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.
I have begun work on a biography of Elisabeth Sewall Alcott and will be sharing updates and thoughts the writing of this book through this special blog dedicated to Lizzie. I invite you to subscribe to the blog -- click "Subscribe" located on the menus at the top of the page.
In the interests of simplifying the experience for you, "Louisa May Alcott is My Passion: The Podcast!" will be featured strictly on this blog. It will no longer be available through iTunes or any other source but right here. Here are all the episodes. This way, you can have the blog post and podcast together …
In the last post covering John Matteson's talk at the Colonial Inn I mentioned Bronson Alcott's Sonnets and Canzonets, published in 1882 and how they reveal the heart of the man. Each sonnet or canzonet is dedicated to his wife, daughters and many luminary friends such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Margaret Fuller. …
Note: Although I had promised a series of posts on women's health in the nineteenth century, I need to postpone those posts until I clear up a problem with citing an important source. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I thought I would share this with you. * * * * * * * * * …
Continue reading "Fiction or non-fiction? How should I tell the story of Lizzie?"
As you can see from the teasers I've been posting lately, there is a lot coming down the road! Much of it is coming from an announcement I'd like to make. The announcement Now that the major work for my two books is behind me, I am dedicating my efforts towards my book on Elizabeth …
On Thursday I toured Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House. I was anxious to see the artifacts pictured in The Annotated Little Women, edited by John Matteson and took a vacation day to see them as November can get swallowed up in holiday preparations. If you live anywhere near Concord and can get to this exhibit, …
I visited the Houghton Library in mid July and was greeted with the most wonderful surprise: Houghton is now granting permission to post the actual handwritten letters from the Alcott family! I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to share these letters with you! I have photographed probably over a hundred …
Thank you for your enthusiastic responses! I have a handful of letters that I can share with you that I have transcribed as completely as I could. Some words were not readable, mostly because the letters were bound in a volume so that words close to the binding could not be made out. If I …
Continue reading "Unpublished Alcott letters: Anna to Bronson, Walpole March 16, 1857"
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 …
Between my trip to the Worcester library and the new Nook, I have been buried! Tons of reading all at once (which means tons of notetaking, and tons of fun!). As I come up for air, I wanted to share with you some new rather old books I found. A treasure trove from the library …
Continue reading "Getting to know the Alcotts through neighbors and friends"
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 