"It's amazing how lovely common things become, if one only knows how to look at them." (from "Marjorie's Three Gifts," 1877) Welcome to the second episode of Louisa May Alcott is My Passion: The Podcast! During the next thirty six minutes I will give you an overview of the recent Summer Conversational Series, "'Finding Beauty …
Time again for the Louisa May Alcott Reading Challenge! What will you be reading?
Dust off your books and library cards--it's time again for the Louisa May Alcott Reading Challenge sponsored by In the Bookcase. Already there are some terrific books lined up by readers including An Old-Fashioned Girl, Proverb Stories, March by Geraldine Brooks and even my own Louisa May Alcott: Illuminated by The Message. I am already about …
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Places that are redemptive, and damning: Monday presentation by Stephen Burby at the Summer Conversational Series
Note: Mr. Burby kindly gave me his presentation (handwritten notes and all) in lieu of the fact that I was unable to attend the Monday session of the Summer Conversational Series. I thank him for doing so. This is a longer post than usual as I found his presentation to be quite thought-provoking. * * * …
Louisa May Alcott’s Adult Short Stories: “My Contraband”
Louisa May Alcott's short stint as a Civil War nurse enabled to find her voice and provided her with numerous stories. Hospital Sketches was the first result of her service and it secured her future as a successful professional writer. Critics and readers alike showered praise on the book which first began as a series of …
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A Louisa May Alcott Christmas: “A Christmas Turkey, and How It Came”
From the Barnes and Noble collection of Christmas stories by Louisa May Alcott called Christmas Tales and Stories (edited by Laura Ciolkowsk) comes a sweet tale with a lot of fodder between the lines for those of us well-acquainted with the life of Miss Alcott. "A Christmas Turkey, and How It Came" The premise is familiar: a …
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“Love and Self-Love,” another early success story for Louisa May Alcott
As I continue to slowly go through Susan Cheever's Louisa May Alcott A Personal Biography and read yet more background, I came upon a story of Louisa's that related to her incident at the Mill Dam where she nearly threw herself into the water in despair, to end her life. That story, "Love and Self-Love" …
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“Pauline’s Passion and Punishment”
I'm currently reading chapter 6 in Susan Cheever's book, Louisa May Alcott A Personal Biography which focuses on the years of 1863-65 when Louisa would serve as a nurse in the Civil War, and taste her first literary successes. Louisa had been writing her "blood and thunder" tales to earn money for "the pathetic family" …
Louisa May Alcott’s second story from the St. Nicolas magazine invoked a powerful memory
More and more I am amazed at the storytelling power of Louisa May Alcott. I just finished reading two polar opposite stories of hers: "Pauline's Passion and Punishment," found in the book edited by Madeleine Stern called Behind A Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott and "The Eaglet in the Dove's Nest" in …
Stories by Louisa May Alcott in St. Nicholas Magazine
I went searching for Christmas stories penned by Louisa and my search led me to Mary Mapes Dodge's St. Nicholas Magazine, Volume XXX. This link will send you to Google books where you can read the entire volume online or download it as a PDF (777 pages worth!). Google Books is just amazing! Mary Mapes …
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“How I Went Out to Service” – Louisa May Alcott’s humiliation
I am so glad I went on that buying spree a few months ago for books by and about Louisa because now as I plough through Susan Cheever's book, I actually have at my fingertips the vast majority of sources and stories she mentions. Chapter 4 talks in part about Louisa's foray into being a …
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Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 