Return to Top of Page
Menu
  • Close
  • About Us
  • Contributors
  • Donate
  • Opportunities
  • Staff
  • Submissions
  • 20 Years
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Search Website
Literary Mama
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Departments
  • Blog
  • Newsletter

November 29, 2013 | Blog |  One Comments

Literary Birthdays: Louisa May Alcott

By Amanda Jaros

On November 29, 1832 Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, PA. Alcott grew up in Boston and Concord, MA, at a time when girls were not expected or encouraged to become educated. With only meager teachings from her father, Alcott became determined to learn. She visited neighbor Ralph Waldo Emerson to study his books, went on nature excursions with Henry David Thoreau, and associated with Nathanial Hawthorne, Margaret Fuller, and Julia Ward Howe. Due to the family’s poverty, Alcott went to work at a young age as a seamstress, tutor, governess or any job she could find. But she was unwavering in her desire to become something great and said “… I will make a battering-ram of my head and make my way through this rough and tumble world.”

Alcott began her writing career by getting poetry and short stories published in magazines. When the Civil War broke out, she worked as a nurse in Washington DC, during which time she wrote many letters to her family. Alcott collected these letters at the end of the war and they were published as a memoir called Hospital Sketches. This milestone in her writing career led her to believe she could be a serious writer. After she published a novel called Moods in 1864, her publisher asked her to write a book for girls.

Alcott’s Little Women was received with great acclaim in 1868. It was based on her family dynamics, and the lead character Jo was a reflection of herself. The novel allowed her both financial success and the ability to keep writing. After Little Women, Alcott wrote many more novels, such as Jo’s Boys and Little Men, which were well-received, but never quite as popular as Little Women.

Alcott never married. She spoke of her spinsterhood saying “I am more than half-persuaded that I am a man’s soul put by some freak of nature into a woman’s body … because I have fallen in love with so many pretty girls and never once the least bit with any man.” When her sister died in childbirth, Alcott became guardian of her niece. She also adopted her sister’s son, and cared for both children until her own death.

Alcott was never sure she wanted to write a children’s novel, and was skeptical of her abilities in that genre. However, before publication, “the completed manuscript was shown to several girls, who agreed it was ‘splendid.’” Alcott said, “they are the best critics, so I should definitely be satisfied.”

Alcott died on March 6th, 1888, and is buried in Concord on “Author’s Ridge,” near Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau.

Tagged: Birthdays

1 reply on “Literary Birthdays: Louisa May Alcott”

Susan Baileysays:
December 1, 2013 at 5:06 am

Louisa May Alcott is my favorite author and I am fascinated with her life and the lives of all the Alcotts. She’s had a big impact on my life. I blog about her if you’d like to come over for a visit: http://louisamayalcottismypassion.com

Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share This Page

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Copy Link

Recent Posts

  • Where Are They Now? An Interview with Anne Liu Kellor March 30, 2023
  • Takeaways from AWP: The Power of Saying Yes (Part III) March 29, 2023
  • Takeaways from AWP: The Power of Saying Yes (Part II) March 28, 2023
  • Takeaways from AWP: The Power of Saying Yes (Part I) March 27, 2023
  • 20 Years of Literary Mama: Introducing the New Anthology March 27, 2023

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Don't miss out on Literary Mama news and updates

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Instagram
  • RSS

© 2023 Literary Mama | Search Site | About Us | Staff | Submissions | Privacy Policy