The Search for Barbara Newhall Follett
Jan. 24th, 2011 11:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerA few weeks ago ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
asakiyume posted a link to this article about Barbara Newhall Follett. Follett published her first novel, the tale of Eepersip who ran away to live in the woods, dance with the butterflies, and become a wood nymph, when she was twelve in 1927.
In 1939, Follett herself disappeared.
So of course I had to find out more about her. In the sixties her mother and a researcher published Barbara; the unconscious autobiography of a child genius, which tells the story of her life largely through excerpts of her writing: her letters but mainly her stories, some of which are reproduced in full and all of which, even the one she wrote at six, are marvelously lucid.
I think this is a dubious method, quite frankly. I think you can understand general themes of a person's thinking through their stories - Barbara was clearly obsessed with escape, for instance - but they draw specific parallels which are, to my mind, unwarranted.
And the novel itself - The House without Windows? Well...
I might have loved it if I read it at eleven. But, reading it at twenty-two, it has two strikes against it.
First, it's so very repetitious. Every few pages Eepersip crowns herself in flowers and dances "as she had never danced before" with the butterflies, birds, other assorted animal friends, the waves, or the snow. She spends an enormous amount of time reveling in Nature, which seems to be what most people like about the book, but I would like a little more incident and a little less description.
Unfortunately most of the book's incidents involve Eepersip's parents trying to catch her, which brings me to my second problem: Eepersip is so very solipsistic. It's hard to enjoy her reveling in nature and making friends with chipmunks and kidnapping her little sister (but don't worry, Eepersip takes her home when she realizes Fleuriss would cramp her style) when I felt so bad for her poor parents.
Nonetheless I'm curious to read the other books she wrote, especially the two novels that remain unpublished. All of Barbara's papers, including those novels, are stored in a box at Columbia - and you have no idea how I want to hop on a bus and go read them...
(I think I need to put off all further Barbara research until after I've graduated. I'm antsy enough as it is; my escape fantasies need no encouragement!)
asakiyume posted a link to this article about Barbara Newhall Follett. Follett published her first novel, the tale of Eepersip who ran away to live in the woods, dance with the butterflies, and become a wood nymph, when she was twelve in 1927. In 1939, Follett herself disappeared.
So of course I had to find out more about her. In the sixties her mother and a researcher published Barbara; the unconscious autobiography of a child genius, which tells the story of her life largely through excerpts of her writing: her letters but mainly her stories, some of which are reproduced in full and all of which, even the one she wrote at six, are marvelously lucid.
I think this is a dubious method, quite frankly. I think you can understand general themes of a person's thinking through their stories - Barbara was clearly obsessed with escape, for instance - but they draw specific parallels which are, to my mind, unwarranted.
And the novel itself - The House without Windows? Well...
I might have loved it if I read it at eleven. But, reading it at twenty-two, it has two strikes against it.
First, it's so very repetitious. Every few pages Eepersip crowns herself in flowers and dances "as she had never danced before" with the butterflies, birds, other assorted animal friends, the waves, or the snow. She spends an enormous amount of time reveling in Nature, which seems to be what most people like about the book, but I would like a little more incident and a little less description.
Unfortunately most of the book's incidents involve Eepersip's parents trying to catch her, which brings me to my second problem: Eepersip is so very solipsistic. It's hard to enjoy her reveling in nature and making friends with chipmunks and kidnapping her little sister (but don't worry, Eepersip takes her home when she realizes Fleuriss would cramp her style) when I felt so bad for her poor parents.
Nonetheless I'm curious to read the other books she wrote, especially the two novels that remain unpublished. All of Barbara's papers, including those novels, are stored in a box at Columbia - and you have no idea how I want to hop on a bus and go read them...
(I think I need to put off all further Barbara research until after I've graduated. I'm antsy enough as it is; my escape fantasies need no encouragement!)
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no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 05:22 am (UTC)Even when I read it at 11, I recall thinking that she might get *hungry* living the life she did, and as someone who actually tried to put together garments of ferns, I had my doubts about the crowns and clothing, too. But I was also hugely solipsistic and selfish as a kid (.... let's not stop and ask how much more mature I've become with age), and I was delighted that the author "allowed" her to go off and become a nymph. I was unconcerned about her parents!
In any case, your reaction doesn't surprise me; I think I was more surprised that Paul Collins had such a positive take, and I wondered a little if it wasn't a "pretty-good... for a child" reaction. By which I mean, if he hadn't known she was eleven, would he have liked the story as much? I did--but I read it at eleven. I think I'd react more like you did if I read it at an older age. But who knows?
I should reread it.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 03:11 pm (UTC)I do think the fact that an eleven-year-old wrote it probably made Paul Collins like it more. But maybe not in a "This is surprisingly good for a small fry" way? I bet the book can be a real nostalgia trip for adults - and as it's written by an actual child, it feels like an authentic taste of childhood in a way kid's books by adults maybe don't.
It reminds me a little of Opal Whiteley's diary (http://www.ochcom.org/whiteley/), which she wrote as a little kid (though there's some controversy whether she was a fraud) and which got rave reviews about how it was haunting, showed the true exuberance of childhood and the mystical connection of children to nature, etc.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 03:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 03:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 03:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-25 08:31 pm (UTC)Hahahahaha. I love this. But I don't know how much I would love reading it over and over...still, she sounds like a really intriguing person, and if her other stories are better I hope you tell us about them!
Also, I think I've got my list of my favorite childhood books ready. I'm just trying to make sure I'm not forgetting any (I know I'm forgetting some!) before I post. Have you started your list? : )
no subject
Date: 2011-01-26 12:20 am (UTC)I have! I'm probably going to post it within an hour.
Barbara's Letters
Date: 2015-08-17 02:14 am (UTC)A few years ago, I archived a set of dreamlike, speculative, philosophical blog entries on Barbara's life (http://www.dreamshore.net/bluejay/barbara.html) by "jkel", an unknown writer in 2007-2008. You may be interested in those too, but the real stuff is at Farksolia.
Bluejay Young