Author: Melissa Prycer
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In celebration of Rilla
There are some stories that never quite let you go. My love for Rilla of Ingleside has been mentioned here more than once. That love led me to my senior thesis and, more recently, to my most recent publication on the Dallas homefront during WWI. So is it any wonder that I was thrilled that Benjamin Lefebvre and Andrea McKenzie were…
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Shining the spotlight. . .
I’ve long bemoaned the general lack of knowledge on the women’s suffrage movement. A continual soapbox is how you cannot escape Black History Month in February, but it’s hard to even remember that it’s closely followed by Women’s History Month in March. But that’s another post. But things are getting better. I think more and…
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A New Year’s Wish
Historians, even cultural historians, don’t usually pay a lot of attention to children’s literature. I learned this the hard way when I was working on my own (and only, so far!) article for a publication. I searched high and low for someone else that had done something similiar–using an author’s work to see how change…
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“Wonder, contentment and more than a little hope”
On Christmas morning, just after hugs were given and coffee was poured, mom turned to me and said “You’re going to love the editorial page this morning!” This year, the Christmas editorial of the Dallas Morning News featured Little House in the Big Woods! The complete text can be found here. The editorial opens by mentioning…
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The Changing Face of Nancy Drew
There are certain advantages to being the daughter of a bookstore manager. Chief among them: free books! (though it’s been awhile, Dad. What’s up with that?) When I was a kid, dad would periodically bring home a stack of paperbacks, none of which had covers. See, in bookstore land, sellers sent covers of books that…
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Seasons Readings
This Sunday, we’re starting a new tradition at my museum. We’re going to be doing a continuous reading of Christmas scenes from classic children’s books. I CANNOT wait to do this. And I’m being generous and letting one of my volunteers read “Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves,” even though that is probably my first choice. …
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A Tale of Two Emilys
It’s gotta be tough having a star for a sister. You know you’re special, but how do you get your chance to shine? If in some alternate universe, all of an author’s creations were to meet, would Emily Starr get in a cat fight with Anne Shirley? Would Emily Webster be jealous of Betsy Ray? I’ve always…
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I’m not the only one!
My friend Kim forwarded this blog entry to me. It’s all about using stories to teach history at museums. Are you surprised that I liked it? Seriously though, this is a great program. Years ago, I went to a session about this particular program. Somewhere I still have the list of book recommendations they handed it…
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Christmas Classics
Though it’s not quite the holiday season yet, I’ve spent much of this morning reading Christmas scenes from various children’s books. For Candlelight (the museum’s biggest event of the year), I decided to create a pre-visit lesson plan for teachers visiting in December. And what better way to talk about how holidays have changed in…
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For the to-read list
Wonderful, wonderful interview with Benjamin Lefebvre, one of the leading scholars on L. M. Montgomery and her work. Not too long ago, he edited The Blythes Are Quoted, which is essentially her final manuscript that was published very differently from the way she envisioned. He’s coming out with a new edition of Rilla of Ingleside,…
Prycer Consulting 