Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 13 June 2018
'Little Women' and author Alcott resonate 150 years later

By SARAH BETANCOURT vote in town elections on
CONCORD, Mass. (AP) — A education and children
century and a half before issues.
the #MeToo movement In 1880, Alcott and 19 other
gave women a bold, new women attended the
collective voice, Louisa Concord town meeting
May Alcott was lending and cast their ballots.
them her own. In a letter to periodical
Society had far different Woman's Journal, Alcott
expectations of women wrote of voting: "No bolt fell
in 1867, when publisher on our audacious heads,
Thomas Niles asked Alcott no earthquake shook the
to write a "girls' story." At a town."
time when women were Alcott did other
expected to marry, often unconventional things.
did not hold employment At 30, she served as a
and could not vote, Alcott nurse in the Civil War. She
had her doubts about the traveled alone when most
success of "Little Women." women could not. And she
Since then, the coming- wrote stories that are the
of-age book has been equivalent of a modern-
translated into more day James Patterson thriller
than 50 languages and In this May 17, 2018 photo, the title of the book "Little Women," by Louisa May Alcott, is embossed at a time when female
made into films, a musical on the cover of an 1869 edition of the book at Orchard House, in Concord, Mass. authors were not popular.
and a recently aired PBS Associated Press Although there's no
"Masterpiece" miniseries. evidence Alcott was ever
The novel constantly finds Lizzie Bennet, Sara Crewe, as the place where "Little and built Louisa a desk at sexually assaulted, she
new audiences as women among others," she says, Women" was written: a time when writing was was harassed and had
worldwide confront sexual "and so we have almost Orchard House. considered by scientists to to endure misogyny as
misconduct, misogyny and been groomed to fight for Alcott was 26 when her be injurious to the female an ambitious, unmarried
pay inequity. what's right and to not let family moved into the psyche. woman.
Mayela Boeder, 34, of others take advantage of then-dilapidated house Looking back, says Orchard After writing the first part
Appleton, Wisconsin, read us." in 1858. The enterprising House Executive Director of "Little Women" in 1868,
"Little Women" as a girl and Alcott drew heavily from family turned the tenant Jan Turnquist, the Alcotts Alcott received a flood of
thinks it's still relevant. her experiences living in farmhouse, once slated were feminists. "They letters asking if the main
"You could say that strong poverty with progressive for destruction, into a believed all humans have character, Jo March, would
females in literature, TV and parents Bronson and place where Ralph Waldo agency," she says. marry neighbor boy Laurie.
every other medium have Abigail Alcott and Emerson, Henry David She tells of how Louisa Pulitzer Prize-winning Alcott
slowly shaped the minds three sisters in Concord, Thoreau and other literary May Alcott was the first historian John Matteson
of modern strong women," Massachusetts. Although neighbors would drop by woman to register to says, "Her publisher said,
she says. her transcendentalist for intellectual discussions. vote in Concord in 1879, 'You have to marry her off,'
"We grew up with Buffy, father led his family through Bronson encouraged his when Massachusetts and wanted the character
Hermione, Katnis, Jo, 30 homes, one stands out wife and daughters to join gave women the right to to marry Laurie."q

Peter Buck and Joseph Arthur in spontaneous alliance

By PABLO GORONDI of the 1985-1995 pop Make It Without You," with its
Arthur Buck, "Arthur Buck" decade. Arthur's role and haunting, dolphin's cry-like
(New West Records) contributions are just as faux string section, could
Former R.E.M. guitarist significant. As he often be from "New Adventures
Peter Buck and often- does on his own albums, in Hi-Fi."
experimental singer- he plays most of the Lyrically — in line with the
songwriter Joseph Arthur instruments, wrote the lyrics urgency of their creation
have teamed up for an and sings the songs. — there is some topical
album that was written "American Century" sounds material, like "American
mostly in a few days after like "Pop Life"-era Prince, Century" and maybe "Wide
a chance encounter in but sung by Axl Rose in his Awake in November," but
Mexico and recorded low register, while "If You the dominant mood seems
nearly as quickly. Fresh and Wake Up in Time" echoes to be about making the
spontaneous, it's also filled the Talking Heads. David most of one's opportunities
with precious sonic details, Bowie's spirit infuses "Wide amid our frazzled lives
like little flashes sparking Awake in November" and at hyperspeed. Buck is
the songs. the brief "Summertime" a known and treasured
Unsurprisingly, Buck's could be a David Sylvian/ commodity but if you're not
layers of acoustic guitars Robert Fripp interlude. familiar with Arthur's albums,
and bright and brief solos Opener "I Am The Moment" search out gems like "The
provide numerous R.E.M. would have fit seamlessly Family" and you'll hear just This cover image released by New West Records shows "Arthur
textures and the tunes on one of the last R.E.M. how much he brings to the Buck," a new release by Joseph Arthur & Peter Buck.
bear plenty more traces albums, while closer "Can't collaboration.q Associated Press