Abigail May Alcott on International Women's Day

 

Abigail May Alcott often said these words to her daughter Louisa who let the world know she was alive through her writing, especially the beloved Little Women. From the book My Heart is Boundless: Writings of Abigail May Alcott, Louisa's Mother edited by Eve LaPlante who is a cousin of Louisa May Alcott and a great-niece of Abigail May Alcott. 

You can download a PDF to print and share here.

Toni Morrison on Art

I've shared this before on the blog but this seems a good time for these words from Toni Morrison's The Source of Self-Regard. 

You can download a pdf to print and share here.

To Thine Own Self Be True

A new piece from the Words From Susan collection of calligraphy to share. 

Click here to download the pdf.

John Cohen Quote on Photography

I was reminded of an exhibit of photography and film by John Cohen at the Photographic Resource Center in Boston in January 2002 when Warren Lehrer wrote about his passing on facebook and I then read his obituary in the New York Times. John Cohen was a musician (founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers),  musicologist, photographer, filmmaker, and teacher. He said he thought about being a painter but chose being out in the world photographing over being in a studio in front of an easel. 

Click here to download a pdf to print and share.
Click here to visit John Cohen's website.

Bread & Roses Download

For Labor Day. The line is from a poem written in 1911 by James Oppenheim. It is associated with the successful 1912 strike by women textile workers in Lawrence, MA. Mimi Farina set the poem to music in 1974, the same year she founded the non-profit Bread and Roses designed to bring free music to people isolated in institutions—jails, hospitals, juvenile facilities, and rest homes.

Words from Susan

I have added a new feature on my website: Words from Susan. It grew out of my love for writing out quotes and my feeling of helplessness at the state of the world. I do believe in the power of words—to inspire, to comfort, and to heal. You can view the quotes and download them as printable pdfs. Feel free to share widely, with credit, but no commercial use, please. The most recent quote (pdf here) is from Toni Morrison, in honor of her work and her life. To find out when new quotes are posted, subscribe to the blog and/or follow me on facebook or instagram.