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Let Genius Burn
Louisa May Alcott may be best known for the beloved book Little Women, but her story doesn’t begin or end with her famous novel. On Let Genius Burn, we separate the layers of Louisa’s life to learn more about who she really was--and all the ways her legacy continues to resonate today. We’ll explore the traumatic year of her childhood spent in an experimental utopian community, her service as a Civil War nurse, her final years of wealth and celebrity as a children’s author--and more intimate details and little-known stories of Louisa’s life. Instead of a retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s biography, each episode in the 8-part series examines Louisa's life through a different lens--Louisa as a celebrity, writer, activist, daughter, and more-- highlighting her complexity as a person, woman, and historical figure. Ahead of her time, Louisa railed against the limitations of her gender and fought for women’s suffrage. She craved literary greatness, but was weighed down by the financial needs of her family. Through writing scandalous Gothic thrillers, she found a way to voice her own inner turmoil. In the end, she achieved extraordinary financial success, but creative fulfillment remained elusive.We’ll examine all of this and more on Let Genius Burn. Find more on Instagram and Facebook @letgeniusburn or at letgeniusburn.com.
Let Genius Burn
Little Women Reimagined
In this conversation with authors Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker, we discuss the authors' individual relationships to Little Women and how it influenced their writing of The Other March Sisters. We also discuss:
- How the authors made editorial choices and conducted research to include relevant information both about the March sisters and their historical Alcott counterparts
- The authors cowriting process and how they collaborated to weave the stories together
- The inclusion of queer characters and storylines in The Other March Sisters
- What led the authors to ultimately leave so much of Jo March out of the book, and why telling individual stories matters so much
Linda Epstein is a literary agent at Emerald City Literary Agency, freelance editor, and author whose novels include Repairing the World and The Other March Sisters. She lives in upstate New York with her ridiculous designer mutt, Gertie Gertstein. You can find her online at lindaepsteinauthor.com and @lindaepsteinauthor on Instagram.
Ally Malinenko is a poet, librarian, and author whose novels include the Junior Library Guild selection and Bram Stoker finalist This Appearing House, Ghost Girl, and the collaborative historical novel The Other March Sisters. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she works and writes in the early hours of the morning before going to work at the Brooklyn Public Library. She can be found online at allymalinenko.com and @allymalinenko on Instagram.
Liz Parker is an herbalist, witch, and the author whose works include In the Shadow Garden and the collaborative novel The Other March Sisters. She grew up in Tennessee and Nevada, but now lives in California with her husband, dog, and too many houseplants to name. She can be found online at LizParkerWrites.com and on most social media platforms at @LizParkerWrites.