The Write Life

Louisa May Alcott

Hey Readers!

It’s time for A Busy Lady’s “The Write Life” where I explore the homes and lives of prominent writers of the past. This month: Louisa May Alcott.

Louisa May Alcott, most widely known for being the author of Little Women, wrote over 30 novels, short story collections and poems, including Little Men and Jo’s Boys.

Daughter of noted transcendentalist Amos Bronson Alcott and Abigail May III, Louisa May grew up in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts. My visit took place at the Orchard House, where Louisa May most famously wrote Little Women. The following are my impressions from the visit, and tidbits of information learned from the tour guide.

Please note: I have not verified this research, these are my impressions based on the visit and information the tour guides shared.

Photo courtesy of my iPhone ;)

1. The house itself is a gorgeous Colonial, set amongst the New England Woods, making it easy to envision her life at this time (as compared to my experience at Mark Twain’s house - where I learned that while his home once sat on sprawling farmland, it is now surrounded by Hartford traffic and stoplights - see that post here: https://abusylady.substack.com/p/the-write-life).

2. Louisa May wrote for long hours at a time. Sometimes—14 hours! Remember, she didn’t have a typewriter, so she was handwriting all that time. She taught herself to write with both hands to help her hands from cramping.

3. The family had a “mood pillow” on the couch that when turned straight up was a warning to others that Louisa May was in a “mood.” I guess she got cranky from writing so long?

4. I loved standing in the dining room where she and her sisters put on many plays. Upstairs, they still have the trunk with some of the girls’ former costumes and props.

5. Her father was a vigorous proponent of Transcendentalism. A pioneer educator, he believed in empowering others, was the inventor or school recess, and encouraged his girls to be educated. He was also blacklisted for his beliefs, and Ralph Waldo Emerson often supported their bills because of that. Money was often tight for the Alcott family and Louisa May herself supported them as well with money made from her novels. In fact, she wrote Jo’s Boys to help with her sister’s finances.

6. The most fascinating is that Louisa May Alcott was close to not only Ralph Waldo Emerson, but also to Henry David Thoreau and knew Nathanial Hawthorne, all of which lived on the same street. In fact, they are all buried in the same row as well at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery—in “Author’s Ridge” where fans and writers leave pens and pencils at their graves.

Photo of Henry David Thoreau’s grave courtesy of my iPhone.

7. Louisa May Alcott was also a nurse in the Civil War, which means, that while Little Women is somewhat autobiographical, in reality, it was Louisa May that went to war, not her father.

8. Another difference between the novel and real life is that the girls were much older in the era she wrote them in. Also, her sister Elizabeth, the only sister to have her true name in the novel, passed away at age 18, ten years before Little Women was published and before the family moved into the Orchard House.

9. She wrote Little Women in under three months! Those 14-hour workdays paid off.

10. Her desk was small and made by her father. It was a tiny board built into the wall, facing two windows. A theme I’ve seen so far on many of my writer tours is that most do not have an elaborate office. Point: you can write anywhere!

Pictures weren’t allowed inside the Orchard house, but here is a photo I took of a postcard I bought there.

Want even more insight on Louisa May Alcott? Check out this site with some interesting facts: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/little-women-7-surprising-facts-about-louisa-may-alcott/#

CONCLUSION

Overall, I was very impressed and inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s life. She suffered immense poverty and heartache, but still came out strong, never giving up on her dreams. She supported her family and kept company with some of history’s finest writers and thinkers, in a time when women were largely marginalized.

As Louisa May Alcott is quoted to have said, “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” (Wow! This sounds like my Be the Ship post! https://abusylady.substack.com/p/be-the-ship )

Till Next Time,

Sarah

AKA A Busy Lady

P.S. I’ve continued to visit several writer’s homes since this one—including—Emily Dickenson, Gertrude Warner and Edith Wharton! Which one will I write about next? Stay tuned next month to see.

P.P.S. I’ve got some exciting guest posts coming up! More to come!