Celebrating our favorite authors is a great way to kickoff November. Nellie Verne Burt McPherson presented the idea for National Author’s Day to the General Federation of Women’s Club in 1928. It was a token of appreciation for fiction writer Irving Bacheller. The U.S. Department of
Commerce officially endorsed National Author’s Day in 1949.
If you were a Reading Rainbow child, you know that you can do anything and can go anywhere. It’s all in a book. Authors create incredible worlds and memorable characters that they share with us. Through their words, they plant seeds of wonder, change and knowledge.
Although the idea behind National Author’s Day is to celebrate American authors, we can pay tribute to any author. We can even use this day to encourage a fellow writer, or work on that unfinished novel hiding in the closet.
Celebrating Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott became one of my favorite authors when I was a girl. I first read Little Women in the third grade. I read it over and over, and it definitely had a lot of influence for me. Published in 1868 as a book for girls, Little Women is a classic based on Louisa’s upbringing with her sisters.
The sisters in Little Women were remarkable – flaws and all. There were things I liked about each one. I wanted Jo’s tenacity and writing ability, and identified with her passion for words and imagination. Beth’s tenderness and eternal child-like innocence were marvelous in my eyes. I aspired to reach Meg’s resolve and kindness. Amy’s beauty and embodiment of lady-hood were desires of my growing heart. Inspired by the contrasting and complementary qualities the sisters possessed, I wanted to be a little woman, too.
There’s so much to dissect about the novel and to admire about Louisa’s gift of storytelling and writing. I am inspired by her written works of art based on real experiences. That is why she is one of my favorite authors, and this post is my tribute to Louisa May Alcott on National Author’s Day.
“National Author’s Day.” Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary,
Fourth Edition. 2010. Omnigraphics, Inc. 31 Oct. 2017
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/National+Author%27s+Day
*Photos are public domain.
