Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (Brown Thrasher Books)

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A drop of kindness in an ocean of misery.......2007-07-07

Imagine that you are an educated, early-19th century British woman who marries a cultured, wealthy, charming Philadelphia bluestocking and lives a happy and refined life and has two daughters and THEN you learn that your husband's great wealth, passed down through generations, comes from several slave plantations in Georgia. Next imagine that your husband, who wants to check out his property, takes you and the girls to Georgia for a few months. The trip to Georgia is, to the modern eye, a nightmare, but I think it probably represents the travel experience of the time. This journey, however, is as nothing compared to the 4 or so months spent on the various Butler plantations.

This book is not so much a journal, per se, as a collection of letters Fanny wrote to her friend Margaret, describing the land, customs, food, daily life, etc., of the plantations. But above all what Fanny reports on is slavery. She is horrified at what she sees all around her, and with the eye of a documentary filmmaker she records what she learns and experiences---the work in the fields, the diet, the family structure, the economics of the plantation system, the clothing, the illnesses and injuries, the medical care, the conversations, the rewards and punishments. Fanny can't escape from her belief that the Butler slaves are human beings, and the slaves, responding to the tiniest drop of Fanny's kindness in their great ocean of misery, quickly come to believe she is an angel sent by God.

Fanny's letters fueled the flames of the antislavery movement both in the U.S. and in England. Articulate and highly descriptive, her writings were widely published.

This is a can't-put-it-down book--------even if you think you know all about the evils of slavery. Highly, highly recommended.

I wrote a play about her in 1948........2007-01-07

I'm delighted at all the attention NOW being paid to Fanny Kemble. I was in an acting class at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1948 when the teacher asked one of us to write a nineteenth century play, since there were few to choose for our acting class. So I stumbled across her name in "All This and Heaven, Too" and wrote a drama about her life on the plantation and all the slavery conditions. Now, I'm 81, and books are piling up about her. I got my information from a FIRST EDITION of this "Journal" which my grandfather had acquired soon after it appeared, around the Civil War. It kept England from joining the Confederate side.

A Valuable Contributuion to Civil War History.......2002-02-25

I came across Fanny Kemble during a chance visit to a Georgia plantation on the Altamaha River, near Butler Island, where Fanny wrote her journal. An acclaimed Shakespearean actress born into a theatrical family, she had been touring America with her father when she met Pierce Butler, a wealthy member of Philadelphia society with possessions in the South. He courted her with such persistence that she finally agreed to give up her career and marry him. (Needless to say, Philadelphia society did not smile upon the union.) After the birth of two daughters, she persuaded Pierce to take her and the children to Butler Island, where she learned firsthand about the source of the family's wealth: hundreds of slaves worked in the rice paddies on Butler Island and in the cotton fields on St. Simon's Island, where the prized long-fiber Sea Island cotton was grown.

Fanny had been in contact with New England abolitionists and was well aware of the slave problem; but she was unprepared for the appalling conditions she found in the slave quarters, in the fields, and especially in the infirmary. She prevailed on her husband to mitigate the harsh rules imposed by the overseer, procured blankets for the infirmary and sewing material for the women; taught them to make clothes and take care of their babies; and even tried to teach some of them to read - which was, of course, frowned upon. She found that some of the slaves were skilled craftsmen and suggested that they should be paid for their work like any artisan.

An accomplished horsewoman and energetic walker, she also learned to row a boat so she could explore, unchaperoned, the coastal waterways. Her unconventional, spirited life style drew reprimands from her husband, but earned her the respect and admiration of the slaves.

The journal she kept on Butler Island gives a lively account of her daily routine. For those who imagine the lives of southern plantation owners along the lines of Hollywood movies, this book provides a healthy dose of reality. With an outsider's keen and critical eye, she chronicled her own involvement in a dark chapter of American history. She did not publish the journal until 1863, when she was divorced from Pierce and had returned to England. It came out just before the battle of Gettysburg and may have influenced public opinion in England which had been drifting toward favoring the South.
Today, the Butler plantation no longer exists; but neighboring "Hofwyl" gives a visitor a fairly good impression of what plantation life may have been like before and after the Civil War.

Excellent Documentary Resource for Women's History.......2001-09-02

Fanny Kemble Butler was a remarkable woman. In a time, circumstance, and place which precluded her following her life's dream, she settled down into marriage with Pierce Butler, who had adamantly and ardently pursued her hand. She left a very successful career as an actress and gave up, for a time and at her husband's request, her ambition and even her beliefs. She strove to make this marriage work and to "save her husband's soul," when she discovered, after the marriage, the actual source of her husband's family's income, the rice plantations that lay in Georgia. They had two children together before she finally persuaded him to allow her to visit his Georgia rice plantations, where hundreds of negro slaves labored to support the family's wealthy lifestyle in New England. Fanny's heartfelt pleas to free the negroes not only fell on her husband's deaf ears, but he eventually forbade her to even tell him of their plight, and even went so far as to forbid her to continue the practice of helping out in their infirmary. Still, the slaves of her husband's two plantations temporarily benefitted from her visit, which must have been like a ray of light in a very dark existence. The stories speak for themselves, and Fanny makes it her duty to record every one in the slaves' own voices. This book affected me deeply, especially when I read of Fanny's eventual unhappy divorce from her husband, whom she still loved, and her enforced separation from her children. Scholarly reading for every student of the nineteenth century, in the subjects of enslavement, the plight of married women, and general attitudes toward women and slavery by men in power and the common people.

A sobering and melancholic narrative of slavery...........2000-12-05

I purchased this book from Amazon in September but just managed to finish it this weekend. Why the delay? The book is a hard and melancholic read. In page after page Fanny Kemble narrates the abomination and sheer evil of slavery. We are introduced to folks who pious in their ways and beliefs show absolutely no compassion or outrage towards sanctioned barbarism. There is the case of one little girl who cannot conceive or imagine the notion that she can be a free woman. Then there is the sanctimonious Mr. Butler who is supposed to be a "good massa" to the chattel that is his property. I cannot begin to chronicle the innumerable injustices done to fellow humans.

But then in the midst of this filth there is a bright shinning light. That light is Fanny. This brave and intellignet lady fought against big odds to somewhat improve the plight of the slaves on her husband's plantation. Often not taken seriously, or worse treated condescendingly, Fanny nevertheless kept at it.

Book Description

Henry James called Fanny Kemble's autobiography "one of the most animated autobiographies in the language." Born into the first family of the British stage, Fanny Kemble was one of the most famous woman writers of the English-speaking world, a best-selling author on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to her essays, poetry, plays, and a novel, Kemble published six works of memoir, eleven volumes in all, covering her life, which began in the first decade of the nineteenth century and ended in the last. Her autobiographical writings are compelling evidence of Kemble's wit and talent, and they also offer a dazzling overview of her transatlantic world.

Kemble kept up a running commentary in letters and diaries on the great issues of her day. The selections here provide a narrative thread tracing her intellectual development—especially her views on women and slavery. She is famous for her identification with abolitionism, and many excerpts reveal her passionate views on the subject. The selections show a life full of personal tragedy as well as professional achievements. An elegant introduction provides a context for appreciating Kemble's remarkable life and achievements, and the excerpts from her journals allow her, once again, to speak for herself.

Customer Reviews:

Great Look into the mind of a powerful women.......2001-07-28

I must say, I have never seen insight so dignified on such a subject in all my years of book review. When I read this book, every page enlighten me with an overwhelming sensation of sadness, guilt, freedom and anger. Every one of my emotions were totally stimulated by this master piece of modern society. Regardless of the date in which Fanny published this book, it still leaves a gruesome reminder of the pure agony suffered from the hands of Prejudice and Hate. I have just finished watching the TV movie of Fanny's story, and I am absolutely blown away by the extreme emotional precision used in creating this film. Let this film and this book be a lasting reminder, to the youth of our age. It is important for the younger teenage generations of this new century, understand the facts of what had to be done, to win them the lives they have today. I rate this book 5 plus stars. It was amazing. :-) ~ LiteratureLuver418thCentury... ~

Fanny Kemble's Journals.......2000-10-02

I was attracted to this book after I saw the movie, Enslavement, based on the life of Fanny Kemble who lived before, during and after the Civil War. This book uses exerpts from her letters and journals to tell the story of her adult life, but it does not contain all of her written material. She published several journals, letter collectiions, and plays. Fanny was a remarkable woman, obviously much before her time. She was unusually independent and energenic, and her writing includes few of the steriotypes typical of the period. However, we are able to see how the customs of society restricted her ability to act, especilly her efforts to help eliminate slavery and improve the life of her husband's slaves. Because of her popularity as an actress she was able to earn a living after divorcing her husband, but he had control over their children until they reached adulthood. This book gives unusual insight into the lifestyles and concerns of the period. It actually reads like a novel.

The Essence of slavery: extracted from "A journal of a residence on a Georgian plantation," by Frances Ann Kemble

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The Essence of slavery: extracted from "A journal of a residence on a Georgian plantation," by Frances Ann Kemble
Fanny Kemble
Manufacturer: Cornell University Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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This volume is produced from digital images from the Cornell University Library Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection

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Fanny Kemble The American Journals
Fanny Kemble
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicholson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Fanny Kemble: Journal of a Young Actress

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Fanny Kemble: Journal of a Young Actress
Fanny Kemble
Manufacturer: Columbia Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0231070365

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Fanny Kemble: The American Journals.
Elizabeth, compiled & edited MAVOR
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MYQ5BW

Fanny Kemble: The Great English Actress Whose Journal Exposed the Evils of American Slavery

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Fanny Kemble: The Great English Actress Whose Journal Exposed the Evils of American Slavery

Manufacturer: Crowell-Collier Press Collier Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FEPTGQ

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Fanny Kemble: The Great English Actress Whose Journal Exposed the Evils of American Slavery

Manufacturer: Crowell-Collier Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GIVV7C

Fanny the American Kemble: Her Journals and Unpublished Letters

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Fanny the American Kemble: Her Journals and Unpublished Letters

Manufacturer: South Pass Press / Rose Printing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OCTCL2

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Fanny, the American Kemble: Her journals and unpublished letters
Fanny Kemble
Manufacturer: [South Pass Press]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006C4J9K

Book Description

George Moore is a large figure in Irish letters, but a curious one. Everyone knows of him, few know about him. A biography of Moore is a huge and fascinating opportunity to explore an entire cultural world. Frazier does this, never forgetting that his main task is to narrate the abundant life of Moore himself. To do so he has seen papers in Ireland, the US, Paris and London that no other scholar has used, enabling him to reconstruct the details of Moore's romantic life. Having had affairs with Pearl Craigie and Olive Schreiner, among others, Moore settled into a long and secret liaison with another man's wife, Lady Maud Cunard whose daughter, Nancy Cunard, was very probably Moore's child, as Frazier here reveals for the first time.

Customer Reviews:

Deeply satisfying and moving; ranks near Ellmann and Edel........2000-08-25

Unlike Yeats, Joyce, or James, George Moore did not have a strong and confident sense of his own identity, and has in consequence remained a rather dim and shadowy figure on the literary landscape of his time. Frazier has succeeded uncannily in getting inside Moore's skin, almost to the point of understanding him better than he understood himself. For the first time the many divergent facets of Moore's career come together in a coherent and gripping narrative. We see that though his enthusiasms, literary loyalties, and amorous propensities were as changeable as the clouds above Lake Carra, Moore was tenacious in a Quixotic quest for truth and freedom. His witty, indiscreet conversation, still so fresh in the pages of Hail and Farewell, Avowals, and Conversations in Ebury Street, was calculated to puncture many a pompous ego. A master of ridicule, he was repaid in kind. But a lifetime of struggle against British philistinism, Irish parochialism, and French cliquism cannot be written off as mere clowning. Moore often let himself down, yet his achievement as a whole deserves the epithet "heroic." Had Irish Catholics and Nationalists, in particular, listened to his enlightened critique, they might have spared themselves a century of repression, mystification, and violence. Frazier illuminates Moore's sexuality (especially his relationships with Pearl Craigie and Lady Cunard) with Starr-like thoroughness. This serves to enhance our appreciation of his fiction: masterpieces such as Muslin, The Lake (1921 version), and In Single Strictness take on a new glow as we discover the erotic humus from which they spring, while the lesser or flawed works take on new interest as fragments of a great confession. Frazier has buried the George Moore of stale gossip and caricature and replaced it with a portrait as distinguished as Manet's on the front cover -- a portrait securely grounded in wide-ranging historical research.

BIBLIOGROPHIES Of MODERN AUTHORS. No. 3. Compiled by I.A. WIlliams, with a Prefatory Letter by George Moore.

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BIBLIOGROPHIES Of MODERN AUTHORS. No. 3. Compiled by I.A. WIlliams, with a Prefatory Letter by George Moore.
George. 1852 - 1933]. Williams, Iolo - Compiler. [Moore
Manufacturer: Leslie Chaundy & Co.,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MZAACQ

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The Celebrated Case of Esther Waters
W. Eugene Davis
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Presents a biographical essay and the full texts of two plays, both adaptations of George Moore's realistic novel of the 1890's, "Esther Waters." Traces the collaboration between Moore, an anglo-Irish playwright, critic and novelist, and the American dramatist and critic Barrett H. Clark. Through a detailed examination of the plays against the background of Moore's many letters to Clark and Clark's extensive notes, the author corrects many false conclusions critics have drawn about the plays and the nature of the collaboration. Suitable for students of British literature and British drama.

Diarmuid And Grania: Manuscript Materials (Cornell Yeats)

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Diarmuid And Grania: Manuscript Materials (Cornell Yeats)
W. B. Yeats , and George Moore
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 080144361X

Book Description

George Moore involved W. B. Yeats personally in the revision of a novel of Moore's that contained a character based on Yeats; this involvement led to the pair's collaboration in writing a play based on Diarmuid and Grania, one of the best-known tragic tales of Celtic mythology. At the late stages of composition, the authors decided to add songs, and Edward Elgar provided the music. The play opened at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin on October 21, 1901. Although the collaboration had been difficult—Yeats and Moore disagreed frequently, mainly about style—the production was well received. Controversy arose, however, because English actors played these most Irish of characters. After the play was produced, Yeats, whose commitment had occasionally seemed to waver, defended it against all criticism.

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