By Nava Atlas | On June 1, 2023 | Updated August 20, 2026 | Comments (6)
Logan Steiner’s debut novel, After Anne (May 2023) brings the untold story of Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874 – 1942) to life. It’s a vivid portrait of the Canadian author best known for Anne of Green Gables (1908) and its sequels.
After Anne is a fascinating look at Maud’s spirited personality, her hopes, and her dreams of being recognized for her writing. Yet it doesn’t shy from an honest portrayal of her sorrows and disappointments.
I learned fair amount about Maud Montgomery (perhaps better known by her author name, L.M. Montgomery) while preparing my own work, Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life. And so I was able to fully appreciate and truly enjoy how evocatively (and touchingly) Logan Steiner brought her to life in the pages of a novel. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On May 17, 2023 | Updated September 12, 2026 | Comments (0)
In 1844, Elizabeth Barrett’s second major collection of poems (A Drama of Exile) was published and warmly received. The work included lines that praised fellow poet Robert Browning.
Presented here are the two letters that began the correspondence and ignited the romantic literary love story of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett (who soon became Elizabeth Barrett Browning).
After reading the poems, Robert wrote a letter of thanks to Elizabeth on January 10, 1845, with the tantalizing line, “I love your verses with all my heart … and I love you, too.” Read More→
By Elodie Barnes | On March 21, 2023 | Updated September 6, 2026 | Comments (0)
The Moomins (Mumintroll in Swedish) were the most famous creation of Finnish-Swedish author and artist Tove Jannson. Though this beloved creator wrote and illustrated many other works for both children and adults, the names of Tove Jansson and The Moomins will be forever linked.
The family of round, white fairytale creatures — which resemble hippopotamuses — first appeared in 1946, and were the central characters in a total of nine novels, four picture books, and a comic strip that ran for more than twenty years.
Although Tove was a prolific illustrator, painter, and writer for adults, the Moomins are her enduring legacy, beloved across Finland and the world, and still hugely popular today. Read More→
By Nancy Snyder | On December 6, 2022 | Updated June 27, 2026 | Comments (2)
I gave myself the best holiday present ever: rereading A Wrinkle in Time by our new Christmas tree. Rereading Madeleine L’Engle’s masterpiece was like visiting my oldest and dearest friend.
A Wrinkle in Time is the book that ignited my reading obsession more than fifty years ago, and for that, I’m forever grateful.
I first experienced A Wrinkle in Time as it was read aloud by my fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Lloyd, at Overland Avenue elementary school. The book had received the Newbery Medal a few years earlier and captured the attention of thousands of elementary school librarians and teachers. Read More→
By Lynne Weiss | On October 21, 2022 | Updated June 15, 2026 | Comments (0)
How can writers reconcile the demands of the social and political moment with the demands of their craft? Caribbean women writers of color offer some models in the way they explore the rich intersection of concerns with gender, race, and colonialism through their work.
Anglophone writers with links to African and indigenous Caribbean cultures as well as to the United States or the United Kingdom (or both) express those connections with language, story, and rhythm.
Following are brief introductions to several classic Caribbean women writers, listed in order of their dates of birth — Rosa Guy, Paule Marshall (shown above), Georgina Herrera, Michelle Cliff, Mahadai Das, and Jean “Binta” Breeze. Read More→
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