Did the Short Loop with Angel this morning. While it is still cloudy with a hint of rain in the air, the temperature is warmer. Dare I say that Spring is in the air?
I finished Susan Cheever's American Bloomsbury last night. This book describes Concord, Massachusetts from 1840 to 1880. She attempts to describe what a dynamic town this was during this period, --which hailed Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau.
But special credit goes to Ralph Waldo Emerson who inherited money from the death of his first wife, and then wisely used the money to create an informal Artist's Community leading to some of the best literature ever created. All of the writers mentioned above benefited from Ralph Waldo's money. And support. In a sense, the modern environmental movement, feminism (from Margaret Fuller) and the creation of the "memoir" were made possible by Emerson's sharing of wealth.
Think about it: The Scarlet Letter, Little Women and Walden all came about because of friendship with Emerson. I think Emerson made a wise investment.
Time to drive to the Napa Valley for a week...
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