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Kelly S. Taylor Ph.D.

Author of The Lady Actress

1 Work 13 Members 7 Reviews

Works by Kelly S. Taylor Ph.D.

The Lady Actress (2009) 13 copies

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Anna Cora Ogden Mowatt Ritchie (1819-1870) was an American actress, author, poetess, and many other professions, but she was also a lady. The first part of this book provides a brief biography of this amazing Victorian era woman, while the remainder of the book details how she challenged the restrictions placed on women of her time, without losing respect or her place in society.

While the main text is fairly well written, and consistently interesting, some of the transitions between Mrs. Taylor's text and excerpts of Mrs. Mowatt-Ritchie's text are not as smooth as could be desired, yet those transitions were not jarring enough to dissuade an interested reader from continuing. This is one book I had a very hard time putting down. It has made me want to locate copies of Mrs. Mowatt-Ritchie's works to read for myself.

The book is annotated and each notation is numbered in sequence per chapter. In other words, at the beginning of each chapter, notes are numbered from one (1) and continue in sequence until that chapter ends. Notes in the next chapter begin again at the number 1. That's a fine, understandable scheme, but is not strictly follwed in the notes section that appears at the end of the book. Notes for chapter two are numbered within that chapter from the number one, as described above, but, at the back of the book, the numbers of chapter two's notes continue in sequence from the end of chapter 1... so they are numbered from 33 thru 64; which creates a minor bit of confusion when/if one consults the notes during or after reading the main book.

After the notes, there is a 9 page Selected Bibliograpy and three appendices containing a timeline of significant events during the life of the actress and a list of her famous contemporaries, such as Edgar Allan Poe, P.T. Barnum, Louisa May Alcott, and others. These are the type of extra material I always love finding in a non-fiction book. I found the depth of the research interesting and hope to be able to read some of the books referenced in the aforementioned bibliograpy to learn more about the amazing subject of this biography.

This book was received free from the publisher in exchange for this review, and no financial compensation was received by this reviewer. The review is simultaneously being published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and anywhere else this reviewer deems appropriate.
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1dragones | 6 other reviews | May 15, 2011 |
Anne Cora Mowatt was an American author, public reader, playwright and actress who lived from 1819 to 1870. This book tells the true story of a women in the Victorian era who was much more than an actress. Dr Tayor delves deep into the life of Anne, to the point where we can almost know what she felt and thought, what motivated her as a person.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys biographies, and reading about life in the Victorian era. A very interesting read.
 
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luckycharm6139 | 6 other reviews | Oct 15, 2010 |
A fantastic look into the life and achievements of Anna Cora Ogden Mowatt Ritchie, a prominent but not always well remembered "lady." Although she wasn't a feminist per say, Anna Cora was able to defy society and keep her title of respected lady while earning her way into the hearts of many with her novels, poetry, and acting.

Not only does Taylor's writing bring forth the the life of Anna Cora Mowatt but also brings the early nineteenth century world back to life. With depictions of Anna Cora from highly renowned people like Edgar Allen Poe, it is hard to imagine how I have heard so very little about this fantastic woman before reading this biography.… (more)
 
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bleached | 6 other reviews | Oct 1, 2010 |
The first two chapters of The Lady Actress are concerned with providing an outline biography of Anna Cora Mowatt Ritchie (1819 – 1870). Aged fifteen she eloped with 28-year-old James Mowatt, a lawyer. Two years later he published her first long poem. She continued writing poems and having them published in a wide range of magazines and newspapers throughout her life.
She later supported them financially when James became ill. First, she gave public readings and then acted for about eight years. Surprisingly she became famous without losing social status at a time when society at large regarded actresses as little better than prostitutes. Indeed, she was on an extremely successful acting tour of England and Europe when her husband died. She never acted again.
Two years later she remarried (the President attended the wedding) and, seven years after that, left him behind to go to Europe where she spent the rest of her life.
She wrote poems, stories, novels and plays as well as a highly successful Autobiography of an actress which was followed by an autobiographical novel, Mimic Life. Her acclaimed play, Fashion, critically explored the nature of fashion and fashionable behaviour in American society. It was frequently revived.
This book explores in some detail aspects of mid-19th century American society using elements of Anna Cora Mowatt’s life and achievements as seed around which to grow brilliant crystals.
The Lady Actress does two things very successfully: it narrates Anna Cora Mowatt’s life and describes in considerable detail American Society in the mid-19th century. Indeed, the Bibliography at the end is most impressive. Anyone wanting to study cultural life in Victorian society in America could usefully start here.
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PeterClack | 6 other reviews | Aug 4, 2010 |

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