Card Shower

One way to celebrate Laura's and Almanzo's birthday month is with a birthday card. No, you can't send a card to Laura and Almanzo, but here's a great card shower idea posted at Trundlebed Tales that we encourage everyone to participate in, if possible:

Card Shower for Burr Oak Museum: http://trundlebedtales.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/card-shower-for-burr-oak/

The hotel in Burr Oak is one of only two structures still remaining where Laura lived during her childhood, the other one being the Surveyors House in De Smet, South Dakota. That's history worth preserving! Check out the link, participate as you are able, and please help spread the word!

Happy Birthday, Laura!

Be sure to take a moment... a minute... an hour... or the whole day... to remember Laura Ingalls Wilder and the wonderful gift that she has given to each of us, on this, her 142nd birthday. Happy birthday, Laura!

If you did something special -- big or small -- to celebrate Laura's birthday today, drop us a comment and let us know how you honored the occasion!

Dear Laura

For over seventy years, Laura Ingalls Wilder has touched the lives of her readers through her "Little House" books. For many, Laura's stories provide an escape from the harsh realities of their own lives into the life of the Ingalls family, where even the grimmest situations are met with hope, determination, and often even cheerfulness, with the loving support of a warm close-knit family to see you through.

School children, teachers, and fans alike have been writing letters to Laura Ingalls Wilder for decades to let her know how her stories have resonated with them and helped them through a difficult time or made them a better person. In her final years of life, Laura received thousands of letters, with as many as 800 cards flooding her mailbox in early February in honor of her birthday. Laura must have enjoyed hearing from her readers, as she wrote a reply to each letter until she became too feeble to do so.

A collection of children's letters written to Laura during her lifetime were published by HarperCollins as Dear Laura in 1996, and in coordination with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, Wilder researcher Sarah Sue Uthoff is currently collecting copies of the responses Laura wrote. (Click here for details.) The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, which houses the "Rose Wilder Lane" collection, even has an online feature which allows children to ask Laura a question on their website, and receive a response from their resource department.

Why have so many readers of the "Little House" books felt compelled to contact Laura personally about their experience with her books? Perhaps because it's known that the stories are largely autobiographical, so in connecting with the character of Laura, the reader feels she knows the author personally and therefore wishes for that personal contact. Whatever the reason, the letters still come, despite the fact that Laura passed away more than fifty years ago.

One such letter was written by Laurie Heber of Hemet, California, as an entry in a Writer-to-Writer contest sponsored by the California State Library. Laurie selected Laura Ingalls Wilder as the author she wished to write to because of her strong emphasis on family, something very important to Laurie herself.

Despite the many obstacles she has had to overcome, Laurie wants to be a writer too, and her hard work and persistence with the support of the Adult Literacy program at her local library have paid off. Laurie's letter placed first out of 160 contestants in her category. Her letter encourages others who wish to become writers to persevere to overcome the odds.

"Just don't give up. Keep on writing," is Heber's advice.

We are pleased to be able to share Laurie's prize-winning letter with you, and hope that you will find it as touching and inspirational as we have.

Dear Laura Ingalls Wilder,

My papa is very ill. Your book On the Banks of Plum Creek has made me realize how important family really is. Your book has touched my life. I cherish every second with my Papa. Before my Papa became ill we spent a lot of time together. His illness is hard to deal with. I struggle with watching his health decline. My family is precious to me like your family is precious to you.

On Memorial Day, we went on a family picnic. We sat at a picnic table enjoying each other’s company. Papa was enjoying his family even though he wasn’t feeling well. When your family goes on trips, everybody goes together. When your pa played the fiddle for his family and you all gathered around to hear him, I was touched. I wish we were living in those times again where family spent so much time together and just loved each other.

I have had much loss in my life. My real mother died of breast cancer and my father died of a stroke. I lost both grandparents and my godfather. After losing my parents I adopted two kind loving people as my new family who I cherish dearly. Papa is very ill and I can’t bear the thought of losing another cherished family member.

I have overcome my own set of disabilities. I was born with a problem with my hips. I had to have surgery and was put in a body cast. After that it took me a long time to learn to walk. I had to do exercises to build up my legs. I couldn’t straighten out my legs when I walked so I was made fun of from grade school all the way through high school. I cried a lot. I am working on overcoming my disabilities. I am going to succeed in life. Your strength and determination has made me realize that I can do it too.

I liked how you and your sister Mary went to school together and sat together. I can relate with your struggle with hard words. It made me happy and sad to read about how much you learned when you were growing up, because when I went to school my elementary teachers did not teach me what I needed to know. I attended special Ed classes and I was labeled as mentally retarded. I don’t believe I am mentally retarded. If I was mentally retarded I wouldn’t be able to read and write.

Now I go to Adult Literacy School to learn to read and write. I am learning what I never learned in school there. My tutors are there to help me succeed. They don’t call us failures here -- they call us achievers.

Sincerely yours,

Laurie Heber to Laura Ingalls Wilder, Author of On the Banks of Plum Creek

Copyright 2008 Laurie Heber. Used with Permission

Get Your Own Prairie Collectible from "Nellie Oleson"

Alison Arngrim, who played "Nellie Oleson" in the long-running television series "Little House on the Prairie", attended the Little House on the Prairie musical at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis this summer to see her friend Melissa Gilbert (tv's Laura) star as Ma on stage.

Now she offers her souvenirs from the musical to the highest bidder as a fundraiser for Protect, an association Arngrim strongly supports, which is dedicated to protecting children from harm.

Click here to view and/or bid on the items, which include the program, a bar of prairie soap, and a poster from the musical autographed by the main actors (Steve Blanchard, Pa; Melissa Gilbert, Ma; Kara Lindsay, Laura; Jenn Gambatese, Mary; Kevin Massey, Almanzo; and Sara Jean Ford, Nellie). If the bidding goes above $150, Alison will even include a hand-signed letter to prove the origin of the items, certainly increasing their value as a collector's piece.

What a terrific opportunity to acquire a great Prairie collectible and help children at the same time!

(You need not worry that the auction is a scam; the information and link to the auction came directly from Alison herself!)

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist Book Discussion with Stephen Hines

Update: The group discussion on the articles that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote for the Missouri Ruralist from 1911-1924, and in 1931, which have been published by editor Stephen Hines as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist, is now taking place on the Frontier Girl Message Board.

Anyone can read the posts but to participate in the discussion, you will need to register. You can do this by clicking on the "REGISTER" link at the top of the message board page. This discussion is located in its own sub-board entitled Laura Ingalls Wilder Farm Journalist about halfway down the page, or you can click here to go straight to it.

Stephen Hines, the editor of the book, and myself will be hosting this discussion, but all are invited to participate. This promises to be a thoughtful and interesting discussion. We look forward to seeing you there.


P.S. The Questions and Answers feature mentioned some time ago is temporarily on hold. You may continue to send your questions, and we will be answering these, but it may take a month or two before we are ready to start posting these. Thank you for your patience. :)

Join Us: Online Book Discussion with Stephen Hines

Stephen Hines, author of I Remember Laura and editor of several collections of Laura's Missouri Ruralist articles, will be joining us for an ongoing book discussion of his latest publication, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist. The book discussion will take place on the Frontier Girl Message Board, beginning in January. More details will be given in the near future, but we wanted to give everyone advance notice so that all who wish to participate would have time to obtain a copy of the book before the discussion begins.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist is the most complete published collection of Laura's writings for the Missouri Ruralist. Laura wrote regularly for the Ruralist for many years prior to writing the "Little House" books, and the articles convey a wealth of information about daily life on Rocky Ridge Farm with Almanzo, the "Man of the Place", as well as afford the reader a look into the views and opinions held by Laura during these years. Anecdotes from childhood days (some of which were later included in the "Little House" series) are an occasional treat.

Stephen Hines first collected these articles and made them available to Wilder fans everywhere with the publication of Little House in the Ozarks in 1991. Since then, several other article collections have been compiled, as well as Laura Ingalls Wilder's Fairy Poems, a collection of children's verses that Laura wrote for the San Francisco Bulletin in 1915. Hines has also published long lost works of author Louisa May Alcott, and hosts the Literary Prospector website.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to read and discuss each article with Stephen Hines himself, as well as other Wilder fans and researchers who will be participating in the discussion. If you don't own the book, it can be purchased here. Stay tuned for more information!

Have a "Little House" Christmas!

The holiday season is upon us, and if you're like most "Little House" fans, you may be hoping to work a bit of "Little House" into your Christmas celebration this year. The Christmas chapters of the "Little House" series are among the most beloved, despite (and probably because of) the simplicity of the Ingalls and Wilder celebrations.

Here are just a few ways that you can have a "Little House" Christmas:

1. Christmas with Almanzo

The Almanzo Wilder Farm in Burke, NY, will be open Saturday, December 6, from 11 am to 3 pm, for a special Christmas event.

Come into Mother Wilder's cozy kitchen for homemade cookies and apple cider, then gather in the parlor for a reading of the Farmer Boy Christmas chapter. Other enjoyable activities will be provided for the children, as weather permits.

The house and museum will be open to the public but there will be no tours (self-guided only). The gift shop will be stocked with all things "Little House" (including the new Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura DVD, which if you haven't already ordered, would make a lovely Christmas present for any Wilder fan), and free gift wrapping will be provided.


2. Go see a "Little House" Christmas play.

"A Little House Christmas" is being shown in local theatres around the United States over the next couple of weeks. (Known locations include Houston and Dallas, Texas; Eau Claire and Menomonie, Wisconsin; and Warren, Ohio.) Check with your local theaters, or do a google search on "Little House Christmas" and your state name to see if there is a showing near you.

Also showing are "A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas"(known locations include Nampa and Caldwell, Idaho, and Mount Airy, North Carolina), "A Laura Ingalls Wilder Pioneer Christmas" (known locations include New Richmond, Wisconsin), and "A Little House Christmas at Plum Creek" (known locations include Boone, Iowa).

If you are aware of any other locations not mentioned, please leave the information in the comments section and we will update this post accordingly.


3. Attend "The Ingalls Family's Long Winter".

Raleigh, North Carolina, is the location for this unique holiday celebration, which will enable participants to learn about and experience the tasks used by the Ingalls family to survive during the Hard Winter of 1880-81. The event will be held from 2 to 4 pm on December 11, 13, and 14. The event is geared for children 6 to 13 and their accompanying adults, and requires a pre-registration fee of $2. Call (919) 856-6675 to register.


4. Enjoy a reread of the "Little House" Christmas chapters.

Live too far from any of the Christmas events? Have your own "Little House" party. Read the Christmas chapters and simply enjoy them, or use them to find ideas you can incorporate into your own family's Christmas traditions.

Questions and Answers

As I was looking through the statistics for this blog, checking to see how people were discovering it, I became increasingly aware of a need that webpages don't fill. There are so many "Little House" related questions that people are asking on search engines, and I read through some of these shaking my head, knowing that the answers to those questions were not found on this blog, and probably weren't found anywhere else online either. The people asking those questions were experiencing fruitless searches, and yet their questions aren't difficult to answer.

Questions like, "Did Laura Ingalls go to college?" (No), "Is there any film footage of Laura Ingalls Wilder?" (No), "Where is an interview with Laura Ingalls Wilder?" (on the Laura Speaks recording available from the Wilder Home in Mansfield or the Memorial Society in De Smet).

Then, I received a suggestion from a reader that "Little House" trivia (bits of information not known to the casual reader of the books, but that budding fans would find interesting) be made a part of the blog.

So I will combine those two thoughts together to add this new feature: the Questions and Answers series. If you have questions about anything related to Laura Ingalls Wilder or the "Little House" books, ask them here -- chances are, someone else out there is wondering the same thing. The questions, which I will answer to the best of my ability, will be posted on a regular basis, as long as the need exists and the questions are still coming.

Email your questions to frontiergirl@hotmail.com (you will not be identified when your question is posted).

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane: Authorship, Place, Time, and Culture

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane: Authorship, Place, Time, and Culture, by John E. Miller, is a compilation of critical essays exploring the themes of place, time, and culture in the lives and writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane.

Miller first addresses the question of authorship, explaining that any serious assessment of the "Little House" series must begin with an understanding of the collaborative process between Wilder and Lane in the creation and development of the books, and then expounding on his interpretation of that process and the role each woman played in the writing and editing of the series.

In terms of "place", Miller provides an interesting discussion on the significance of the differing attractions of both Wilder and Lane to houses.

He then looks at "time" through a series of articles: an in-depth historical look at 1932, the year Little House in the Big Woods was published; a comparison of Wilder and Frederick Jackson Turner as frontier mythologists; and a look at an unpublished Missouri history written by Lane, compared and contrasted with Thomas Hart Benton's historical Missouri mural.

Finally, the concept of "culture" as it relates to the "Little House" books is examined as Miller readdresses first the development of Wilder's writing skills through her experiences as columnist for the Missouri Ruralist, and then the controversy and criticism surrounding the treatment of Native Americans in Wilder's books. Miller concludes with thoughtful commentary on the political views of Wilder and Lane, and how these beliefs were (and were not) evidenced in their writings.

This book is a welcome addition to the collection of scholarly critical works produced in recent years on Wilder and Lane. We recommend it for anyone interested in academic study of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Rose Wilder Lane.

Click here to purchase this book (all proceeds donated to LIW Homesites.)

Video Tour of Rocky Ridge Farm

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl has just added a video tour of Rocky Ridge Farm, located in Mansfield, Missouri. We encourage you to watch the video, then start planning your own trip to the Wilder home and museum.

Click here to watch the video.