Special Collections – Louisa May Alcott is My Passion

August 2, 2012August 29, 2012

My 3 days with Louisa (conclusion): Windows into the past, and a lasting memento

When I requested Lizzie’s diary at Houghton Library, I received a thick, bound volume full of many treasures. Some of those treasures included Anna’s childhood diaries. Anna is an engaging writer While Lizzie’s writings read more like lists, Anna’s read like little stories. Anna was very faithful about keeping her journal and lamented if she …

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July 31, 2012August 29, 2012

My 3 days with Louisa (part 5): Houghton Library introduces me to Lizzie Alcott – up close and personal

My last of three days with Louisa was spent in the most intimate fashion, buried in papers written by the hands of her sisters and father at the Houghton Library at Harvard Square in Cambridge. What is Houghton like? Unlike Harvard’s main library, the Grand Dame known as Widener, Houghton is the little sister tucked …

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July 23, 2012August 29, 2012

The vacation of my dreams: 3 days with Louisa May Alcott

What's your dream for the ultimate summer vacation? Is it a trip to a new and/or exotic place? Is it time all to yourself to do whatever you wish? How about both? That’s been my dream for many summers and this year, it came true. New and exotic places Back in June, our whole family …

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January 2, 2011August 24, 2012

The Field Trip of a Lifetime! (part two)

To continue with my account of the field trip of a lifetime, there were many more treasures that I found at the Concord Free Public Library: A May Alcott Nieriker Exhibition Regular readers of this blog know of my esteem for May Alcott Nieriker. I discovered (first to my dismay and then to my delight) …

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December 30, 2010August 24, 2012

The Field Trip of a Lifetime! (part one)

I have been anticipating my vacation between Christmas and New Year's for several months because of a very special field trip I planned - a visit to the Concord Free Public Library where I would come into contact with the actual letters and manuscripts of my favorite author, Louisa May Alcott. The weather was beautiful …

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Louisa May Alcott
is My Passion

Begun in 2010, this blog offers analysis and reflection by Susan Bailey on the life, works, and legacy of Louisa May Alcott and her family. Susan is an active member and supporter of the Louisa May Alcott Society, the Fruitlands Museum, and Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House.

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For a comprehensive list of blog posts by name, download this document:
Complete list of posts on LMA blog
(note: this is updated periodically)

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Discover Concord

Visit https://discoverconcordma.com/ebooks-all to read issues.

Named the New Business of the Year (2020) by the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce

See Susan’s article, “Alcott as Their Muse: Little Women’s Legacy Honored by Contemporary Authors” on pages 52-53 in the Summer 2023 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Beyond Words: The Depth of Louisa May Alcott’s Legacy” on pages 20-21 in the Summer 2022 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, ” Experiencing The Wayside as Hillside, Home of the Alcotts” on pages 48-49 in the Fall 2021 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Alcott’s Hidden Critics: An International Sleuthing Project” (co-authored by Lorraine Tosiello) on pages 56-57 in the Spring 2021 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article, “Bronson Alcott’s Search for Eden: Fruitlands” on pages 64-65 in the Winter 2020 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article on Thoreau on page 44 of Discover Concord magazine’s Summer 2020 edition (click here to read)

See Susan’s article on page 12 of Discover Concord magazine’s Winter 2019 edition (click here to read)

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Little Women Audio Play

Reading Little Women blog

Louisa May Alcott: Illuminated by The Message: “Susan Bailey's new book is part of a series called Literary Portals to Prayer, which is meant to encourage a kind of literary lectio divina, a form of contemplative reading that is a pathway to prayer. An intriguing idea for a book, no? And there’s no better person to write it than Susan Bailey.” Lori Erickson, The Holy Rover on Patheos

“I never fully realized how much spiritual content is integrated into her body of work. Ms. Bailey extracts beautiful and uplifting passages and pairs them with Biblical ones that make similar points. It includes some of Alcott’s less well known works which makes me want to read those that I have missed.” Diane Brandi

Susan Bailey has compiled a remarkable edition of side by side texts, demonstrating a deep understanding of the life, world, and spirituality of Alcott. The matches [with the Bible} are spot on and insightful. Eileen Charbonneau. award-winning author

River of Grace: Susan Bailey’s powerful and beautifully-written book is much more than an insightful spiritual memoir. River of Grace is also a brilliant reflection on the connections between creativity and grace. A book one to cherish. Amy Belding Brown, author of Mr. Emerson’s Wife and Flight of the Sparrow

Susan Bailey is an accomplished researcher of all things pertaining to Louisa May Alcott. I found joy in the way that [she] shares about her favorite authoress. Miss Alcott's books wedged themselves into Susan's soul and allowed her to identify parallels and discover herself again. This is not a story of how to get over grief fast -- but how to deal with it and give your afflictions to the Almighty. Tarissa, In the Bookcase blog