"I always thought I must have been a deer or a horse in some former state, because it was such a joy to run." Louisa May Alcott, "Sketch of Childhood, by herself." Welcome to the third episode of Louisa May Alcott is My Passion: The Podcast! Welcome to the third episode of Louisa May Alcott …
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion: The Podcast! Episode Two: Wrap-up of the 2016 Summer Conversational Series
"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 …
A dream book launch–Louisa May Alcott: Illuminated by The Message makes its debut at The Barrow Bookstore in Concord
For an author obsessed with all things Alcott, does it get any better than this? Launching a book about the most famous Alcott, Louisa, in The Barrow, a bookstore housed in a building owned by descendants of Anna Alcott Pratt in the heart of Concord, Massachusetts ... it's a dream come true. A book store …
Louisa May Alcott: Illuminated by The Message is here! Book signing this Sunday in Concord.
Louisa May Alcott: Illuminated by The Message is here! Book Signing/Launch this Sunday, Dec. 6, 4 pm Short presentation followed by conversation and signing-- let's gab about Louisa! The Barrow Bookstore, 79 Main Street, Concord, MA (rear of the building, behind Fritz & Gigi) Are you passionate about Louisa May Alcott too? Subscribe to the …
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. * * * …
Summer Conversational Series for Tuesday, July 14
Yesterday's session for the 2015 Summer Conversational Series featured these three distinguished presenters: Cathlin Davis, PhD Dr. Davis spoke at length on "The Healing Power of Nature: Friendly Sunshine and Fresh Air," drawing upon her extensive knowledge of Louisa's canon. There is probably no one more knowledgeable about Louisa's writing than Dr. Davis who has …
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Alcott Immersion Warning: the wondrous things that can happen when you study too much!
After four years of constant reading, study, writing and pondering on one family, I think I understand now how actors prepare for their roles, and the subsequent consequences of their immersion into their characters. Taking on the Louisa persona I'm acquainted with a couple of people (Jan Turnquist and Marianne Donnelly) who, as actresses, take …
“What the Bells Saw and Said” – Louisa May Alcott’s State of the Union Address
If Louisa May Alcott were to deliver a State of the Union address (minus the politics), what would it be like? You can find out by reading "What the Bells Saw and Said," in Christmas Tales and Stories, edited by Laura Ciolkowski. Portrayed through the reports of six spirits living in the bells of the local …
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Need book recommendations about Transcendentalism
I would like to read some basic books on Transcendentalism and its famous writers (Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Fuller, etc.) that are not too scholarly (for now) just to get a better, objective idea of what the tenants of it are. I had started reading American Bloomsbury by Susan Cheever and was enjoying it but after …
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Louisa May Alcott’s spirituality, and her better self in Sylvia Yule
Finishing up chapter V in the 1864 version of Moods ("The Golden Wedding"), I walked away with two thoughts, regarding Louisa's spirituality and her romanticized self in Sylvia Yule. Louisa May Alcott's Spirituality I want more than ever to write a longer treatise on the spirituality of Louisa May Alcott. Although she did not belong …
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