what’s new in the land of the heroines
Yes, I’m still revising the book (on a Friday deadline, eek!), but I haven’t forgotten my readers or my heroines. Luckily, the entire Internet and the rest of the world is busy producing interesting content on heroines at all times. To wit:
- The new Louisa May Alcott movie that recently ran on American Masters on PBS. I really enjoyed this film, even though I abhor historical reenactments in documentaries. The best part was watching LMA’s biographers and great champions Madeleine Stern and Dr. Leona Rostenberg talk about figuring out that Louisa wrote pulp novels under the name of A.M. Barnard. Their glee over this momentous literary discovery, half a decade after the fact, was contagious. (Also, who doesn’t love elderly female scholars?)
- Lizzie Skurnick’s recent article on heroines in peril. Though I don’t agree with the article entirely, I think it’s important to look at what heroines are doing and how it affects readers and viewers. (Thanks to Lorelei Laird for pointing me to this link.)
- Little House: The Musical! also known as The Best Christmas Present Ever. Though several anachronisms made me cringe (the Ingalls girls betting on a horse race? I think not!), it was a great way to spend an evening.
Thanks for the link for Madeline Stern; I absolutely loved Old Books, Rare Friends when it was published and not only would a re-read be welcome, but I see there is a follow-up which I want to seek out as well. I recently re-read LIW’s The Long Winter, so it was serendipitous to find your photo of the three girls, although I’m still not sure how I feel about the idea of it being turned into a musical. Still, I guess if it worked for Anne…
Eh. The musical wasn’t terrible, it just seemed kind of …. unnecessary?
Isn’t that picture of the three girls kind of terrifying? Gumption incarnate