The pain of writing is performing the surgery, as demonstrated by Louisa May Alcott and Jo March

Over the past few weeks I wrote the longest piece I have ever written, over 6000 words. Life has been far too busy for my taste lately so I could only work on it in bits and pieces. I have my hour carved out first thing in the morning for writing, beginning with the first …

Join in the fun – voice your opinion on the Little Women remake

Come on over to the Louisa May Alcott is My Passion Facebook page and let your feelings be known about the Little Women remake. I have articles for and against the remake, plus some casting ideas. We'd love to have you all join in! Like our page and join in the discussion:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Louisa-May-Alcott-is-My-Passion/138623432845648 Click to …

Tracing the steps of Little Women: Madeleine B. Stern’s brilliant analysis, part four: The All-American Novel makes a cherished dream come true

Little did Louisa May Alcott know that when she wrote Little Women, her classic book based upon her own family life and their “queer” adventures, she was writing the story that was on the heart of all Americans. Universal family It was time when American yearned for its own literature, its own family. The March …

A visit with fans from abroad gets us the “wonk” tour: Did you know these tidbits about Orchard House?

You never know what a house can tell you! No matter how many times I visit Orchard House, I always learn something new. Last Friday I had the privilege of meeting longtime email friends from Paris, France. Charline Bourdin, the author of the first French biography of Louisa May Alcott and the webmaster of a …

Answers to the Little Women quiz; information needed on a late 19th-century British version of Little Women

Results of True/False Quiz I see some of you tried the True/False quiz of what was real and what was made up in Little Women. No one got 100% but you were very close! Here are the answers: Hannah the servant FALSE - The Alcotts could not afford any servants in those days The Christmas …

Continuing to trace the steps of Little Women: Madeleine B. Stern’s brilliant analysis, part three: Can you tell what’s real and what is made up?

Little Women  has been called autobiographical because Louisa May Alcott used so many episodes from her own childhood and that of her family to create the story. But where does fact end and fiction begin? Or does it even work like that? Stern says, “Fact was embedded in fiction, and a domestic novel begun in …

Tweeting live from the Houghton Library today

I will be tweeting from the Houghton Library today and let you know when I find something cool. Watch out for my tweets at @LMAismypassion. You follow can me here: https://twitter.com/LMAismypassion Don't do Twitter? There's a live Twitter feed on this blog - scroll down and you'll see it on the left hand side. Back …

When might compartments be necessary? Perhaps when you’re juggling two all-consuming passions?

Several of you who follow this blog are writers. I could really use your advice here! Thanks.

Continuing to trace the steps of Little Women: Madeleine B. Stern’s brilliant analysis, part two: Lots of borrowing

Louisa May Alcott was never bashful about borrowing from previous stories to flesh out Little Women. Several short stories set the stage for the classic: “The Sisters’ Trial” (four sisters, Leonore, Agnes, Ella and Amy facing going out to work to deal with the family’s poverty), “A Modern Cinderella” (depicting Anna and John as Nan …

Tracing the steps of Little Women: Madeleine B. Stern’s brilliant analysis, part one

I have always maintained that Madeleine B. Stern’s Louisa May Alcott: A Biography is the standard bearer. Tracing the life of Louisa the writer, Stern gives penetrating insight not only into Louisa’s life, but her very essence as a writer. As a writer myself, I have found much wisdom in these pages and have marveled …