Tag: Kathryn Ross

Categories
Literary Women in Histor

Beatrix Potter: Filling the Writer’s Nest with Tangible Inspiration

This is the tale of a tail—a tail that belonged to a little red squirrel, and his name was Nutkin.

Beatrix Potter, 1903

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

There’s something cleansing about the opening line of a Beatrix Potter storybook. I can almost hear her reading it in a sing-song voice, with just a touch of playfulness and sufficient drama to embolden the cautionary lesson at the climax of each tale. The solid, moral footing of her stories drawn from her keen, life-long observation of the flora and fauna in the Lake District of England, grounds whimsy in a swath of reality. I recommend hoarding a nest full of her nutritious tales for children of all ages, living in any era, as part of a Family Literary Lifestyle.

Miss Potter’s legacy of little animals going about the daily chores of farm and village life, wearing clothing and sipping tea in blissful existence next to humans, developed from the seed of her childhood. Growing up in a well-to-do home in London, her Victorian parents, as was the fashion of the day, had little interaction with Beatrix and her brother, Bertram, in their early years. On occasion, Beatrix’s father, connected with some of the trendy artists of the late 1800s, took her with him to art galleries and museums, feeding her desire to develop her own artistic skills.

Sketches from her childhood journals reveal a natural talent, blossoming with many hours of solitude in her third-floor nursery to perfect precise lines and watercolor techniques. When living in London, Beatrix completed her academic assignments under the tutelage of a nurse, and then governess. They, along with the servants in the house—cook and butler—encouraged her fascination with life in the garden. Though Beatrix might be tasked with finishing a still life drawing for a lesson, her favorite art subjects scampered, scurried, and skittered about on four legs between bushes, along fences, and up tree trunks out of doors.

In the late spring each year, the family moved to a fine summer home in the Lake District area until early fall when they returned for “the season” to London. In the glories of the English countryside, Beatrix roamed meadows and woodlands searching out all manner of plants and creatures in their burrows. She kept a journal of their habits and personality sketches, as well as detailed drawings of them in varied poses and settings. Then, of course, she’d name them. And some she’d adopt, making for quite a menagerie of cages and wicker boxes in her rooms.

Her furry roommates became famous as lead characters in her stories including Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Hunca Munca mouse, and more—like Squirrel Nutkin.

I usually like to bring out all my Beatrix Potter collection of books and figurines for springtime décor. But in the fall, I always display The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, one of my favorites. I love the Autumn shades of reds, golds, and browns in the art, and how delightfully she captures the seasonal escapades of squirrels, gathering nuts and hoarding them to feed off of through the winter under the lordly gaze of Old Brown, the owl.

My front and back gardens are full of squirrels at present, continuing in the ritual, unmoved by world changes over the last 100 years. The constancy of their lifestyle acts as a compass for me, grounding me in how I see life and cherish what matters. Their quirk-some personalities delight as much as they chide my heart, as I see myself in some of their habits. Beatrix might have mused in the same way, studying her squirrel friends. She used her observations to great success in speaking bold commentary on the human heart through country landscapes and the antics of the creatures who live there.

One of the things that I believe fed her tales and ability to pepper her character sketches with engaging detail, was the fact that she surrounded her world—be it her room, gardens, or hours in a meadow—with tangible inspiration. She lived among physical displays of the subjects in her art and writing. Squirrels and owls—she knew them intimately because she had them close at hand, living as pets in her room, to observe and manifest in The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.

Tangible inspiration.

I regularly make use of this writing technique—though not in the collecting of small animals from the wild. I’m a visual learner and creator. I can’t write in a sparsely appointed room because I’m constantly distracted by bare walls, thinking what I might want to put there to fill the space. This translates to my writing life in the habit of surrounding myself with physical objects to inspire whatever it is I’m writing about.

For instance, some years ago I ran a theatrical group and regularly wrote and produced plays for performance. I’d spend a year collecting props and costumes, slowly positioning them in my living room. Displayed for me in daily view, I meditated on the story they might help me tell, and how I might use them in the script. Keeping objects visually before me fed inspiration within and allowed my brain to drift to the land of “What If,” allowing imagination full sway, until words bubbled forth.

As both illustrator and writer, Beatrix Potter’s work testifies to this visual learning style technique, further inspiring me as a writer and storyteller. In fact, when I speak, I rarely do so behind a simple podium. There must be a stage and setting. Props and tangible visuals. I rely more on these items surrounding me on a platform than I do on written notes. And I, like Beatrix, prove that a picture—tangible inspiration—is worth a thousand words. The writer just needs to mine those words. Then click publish.

 Journal Prompt: How do you surround yourself with inspiration to write? Think about a time when a physical object or tangible inspiration was the seedbed and soil to your written work.

Bonus Writing Exercise: Choose a smattering of objects unrelated to each other and arrange them in a display. Study them and begin to cast them as characters, setting, and conflict in a short story of your own. How does writing with physical objects as your inspiration make a difference to how your story unfolds?

[bctt tweet=”TWEET: #BeatrixPotter and a Gathering of Nuts—filling your writing nest with inspiration to feed upon; Women Writers in Life and Letters Series ” username=”@A3writers @misskathypwp”]

[bctt tweet=”TWEET: #Women Writers in Life and Letters—Beatrix Potter: Filling the Writer’s Nest with Tangible Inspiration ” username=”@A3writers @misskathypwp”]

BIO

Writer-speaker, Kathryn Ross, ignites a love of literature and learning through Pageant Wagon Publishing. She writes and publishes homeschool enrichment and Christian living books for home, church, and school. In addition, she shepherds writers through the steps book development and production. Her passion to equip women and families in developing a Family Literacy Lifestyle, produces readers and thinkers who can engage the world from a biblical worldview. She blogs and podcasts at TheWritersReverie.com and PageantWagonPublishing.com. Connect with Miss Kathy on Facebook.

 

Categories
Literary Women in Histor

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Wisdom for Today by Kathryn Ross

In last month’s post, I shared about the disturbing trend of imposing modern standards to classic works of literature and the arts, with the recent stripping of Laura Ingalls Wilder from the literary award named for her in the 1950s by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). She’s been accused of racism for scant references in her books to minorities as understood by her as a child. Read more details on this here.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, beloved author of the Little House on the Prairie books, lived through great change in America. In fact, she experienced first-hand the seismic shifts in the nation caused by the Civil War, the end of slavery, the Industrial Revolution, Westward Expansion, the automobile, the airplane, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and even Elvis Presley. When she passed in 1957, just four days after her 90th birthday, her humble roots and written accounts of childhood and coming of age during the settling of the West, had catapulted her to world-wide fame as an icon of traditional American values and imagery.

But through the misguided, officious, agenda-driven move of the ALSC, the accuracy of Mrs. Wilder and her character has been called into question. This does not bode well for all writers of the past—their written accounts of life, living, and worldview in historical narratives drawn from the experience of their time. The threat that such may be divested of their veracity and precision as historical narratives to placate contemporary political correctness is abominable. This extends to modern authors of historical fiction, too, who may feel they are forced to present an historical time period and the worldviews of historical characters through a manipulated 21st century PC lens.

Authors and artists must be judged by their whole body of work. It is a shame the ALSC, who should know better, did not afford Mrs. Wilder that courtesy. As Christian writers today, we have stories to tell and a message to convey that may not be popular in a worldly sense. We may find ourselves judged harshly for simply telling the truth.

How would you respond if such a thing happened to you?

In wondering how Laura Ingalls Wilder might respond were she here to defend herself and her writing, she might take her own advice from this gem of a quote:

The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.

Be honest and truthful—Write accurate details when sharing your own story, no matter how messy or unpopular. Historical fiction must ring true to the time and setting, too. Don’t put words, actions, or perspectives within your characters that may be fashionable today but wouldn’t be accurate in the era within which you’re writing.

Make the most of what you have—Mrs. Wilder never envisioned herself as a great writer. She was a farmer’s wife and grew into writing poetry and on farm topics as a hobby for a local periodical. The Little House books started as a memoir she wrote in her 60s in longhand on lined paper. Her daughter Rose, a gifted author and journalist, acted as a gatekeeper into the publishing world and collaborator on the books typing them up and helping in the editing process. Laura made the most of her life’s story, bringing historical recall of details from a time long past to the table, and capitalized on filling a need for entertaining and educational reading material for children in the turbulent days of the mid-20th century.

Be happy with simple pleasures—Living and working through the day to day chores on her beloved farm with her husband, Almanzo, enjoying friends and family, and supporting the Methodist church life where she worshipped made up the lion share of Mrs. Wilder’s life until she began writing the books. Even then, there was always time to take in the beauties of Creation and maintain the simple life and seasonal routines of a farmer’s wife. Simple pleasures are a tonic to worldly cares.

Have courage when things go wrong—In addition to the high times of joyful living, Laura’s books give detailed accounts of perilous days when food was scarce, travel arduous, work hard to find, loved ones lost, great danger, and perceived injustices. Even so, the character of the American pioneer instilled itself deep within her makeup from childhood. Resilience, courage, and perseverance led the way. When Laura’s first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 during the Depression, it encouraged Americans through a season of hardship and sacrifice. So, too, as she continued to write her story through the World War II years in the 1940s, her books reminded America of their liberties and pride in their country and a history worthy to defend and protect in dangerous times.

 Journal Prompt: Are you bold enough to write from a foundation of accurate truth in its historical setting even though it may be perceived as unacceptable for one reason or another in the current time? How can you steel yourself to be a bold, fearless writer of truth, making the most of what you have with a happy heart undergirded with courage?

TWEET: [bctt tweet=”#Laura Ingalls Wilder: Wisdom for Today—fearlessly writing truth with wisdom to defend it; Women Writers in Life and Letters Series ” username=”@A3writers @misskathypwp”]

TWEET: [bctt tweet=”#Women Writers in Life and Letters—Laura Ingalls Wilder: Wisdom for Today ” username=”@A3writers @misskathypwp”]

Writer-speaker, Kathryn Ross, ignites a love of literature and learning through Pageant Wagon Publishing. She writes and publishes homeschool enrichment and Christian living books for home, church, and school. In addition, she shepherds writers through the steps book development and production. Her passion to equip women and families in developing a Family Literacy Lifestyle, produces readers and thinkers who can engage the world from a biblical worldview. She blogs and podcasts at TheWritersReverie.com and PageantWagonPublishing.com. Connect with Miss Kathy on Facebook.

 

Categories
Literary Women in Histor

Women Bluestockings by Kathryn Ross

When Benjamin Stillingfleet rejected the norms of 18th century polite society, for the graver pursuits of learning and literature—and the company of like minds for enlightened conversation—his fortunes dramatically altered. No more would he be invited to grand affairs requiring the fashionable formality of black stockings. His daily-wear blue stockings must suffice.

Continue reading “Women Bluestockings by Kathryn Ross”
Categories
Literary Women in Histor

Milady’s Pen for Posterity

The well-born lay woman . . . led a much freer and fuller life than her sister in religion. On her was laid the task of ordering large numbers of servants, of keeping good store of food and clothing, and of physicking if need be the members of her household.
                                                      Phillips & Tomkinson
                                                     English Women in Life and Letters

Last month we touched upon the life of the German nun and first female playwright, Hrotsvitha. Her cloistered life afforded her the luxury of an education, but little other pleasures in a material sense due to strict disciplines imposed upon her monastic lifestyle. Her written works attained an audience in her lifetime and far beyond leaving a powerful impact for God’s truths.

However, most of the words penned by ladies of the time only knew reading audiences within their households and intimate relationships.

The writing life of women in medieval times remained in the upper spheres of the classes: noblewomen, cloistered nuns, and royalty with access to education. Noble-women and higher-ranked members of the servant class managed households and palaces with efficiency and skill, leaving reams of written notes with the record of their days and household ways.

Largely free of the back-breaking menial chores associated with daily living, noblewomen recorded directives to their staff to accomplish such tasks. They drafted daily menus and managed inventories of valuable stores.

But, beyond the business of household management, lettered noblewomen enjoyed applying pen to paper for leisure in their writing life. Prayer journals, correspondence, fictional tales for personal amusement, and literary translations are left to us for posterity. For the most part, few of these women fancied their written words to have any lasting impact beyond their home. They had no thought to edit their work so we in later years have more honest words from which to, not only learn of historic realities, by more accurately judge the character of the writer in her time. These documents are valuable historic treasures referenced by academic elites and non-fiction readers today. When penned, the writers could not have imagined eager audiences reading their words hundreds of years later. Secrets are shouted from rooftops reflecting upon the authors—for good or ill.

Popular non-fiction reading includes the posthumous publication of private letters, journals, and casual notes saved from the past. The most closely guarded secrets of a woman’s life, in life, finds worldwide readers hundreds of years after her death. Do you ever imagine that will be your story, too?

Women writers in the 21st century trade in words daily. Social media exposes our personal and random reflections on our days and household ways to a world-wide audience almost immediately they are written. There is great debate on the wisdom of so much personal and unedited material flooding the digital world, lingering and accessible to whomever forever. How do the stories your random, unedited writings tell reflect upon you and the things you hold most dear? For many of us, mi’lady’s pen for posterity is a cautionary tale.

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  James 3:10 NKJV

Your pen is your tongue—outlasting your life and living still when your physical voice speaks no more. Think on these things for posterity.

  • Steward your random writings in labeled files—both hard copy and digital.
  • Be true to yourself in your records—but truer to God.

Journal Prompt: Would medieval ladies have altered their words if they thought the spilling of their hearts would have such a broad platform and be given great weight as historical documents hundreds of years after their deaths? How do you view and value the random notes or private words you write? Why? Into whose hands will your personal journals, letters, and saved ephemera fall one day? What is the historic legacy your personal writings will leave for posterity?

[bctt tweet=”What medieval women, writing in private, left to the public and posterity #journaling.” username=”@A3writers”]

[bctt tweet=”#Women in Life and Letters— #Writing Milady’s Pen for Posterity” username=”@A3writers”]

Reference:

English Women in Life and Letters, by M. Phillips and W. S. Tomkinson Oxford University Press, 1927

Writer-speaker, Kathryn Ross, ignites a love of literature and learning through Pageant Wagon Productions and Publishing. She writes and publishes homeschool enrichment and Christian living books for home, church, and school. Her passion is to equip women and families in developing a Family Literacy Lifestyle, producing readers and thinkers who can engage the world from a biblical worldview. She blogs and podcasts at TheWritersReverie.com and PageantWagonPublishing.com. Connect with Miss Kathy on Facebook.