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 had the very rare opportunity yesterday of actually having 2 hours of free time lining up with beautifully warm weather in the middle of October! I jumped on it. 🙂 I grabbed the Sylvia Yule and went down to the local boat launch to take a final kayak trip before the cold weather settles …
Continue reading "A last journey on the Sylvia Yule before the winter comes"
Remember Louisa May Alcott's first poem, written when she was 8? To the First Robin Welcome, welcome little stranger, Fear no harm, and fear no danger, We are glad to see you here, For you sing, "Sweet Spring is near." Now the white snow melts away; Now the flowers blossom gay; Come dear bird and …
I've just started reading a thick volume on contemplative prayer (Fire Within by Thomas Dubay, SM), based upon the writings of two giants in this area, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Both were Carmelites, and both hailed from Spain. Many Spanish scholars believe that St. John is the greatest poet …
Continue reading "Thoreau and mysticism – Nature as a highway to the Divine"
Much has been said about how unconventional Henry David Thoreau was. Although brilliant he was solitary, decidedly different, very blunt, not especially attractive physically, and he was prone to "queer" habits such as climbing trees, imitating bird calls and the like. Yet women did find Thoreau attractive. Louisa May Alcott had a schoolgirl crush on …
Continue reading "Was Thoreau a romantic? Final thoughts on “Walking”"
Reading the last few words, I slowly closed Mr. Emerson’s Wife and felt a welling up inside of emotion. I was so tied to the character of Lidian Jackson Emerson that I felt they were her emotions too. This is how Amy Belding Brown's book hit me. I lived inside of Mr. Emerson's Wife for …
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 …
Continue reading "Need book recommendations about Transcendentalism"
Louisa May Alcott is My Passion 