Transcendental Wild Oats by Louisa May Alcott is a satire, somewhere in length between a short story and novella, about her family’s misadventures as part of the Fruitlands community in the 1840s. It was first published in a New York newspaper in 1873.
Alcott thinly disguised the members of the Transcendentalist community. Her father, Amos Bronson Alcott was a co-founder of the community. In the fictional version he became “Abel Lamb.” Her mother, Abigail May Alcott, is presented as “Sister Hope.”
Louisa makes no attempt to soften the truth in her satire, portraying Abel Lamb is an impractical dreamer; Sister Hope actually feels hopeless —overworked and frustrated by the hapless men. Read More→
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860 – 1935) was an American novelist, poet, and pioneering feminist. An outspoken, bold woman with strong beliefs, Gilman served as a role model for generations of feminists. Here is a listing of the best know shorter works and books by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Best remembered for her semi-autobiographical work of short fiction, The Yellow Wallpaper, Gilman was one of the leading activists of the late 19th and early 20th-century American women’s movement. Both her fiction and nonfiction works detail how women’s lives were impacted by social and economic bias, and are still relevant today.
Over the course of her life, Gilman wrote many pieces of fiction and non-fiction, short stories, and poetry. Here are some of the books she’s best remembered for.
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What is it about writers and procrastination? Here we’ll look at some tips from writers past and present to help you stop procrastinating and start writing — or delve into a long-delayed project.
We’ll also take a look at the reasons why procrastination can loom large when taking pen to paper, or more likely, fingers to the keyboard.
Does any of the following sound familiar? Read More→
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett was the British-American author’s first novel for children. The story was published as a serial in the St. Nicholas Magazine from November 1885 through October 1886 and released as a book later in 1886.
The novel’s illustrations would later inspire fashion trends throughout Europe and America — often to the chagrin of little boys who were compelled to wear them.
The story follows the journey of a little boy who goes to live with his bitter grandfather in England, after he unexpectedly inherits a lofty British title and a great deal of wealth. Burnett skillfully threads the story with timeless themes of family and kindness, creating a classic book relatable across all ages. Read More→
What writers like to do most is to write — ideally in a quiet place, and most often, by themselves. So what motivated these four authors — Edith Wharton, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and Enid Bagnold — to leave their comfortable homes and writing desks, and get involved in war efforts, as nurses and refugee and relief workers?
Each of them, two Brits and two Americans, has a unique story of their involvement in World War I, in Britain and France. At right, the young Enid Bagnold as a Volunteer Aid Detachment nurse. Read More→
There are lots of wonderful novels that don’t grab you with the first sentence (or even the first paragraph or two), but when a book’s first line is great, that bodes well for the story ahead.
Here are some famously memorable first lines from 25 classic novels by women authors that have hooked generations of readers. What has been left out? Please comment at the end to share your favorites.
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When did literary agents become a must-have to get through the door of traditional publishers? Many of the authors we celebrate on this site, if not most, didn’t have one. They did it the old-fashioned way, by submitting directly to editors, or getting a referral through a fellow writer.
But things have changed since the days when the Brontë sisters were rejected by many of London’s top publishers, and even well into the twentieth century, when an agent just wasn’t a necessity.
The big publishers have consolidated and the mid-sized and smaller ones have proliferated. There’s more opportunity, but the competition is much stiffer. Everyone and their cousin wants to be an author. If you’re a writer determined to go the traditional publishing route, agents can be extremely helpful, and sometimes completely necessary, to achieve that goal. Here we’ll explore how to find a literary agent. Read More→
In The Battle of the Villa Fiorita, a 1963 novel by Rumer Godden, this prolific author delves into a universal dilemma — does a mother have the right to pursue love, or should she set those needs aside for the sake of her children?
This story, which centers on Fanny Clavering and her youngest children, Hugh and Caddie, explores this theme. When the children learn that their mother has run off with a new and enticing man, they begin their quest which culminates in the titled “battle.”
Looking at love, infidelity, and divorce through the eyes of adolescents gives this story its charm, and Rumer Godden, in her usual, skillful way, creates characters about whose fate the reader grows to care about. Read More→
