National Novel Writing Month began last weekend. In a happy coincidence, Chris and I had already made plans to visit a few famous authors' homes.
On Halloween, we took a day trip to Cape Cod to visit Edward Gorey's house. He's probably most familiar as the illustrator who created the opening scenes of PBS' Mystery! show. Here is one version of the video. Gorey is known for his perhaps gothic sense of humor, but what I did not know is that he was a great supporter of animals. One of my favorite things about his house was the couch:
Yes, Edward Gorey was a big fan of cats, though it doesn't seem like he was able to train them very well!
The next day, the first of November, we could not have started NaNoWriMo off any better than to visit Walden Pond, where Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden. Our friends Hobgoblin and Dorothy, English professors, were the perfect companions to make the pilgrimage with us to Concord, MA. Walden Pond is (1) large, and probably really a lake (2) incredibly clear -- you can see to the bottom. We walked the mile or so around the perimeter and admired the view from different directions.
Chris, Henry, and I, with a replica of Henry's cabin in the background.
Site of the actual cabin, marked by stones.
After Walden, we went into Concord proper and visited the Sleepy Hollow cemetery, final resting place of practically everyone who is anyone in American literature: Thoreau, Hawthorne, Alcott, Emerson. The first three and their families are all neighbors, and Emerson is a little further along the path. People left pumpkins, gourds, and pens at the gravesites in honor of their mentors and heroes. I only recently read about the Dead Poets Society of America, and the search to find and document dead poets, so perhaps I should join?
Henry's grave, left middle, has gourds and pens next to it.
Mr. Hawthorn and family.
Louisa has two markers, and there is a larger family marker outside of this photo as well.
Mr. Emerson.
A close-up. All images other than knitting taken by Chris.
After lunch, we found the Old Manse, home of Nathaniel Hawthorne for a time. Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldon Emerson also had connections to the house. Creative energy was palpable. In what is literally the backyard sits the Old North Bridge, home of "shot heard around the world," aka the beginning of the American Revolution. I am not much of an enthusiast, but for those who love history, Concord is teeming with it.
The Old Manse.
The Old North Bridge.
The marker near the bridge.
We didn't make it to Louisa May Alcott's house, or some of the other historic houses in the area associated with these gentlemen, but hope to get back there again sometime. I personally want to learn more about Louisa; there is a Pulitzer prize winning book about her and her father, and a new documentary of her life which will air on PBS next month.
So how is *my* writing going? I'm keeping up with the daily word counts. The writing is incredibly rough, but NaNoWriMo is about word counts and producing a first draft, not about the quality of said draft. And that's a good thing. It's a terrific exercise for those of us who normally want to edit so much we end up stifling the creativity and not finishing anything at all.
You'd write and knit more if you'd stay home with me on the weekend! -- Rosie
My purple cardigan aka Mr. Greenjeans continues to grow ever downward. I've separated the sleeves and am almost ready to begin the ribbed cabling portion.
I wanted to finish this before the end of the year, but with NaNoWriMo as a priority, and wanting to knit some beaded ornaments for Christmas, I think I'm going to have to give up on that idea. Or sleeping. :)
