louisa: Expanding my writing horizons
I am pleased to announce a new blog, Be As One, conceived and realized because of this blog. Inspiration You may recall a previous post where I shared how Louisa May Alcott had inspired me to write and I unveiled an ebook essay, "Game-Changer". Since writing that essay, I have felt the pull more and …
Continue reading "Learning from Louisa: Expanding my writing horizons"
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 