Well, I’m back from Vermont. It was a fantastic trip. Each time I’m back there I get to know the people a little more, and it finally seems like I have real friends, people whom I might talk to even after I graduate. So, that’s exciting.
In order for you, too, to feel like you’re in a writing program I thought I’d post a few interesting things I’ve learned over the past week, in no particular order.
1) The first novel written in English is generally attributed to Mrs. Afra Behn, in 1688. It was written by a white woman, in the New World (Americas), dealing with slavery. Oh, and it was advertised as a ‘true history’ for all you James Frey haters out there (that includes you, Oprah…there’s a long literary history of calling whatever you write ‘true’ no matter how little of it is actually true…not that this completely excuses Frey, but I digress).
2) Actually, Jane Eyre was originally published as a ‘true’ account in the first edition.
3) The fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood is a story to warn young maidens about sexuality. The phrase ’she has seen the wolf’ is archaic for a woman losing her virginity. A ‘hood’ was a chaperone, or a madame today.
4) The Brothers Grimm, who collected fairy tales in early 19th century Germany, originally did not incorporate the ‘evil stepmother.’ The first edition of their tales had evil mothers who tried to kill their children; later editions softened the plot to a stepmother.
5) In 1665, Elizabeth Foster was born in Massachusetts. She went on to have 16 children. Oh, and she married Isaac Goose. Elizabeth Foster Goose is often seen as the person who inspired “Mother Goose.”
Okay, that’s all. A few fun facts about novels and fairy tales, since I went to a workshop on each.
The final thought for today is this: Never hope more than you’re willing to work.
A little kick in the butt for a writer.
