“Overnight sensations”—authors whose first books are smash successes—are a rarity, if they exist at all; for even a stellar first effort is most often preceded by years of false starts, sweat, and toil that become invisible once the book is perched on the bestseller list. What’s more common resembles Louisa May Alcott’s experience—years or decades of steady effort until success seems to “suddenly” arrive.
That’s how it happened for Alcott with Little Women. As we’ve come to find out, she cranked out thrillers, gothic novels, plays, sketches, and more than eighty articles before penning her autobiographical (if highly idealized) novel.Read More→
Colette(1873 – 1954), the noted French author, confidently expressed her experiences of femininity and sexuality through strong female eponymous characters like Claudine and Gigi. She broke away from her first husband, who sought to control her life and work, and reveled in her freedom.
For the remainder of her career, Colette wrote prolifically, producing many novels and occasionally worked as a journalist. She developed arthritis later in life, which greatly diminished her ability to work and travel. After she died, Colette was the first woman given a state funeral in the country. Here are some favorite short and sweet quotes by Colette: Read More→
