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.
My obsession with Louisa played out in a rather odd way. Never a big reader until a few years ago, I’d find myself reading a biographical account of Louisa’s life (rather than read her own words) every few years. This began after reading Martha Saxton’s biography. After the reading (usually done during the autumn months) …
Continue reading "Louisa May Alcott as grief counselor (on the fifth anniversary of this blog)"
I pondered that question during the two years spent writing my book, River of Grace. Because Louisa was an important part of this book, I had to figure out first, why I was obsessed with her, and second, how she has acted as my grief counselor, and as a result, guiding me back into my …
Continue reading "Why are you obsessed with Louisa? Why am I?"
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. * * * …
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 …
Continue reading "Summer Conversational Series for Tuesday, July 14"
Summertime and Louisa May Alcott--the two go hand-in-hand for me. Life slows down, opening up space for much-needed reading. And the annual Summer Conversational Series begins next month at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House (click here for details and to register). What better way to kick of a Louisa May Alcott summer than to participate …
I am pleased to announce that my very first book, River of Grace: Creative Passages Through Difficult Times will be released this Fall, published by Ave Maria Press! You can pre-order it now on Amazon.com. A memoir with life application River of Grace is a faith-based memoir (written from my Roman Catholic tradition) with life …
Continue reading "Announcing my first book, “River of Grace,” to be published this Fall!"
I came across two fascinating blog posts today that shed a new light on cherished Alcott/Concord lore. Thoreau and rocks First of all, the Thoreau Society is running an interview with author Robert M. Thorson where he reveals something entire new about Thoreau.. It was discovered during his research for his book, Walden’s Shore: Henry David …
Continue reading "Wayside, and Thoreau, as you’ve never seen them before; and some news"
Since I recently did a post on being inspired by Louisa's need for a room of her own, I thought I'd share my room with you. I claimed my son's large basement bedroom and furnished it with a love seat, lounge chair and prints made of collages that I created from "The Most Beloved American …
Continue reading "My writing room dedicated to Louisa May Alcott"
Louisa's yearning for private space and her glorious room at Hillside/Wayside always made me crave a special space too. I never dreamed it could be portable! Here's a picture of where her room was in the house at Wayside. Nathaniel Hawthorne changed the house after he bought it from Bronson and Louisa's little room no …
Continue reading "A room of one’s own: what if your “room” could be portable?"
As you may know, I have been researching and writing a book about Elizabeth Alcott. I wanted to share with you some wonderful technology tricks that make researching and writing a book a lot easier for me. And it actually is pretty affordable! Check it out …
As this blog is about collecting and connecting all the pieces of a life together into one flow, I realized I needed to add another interest to this blog: technology. I love technology and have ever since I started on my first Mac back in the 1980’s. I’m a PC person now but I have the iPhone, 2 iPods and a Barnes & Noble Nook. I was holding my iPod when I heard Steve Jobs passed away and I shed a tear.
A great exampleAs a practical example of collecting pieces together, the Nook is my favorite example. You won’t believe what I require of my Nook and how it delivers!
I have had a Nook for a few years and I love it. The backlighting and adjustable size of type and line spacing is perfect for my failing eyesight. It’s so convenient having…
View original post 796 more words
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 