Cornelia Meigs (1884–1973)
Author of Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women
About the Author
Series
Works by Cornelia Meigs
A Critical History of Children's Literature: A Survey of Children's Books in English. Prepared in Four Parts (1969) 47 copies
Glimpses of Louisa: A Centennial Sampling of the Best Short Stories (1968) — Editor — 34 copies, 1 review
Railroad West: A Novel 1 copy
Associated Works
Stories for girls — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Aldon, Adair
Meigs, Cornelia Lynde - Birthdate
- 1884-12-06
- Date of death
- 1973-09-10
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Bryn Mawr College (AB|1908)
- Occupations
- professor
historian of children's literature
literary critic
writer of children's books - Short biography
- Cornelia Lynde Meigs was the fifth daughter of six children. She attended Bryn Mawr College and after graduating in 1908, she taught English at St. Katharine’s School in Davenport, Iowa, until 1913. While in Davenport, she wrote her first book, The Kingdom of the Winding Road, a collection of fairy tales. She frequently submitted short stories and plays for publication and wrote many of her books under the pseudonym Adair Aldon. In 1932, Meigs joined the faculty of the English department at Bryn Mawr, teaching English composition and creative writing until 1950 and eventually rising to the rank of full professor. She also served as a civilian employee of the U.S. War Department from 1942 to 1945.
Professor Meigs became an acknowledged authority on children’s literature, which was then becoming a new specialty. She wrote more than 40 books for young people, often with her students and nieces and nephews in mind. Her biography of Louisa May Alcott, Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women, received much critical acclaim. Prof. Meigs received numerous awards throughout her extensive writing career, including a Drama League prize in 1915 for her play The Steadfast Princess; three Newbery Honor Medals for her fiction; and the Newbery Medal for her Alcott biography. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Rock Island, Illinois, USA
- Places of residence
- Davenport, Iowa, USA
Keokuk, Iowa, USA
Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA
Brandon, Vermont, USA - Place of death
- Havre De Grace, Maryland, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
The second of Cornelia Meigs' children's novels to be selected as a Newbery Honor Book, following upon her 1922 publication, The Windy Hill, (Meigs also won the Newbery Medal itself, for her 1933 children's biography of Louisa May Alcott, Invincible Louisa) Clearing Weather is an adventure story centered upon the Massachusetts town of Branscomb, and the fortunes of the ship-building Drury family in the early years of American independence. Like a number of previous Newbery titles - Charles show more Boardman Hawes' The Great Quest and The Dark Frigate, Padraic Colum's The Voyagers: Being Legends and Romances of Atlantic Discovery - sea voyaging plays a prominent part in the story.
With his Uncle Thomas lying gravely ill, and the family shipyards in serious financial trouble, young Nicholas Drury doesn't know where to turn at the beginning of Clearing Weather. But an unexpected visit from a French radical and his young American companion provide him with the assistance and confidence he needs to begin building anew, while also opening his eyes to the wider political ramifications of New England's stagnating trade. Enlisting the aid of Branscomb's workers, Nicholas soon launches the Jocasta - a Drury ship to rival them all - with his good friend Michael Slade on board to conduct trade in far ports. But when the Jocasta doesn't return for two years, and no word is heard of her, it begins to look as if he has lost it all...
Although the sea adventure is not really one of my favorite genres, I think Meigs' story is engaging enough, and has sufficient historical interest to hold the reader's attention. I was particularly struck by her depiction of the insecurity and chaos that reigned, in the early days of American independence, before the Constitution had been adopted, or any definitive form of government decided upon. Unfortunately, whatever pleasure I might have taken in the story was dulled by the frequent instances of racism and anachronistic social content in the text.
It is my habit, when reading a book such as this, to mark any particularly offensive passage with a little slip of paper, in order to return to it later for consideration. Little gems like "The odd fancies of childlike savages do not often linger in the minds of busy men" (about the Indians), or "those half-naked bodies, glistening wet from the fog, the upturned diabolical yellow faces, the long knives ready" (about the Chinese pirates), finally grew so numerous that I gave up. Some of these older titles are worth reading, despite the anachronistic content, but this isn't one of them, and I recommend that all but the determined Newbery completist, or the scholar researching this genre of children's story, forgo it. show less
With his Uncle Thomas lying gravely ill, and the family shipyards in serious financial trouble, young Nicholas Drury doesn't know where to turn at the beginning of Clearing Weather. But an unexpected visit from a French radical and his young American companion provide him with the assistance and confidence he needs to begin building anew, while also opening his eyes to the wider political ramifications of New England's stagnating trade. Enlisting the aid of Branscomb's workers, Nicholas soon launches the Jocasta - a Drury ship to rival them all - with his good friend Michael Slade on board to conduct trade in far ports. But when the Jocasta doesn't return for two years, and no word is heard of her, it begins to look as if he has lost it all...
Although the sea adventure is not really one of my favorite genres, I think Meigs' story is engaging enough, and has sufficient historical interest to hold the reader's attention. I was particularly struck by her depiction of the insecurity and chaos that reigned, in the early days of American independence, before the Constitution had been adopted, or any definitive form of government decided upon. Unfortunately, whatever pleasure I might have taken in the story was dulled by the frequent instances of racism and anachronistic social content in the text.
It is my habit, when reading a book such as this, to mark any particularly offensive passage with a little slip of paper, in order to return to it later for consideration. Little gems like "The odd fancies of childlike savages do not often linger in the minds of busy men" (about the Indians), or "those half-naked bodies, glistening wet from the fog, the upturned diabolical yellow faces, the long knives ready" (about the Chinese pirates), finally grew so numerous that I gave up. Some of these older titles are worth reading, despite the anachronistic content, but this isn't one of them, and I recommend that all but the determined Newbery completist, or the scholar researching this genre of children's story, forgo it. show less
This story from the early 1900s was a great little surprise package.
Beatrice and her sister Nancy spend the summer at the Rocky Mountains with their Aunt Anna who is recovering from an illness. It’s a simple storyline, but it’s fleshed out by likeable, plucky characters, adventures and family themes. It’s not quite pc according to modern standards, but it’s certainly better than many books of that era.
Despite its age the book would be very accessible to today’s young readers. The show more protagonist is 16, but the book would probably appeal more to pre/early teen readers, especially those who enjoy historical fiction or horsey books. show less
Beatrice and her sister Nancy spend the summer at the Rocky Mountains with their Aunt Anna who is recovering from an illness. It’s a simple storyline, but it’s fleshed out by likeable, plucky characters, adventures and family themes. It’s not quite pc according to modern standards, but it’s certainly better than many books of that era.
Despite its age the book would be very accessible to today’s young readers. The show more protagonist is 16, but the book would probably appeal more to pre/early teen readers, especially those who enjoy historical fiction or horsey books. show less
One of five Newbery Honor Books for 1922, the year the award was first established, The Windy Hill is the story of fifteen-year-old Oliver Peyton, who, together with his younger sister Janet, comes to stay with his Cousin Jasper at his home in Medford Valley. Resentful at Cousin Jasper's unprecedented inattention, Oliver is at first inclined to rebel, even setting in motion a short-lived runaway scheme. But a fortuitous meeting with the amiable "Beeman" and his daughter Polly, on the show more eponymous Windy Hill overlooking Medford Valley, gives Oliver's thoughts a new turn, and he decides to stay. As events unfold, the Peyton children become more and more puzzled by the behavior of the hostile Anthony Crawford, another cousin of whom they had never heard. Who is this unpleasant man, and what strange hold does he have over Cousin Jasper? Could the answer lie in the Beeman's stories about the history of the valley, and their family?
Read online, through Project Gutenberg, The Windy Hill is a fairly pleasant story, although I would hesitate to describe it as a "mystery." I was able to guess the true identity of the "Beeman" and Polly from Oliver's first encounter with them, and although the specific nature of Anthony Crawford's dispute with his cousins had yet to be revealed, it wasn't difficult to intuit the general nature of the argument. Although I am not sorry to have read it, I found nothing remarkable in it, and am at something of a loss to understand it being awarded an honorable mention for the first Newbery Medal. I can't help contrasting it with another Honor Book from 1922, the intensely involving Cedric the Forester, and it suffers from the comparison. All in all, I would recommend The Windy Hill only to those who, like me, are attempting to read the entire Newbery oeuvre. show less
Read online, through Project Gutenberg, The Windy Hill is a fairly pleasant story, although I would hesitate to describe it as a "mystery." I was able to guess the true identity of the "Beeman" and Polly from Oliver's first encounter with them, and although the specific nature of Anthony Crawford's dispute with his cousins had yet to be revealed, it wasn't difficult to intuit the general nature of the argument. Although I am not sorry to have read it, I found nothing remarkable in it, and am at something of a loss to understand it being awarded an honorable mention for the first Newbery Medal. I can't help contrasting it with another Honor Book from 1922, the intensely involving Cedric the Forester, and it suffers from the comparison. All in all, I would recommend The Windy Hill only to those who, like me, are attempting to read the entire Newbery oeuvre. show less
Invincible Louisa is a biographical drama of Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888). The book focuses mainly on the years from her birth until her work as a volunteer nurse for the Union Army in Washington, D.C. Invincible Louisa is written with the same affected, sentimental, domestic tone of Alcott's "girl book," Little Women and, as in Little Women, this tone is a gloss that covers the underlying subversive feminist theme. On the surface, Branson Alcott is kindly, gentile, and idealistic. Yet, at show more the same time, the text shows scene after scene of harrowing oppression, destitution, and poverty that his family suffers under his kindly, gentile, and idealistic domination. Cornelia Meigs obtained inside knowledge of Louisa May Alcott's life through interviews with close family members, and through Alcott’s own journals and correspondence. As a writer I was inspired by how long and hard Ms. Alcott had to work before she found her voice, and her writings found their audience. show less
Lists
Newbery Adjacent (12)
Sonlight Books (1)
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 44
- Also by
- 7
- Members
- 3,694
- Popularity
- #6,859
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
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- ISBNs
- 76
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