tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post3093075517441131232..comments2024-03-28T15:01:21.285-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Mystery of the Little House BooksLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-14819234538929569572014-09-05T19:42:11.434-04:002014-09-05T19:42:11.434-04:00this is bull
this is bull<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-67254881881597068132014-09-05T19:41:21.158-04:002014-09-05T19:41:21.158-04:00I don't believe this article. I know that ther...I don't believe this article. I know that there was some loose sentences written by Rose in her diary's but to say they are solid evidence is grappling. Also to say Laura or infer; that she was to ignorant, old, or isolated to write the books is cruel. I think Rose has a little involvement,after all she was very jealous of her mother. Rose was stuck up, and she had many questionable dealings and relationships. Why if Rose did so much of the writing on the LHOTP books did she rip off the idea for "Let The Hurricane Roar"? Laura's life is easily and simply tracable. Rose was cruel. She was manipulative she through her parents out of their home and gussied it up by saying she built them a new house, yet the minute she takes off from the boring Ozarks, so she thougt; the Wilders hastily move back into their home. I think the truth about Rose is the thing nobody has covered yet, just lame attempts. Many of those attempts have diminished Laura's abilities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-15676885986826716612013-09-24T14:16:18.286-04:002013-09-24T14:16:18.286-04:00Fabulous discussion, people!Fabulous discussion, people!Arletta Dawdyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08838394408448357652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-15181308370994837542013-09-24T11:39:44.756-04:002013-09-24T11:39:44.756-04:00Eve, Rose & Laura divide up the material by au...Eve, Rose & Laura divide up the material by audience. The LH books with Laura's name on them were for kids. Rose's work--novels and magazine fiction--was for adults. When Laura wrote The First Four Years, she wrote it for adults and Rose declined to do her usual rewrite. (Which is why it's not as satisfying as the LH books.)susanalberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06593314069397524232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-52032618718044426082013-09-24T10:15:00.532-04:002013-09-24T10:15:00.532-04:00Oh, I agree that family stories are family stories...Oh, I agree that family stories are family stories, and belong to all. But at the same time, I believe there is a difference between "lore" - like my Great Aunt who supposedly buried her dogs in the basement in roasting pans (enough time passed between then and now to make it questionable as to the truth, because that Great Aunt was pretty crazy and almost anything was believable of her) - and my mother's life before me, such as the time she walked the railroad tracks back home from her first, disastrous marriage. Now I feel free to use both in my writing (and used the GA in "The Four Roasters"), but I also feel that, if and when I use my mother's history, then I need to somehow acknowledge this was her story. Anything, of course, that I directly shared in is mine as well as hers, and no problem in telling it. It's a subtle distinction, and it's just mine. I'm not trying to impose it on anyone else.<br /><br />I said that about balance, because - and I plan to read your book - from what I have read before, including her own writings, Rose strikes me as always looking for a place of rest and content, which can only be found within. Whereas (and yes, she was ambitious, yes, she would have liked recognition for her writing) Laura seemed to have found that inner content. Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-57159901845520926062013-09-23T17:58:23.283-04:002013-09-23T17:58:23.283-04:00Leigh Lundin, that's a helpful observation. Ou...Leigh Lundin, that's a helpful observation. Our problem with the Wilder/Lane materials is that everything that is published (except for THE FIRST FOUR YEARS) came through Rose's typewriter. So it's very hard to see Laura's work until you go back to the manuscripts themselves. (It's as if Ciardi ran Sayers' translations through his typewriter and that's what got published.)susanalberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06593314069397524232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-25227408273212438692013-09-23T17:53:22.088-04:002013-09-23T17:53:22.088-04:00Eve Fisher, to say that Rose's materials were ...Eve Fisher, to say that Rose's materials were "directly taken" from her mother's life raises the question: who "owns" family stories? The stories in the early LH books are repetitions of Ingalls' family stories, yet nobody suggests that Laura "lifted" them, or that they "belonged" to somebody else before Laura appropriated them.<br /><br />Wilder (in "Pioneer Girl" and in her MS drafts) has given us some interesting retellings and reshapings of family lore. Rose, in her novels and some of her stories (but not OLD HOME TOWN) has given us other reshapings of Ingalls lore. I find their differences fascinating--and revealing. But I couldn't begin to judge which of the women was more "balanced" or why that matters.susanalberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06593314069397524232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-58480278987812487992013-09-23T17:49:33.057-04:002013-09-23T17:49:33.057-04:00When reading for research, I sample everything I c...When reading for research, I sample everything I can find. Even when articles and books seem to say the same thing, they often have different emphases or at least I take away something different from each.<br /><br />In one of my courses on Dante's Inferno, our professor required us to buy both the John Ciardi and the Dorothy Sayers translations. We used the Sayers version for accuracy. We read the Ciari version for the poetry. So each in their own way was right.Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-22312187716557281172013-09-23T17:41:58.191-04:002013-09-23T17:41:58.191-04:00I adore those books! I've got to read this. Ja...I adore those books! I've got to read this. Jaime TandaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-75750435949781689892013-09-23T17:36:18.413-04:002013-09-23T17:36:18.413-04:00I've read all the Little House books, as well ...I've read all the Little House books, as well as most of Rose Wilder Lane's novels, and many of Laura's articles and the various biographies. Yes, they definitely collaborated. But it appears that while Rose polished the style to a fare-thee-well ("The First Four Years", if unadorned Laura, is pretty rough), Laura had the memories and the ideas. Rose's novels "Free Land", "Old Home Town", and "Let the Hurricane Roar", the short story ("Innocence") that won (2nd place) an O. Henry prize in 1922, and "Old Maid" that got an honorable mention in the 30's, and other Lane short stories were all directly taken from her mother's life, not her own. I think that fueled some of the resentment and control issues I've read about between the two women. It seems to me that Laura was more balanced than Rose, and this might be why.Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-11587917529085153632013-09-23T16:59:00.951-04:002013-09-23T16:59:00.951-04:00Susan, What an interesting post and story about Ro...Susan, What an interesting post and story about Rose and Laura and the Little House Books. I've seen some of your posts on Women Writing the West, and so enjoyed reading how you learned about this collaboration. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-272619532796463292013-09-23T16:19:37.752-04:002013-09-23T16:19:37.752-04:00Yep. Laura's friends will find things not to l...Yep. Laura's friends will find things not to like here, as well as in the scholarly books and articles I list in the bibliography and refer to in the extensive Readers Companion. Melanie Stringer, it might be a good idea to read the novel before you flame out. And re: the comparisons, yes, yes, and yes.<br /><br />For me, the central mystery is the deception--the how and the why, especially the why.susanalberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06593314069397524232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-63263661290566425262013-09-23T14:59:00.819-04:002013-09-23T14:59:00.819-04:00In defense of Ms. Albert, whom I have never met no...In defense of Ms. Albert, whom I have never met nor read before, I would point out that she specifically mentioned that other books had been written on the subject, but also alluded to why she feels her book is different. <br /><br />Reading, and building on, the work of others is a very common and acceptable practice in literary research writing, and nothing that vilifies anyone.<br /><br />For my part, I found the post fascinating. Further, I was led to suspect — from the way she wrote her post — that her book is presented in more of a “mystery” format, which may lend a certain entertainment value to the work. And, I intend to purchase the book — once I’ve made my way through the stack of reading already on my desk.<br /><br />--DixonDixon Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11220791609338404147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-25649431634793479372013-09-23T14:50:50.966-04:002013-09-23T14:50:50.966-04:00There is a mystery regarding the creative process ...There is a mystery regarding the creative process of a collaboration. Two authors produce a work that is not quite like either one of them. here I can cite Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore as well as L. Sprague DeCamp (his real name, by the way!)and his various co-writers, including Fletcher Pratt and Catherine DeCamp. I agree, great post Ms Albert!Jeff Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00316081079528920123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-90789358916203637192013-09-23T13:56:38.183-04:002013-09-23T13:56:38.183-04:00I started to write how impressed I was until I saw...I started to write how impressed I was until I saw the comment above. But I'm still impressed. Even if you duplicated previous research, it was new and news to many of us. And for that I appreciate knowing more about the books history!Emma J.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-56870453215305021112013-09-23T13:08:27.086-04:002013-09-23T13:08:27.086-04:00I'm baffled at how this could be called a &quo...I'm baffled at how this could be called a "mystery." None of this is new information to any of the thousands of Wilder and Lane fans who have read John E. Miller's biography, Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend...nor to any fan of either Wilder or Lane who has researched the women themselves. There are thousands upon thousands of us who knew Rose acted as Laura's editor and was her means of finding a publisher. But to claim Rose ghostewrote the series is ignorant. Have you compared the multiple handwritten manuscript versions of Pioneer Girl and the NINE novels to the finished, published series? Vast chunks of text in published versions match the early drafts almost to the letter. Rose helped with sequencing events, changing some details for drama and added scenes here & there with her very political spin, but the majority of the work is Laura's with little more than basic editing. Laura was a master of description and dialogue. And twenty years of writing regular columns for a respected farm journal, The Missouri Ruralist, as well as contributions to numerous other publications is nothing to sniff at. Rose was a technical editor of incredible skill, but she also lifted a great deal of material from Pioneer Girl to write her "own" novels Free Land and Let the Hurricane Roar. Though hugely successful, Free Land in particular is dry and unemotional, with stilted dialogue and oppressive politicking. So let's not get too excited about this. Holtz's book did all this 20 years ago, and, you're right, he wasn't convincing, either.Melanie Stringerhttp://www.meetlauraingallswilder.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-88950742396647915282013-09-23T10:50:22.972-04:002013-09-23T10:50:22.972-04:00Robert, it's true that Rose (and Laura, too!) ...Robert, it's true that Rose (and Laura, too!) were anti-New Deal, like most rural Midwesterners at the time. It's also true that Rose is often named as one of the "foremothers" of the Libertarian movement. But the books aren't propaganda so much as a reflection of a Jeffersonian philosophy, a belief in the value of self-reliance and personal independence. Read them as an expression of that philosophy, and you'll see why they have been perennially popular.susanalberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06593314069397524232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-54786615699265633482013-09-23T10:01:34.580-04:002013-09-23T10:01:34.580-04:00Very interesting. I was fascinated to hear that R...Very interesting. I was fascinated to hear that Rose's papers are at the Hoover Library. I never read the books until my daughter was the right age. Then my wife and I were amazed to realize that some of the books seemed to be anti-New Deal propaganda, all about how those rugged people in the wilderness didn't need any help from anyone...Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-33990281042394333842013-09-23T09:15:52.400-04:002013-09-23T09:15:52.400-04:00Dale Andrews and I discussed collaborating on a YA...Dale Andrews and I discussed collaborating on a YA mystery thriller and both of us would like to do it. But we need several months on a quiet beach whist someone feeds us tropical cocktails and flying fish salad.Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-66911553565763419412013-09-23T09:06:50.701-04:002013-09-23T09:06:50.701-04:00Great post, Susan--and welcome to SleuthSayers.
T...Great post, Susan--and welcome to SleuthSayers.<br /><br />This books sounds fascinating. I'm headed over to Amazon now to buy it.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-4061781860158576582013-09-23T08:39:37.149-04:002013-09-23T08:39:37.149-04:00Janice, my husband Bill and I collaborated on 12 V...Janice, my husband Bill and I collaborated on 12 Victorian/Edwardian mysteries--and before that, on 60+ YA novels, including Nancy Drews & Hardy Boys books. But collaboration isn't for everybody, definitely!susanalberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06593314069397524232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-49117146848256202242013-09-23T08:37:11.577-04:002013-09-23T08:37:11.577-04:00Thanks, Fran & Leigh--the story itself is amaz...Thanks, Fran & Leigh--the story itself is amazing. The challenge was finding the best way to tell it. Leigh, I've been digging into research for all of my mysteries, for the past 2+ decades. Victorian England, the 1930s Depression era, and herbs/gardening. All my books have been research-heavy.susanalberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06593314069397524232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-57377612288741330422013-09-23T08:34:04.876-04:002013-09-23T08:34:04.876-04:00Interesting. I am always amazed that literary coll...Interesting. I am always amazed that literary collaborations work at all.<br /><br />A good piece!Janice Lawnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-84977622106122453742013-09-23T07:28:24.588-04:002013-09-23T07:28:24.588-04:00Susan, as you could probably tell from yesterday&#...Susan, as you could probably tell from yesterday's post and articles about Ernest Hemingway and Tom Dooley, I love these literary mysteries. What earns my admiration is you left your armchair for the real world and dug into research. Well done, Susan.Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-24097893923939024212013-09-23T07:27:36.386-04:002013-09-23T07:27:36.386-04:00Welcome to SleuthSayers, Ms. Albert! I enjoyed the...Welcome to SleuthSayers, Ms. Albert! I enjoyed the post and wish you the best with A WILDER ROSE, which sounds interesting and has an absolutely GREAT title.Fran Rizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08655783035179620991noreply@blogger.com